Multifamily Roofing: What You Need to Know

Various factors go into the decision-making process when you’re considering a new roof. In multifamily roofing, services are offered to entire communities, like HOAs, within neighborhoods and apartment complexes. These services can include roof replacements, repairs and maintenance, inspections, debris removal, multi-unit property inspections, and more.

Roof size is something to take into consideration when estimating the price of a new multifamily roof installation. How large is the building? How much coverage is going to be needed for duplex homes, apartments or condominiums? Multifamily homes, apartments and condominiums will require more material to cover these types of larger complexes. Roofers will take an accurate measurement of the roof based on square footage and then divide that number by 100, coming out to what is called a “roofing square.” The more area needed to be covered, the more material and labor goes into the project, affecting your final cost.

Accessibility to the roof is a critical aspect and can create sizable price differences. Difficult-to-reach roofs such as neighborhoods with tight ingress and egress for trucks and equipment or those surrounded by trees can make access more challenging. This means additional equipment and labor are necessary to remove the existing roof, load new material, and complete the entire roofing system.The most important factors are that project employees are able to access the roof and move materials up and down. When tasks like these require extra time and equipment, the cost increases. There is a direct correlation between labor and equipment costs, so the easier the access, the faster the job is going to be, and the less it will cost.

Existing construction can affect your multifamily roofing price points. Costs are determined by how much time it takes to remove your existing roof and the weight of the materials that need to be disposed of. Labor is an important factor, and the heavier the material and more of it there is, the longer removal will take. This affects the cost of how then to dispose of everything properly. If you are changing materials, or your existing ones are in bad shape, a complete tear-off will be necessary. Some estimates will not include a tear-off, but any unseen damage under an older roof might impact a brand new one. Removing an existing roof adds time and labor costs to the project, and the size and complexity of the job also factor in.