How a Condo or HOA Roof Replacement Works in Livingston County

Brighton, Hartland, Genoa Township and the west side of Howell have a lot of condominium communities and attached-home developments built from the 1990s through the mid-2000s. Many of them are reaching the point where the whole community needs new roofs at once. If you sit on an association board or a property management company is handling it for you, this is what the process looks like when it is done right. We have completed multi-building projects across the county, and the photos on our Our Work page show several of them.

Start with a real condition assessment

The first step is not a bid. It is an inspection of every building, roof by roof, with photos. Buildings in the same community were often roofed in phases and some have been patched more than others. We document each building's shingle condition, flashing, ventilation, decking concerns and any active leaks the association knows about. The board gets a report that shows which buildings are urgent and which can wait, so the plan is based on evidence, not on which owner complains loudest.

One specification for every building

A community looks its best and is easiest to maintain when every roof is the same system in the same color. We write a single specification that covers the shingle, underlayment, ice and water barrier, flashing, ventilation and ridge details, and it applies to every building. This also means the warranty is uniform across the community, which matters when a unit sells and the buyer's inspector asks about the roof.

Ventilation across attached units

Attached homes and condo buildings often have long, continuous attics or attics divided by firewalls. Either way, ventilation was frequently an afterthought in the original build. We look at the whole roofline and design ridge and soffit ventilation that works for how the attics are actually divided. Fixing this on a whole building at once is one of the biggest long-term improvements a community can make to shingle life.

Scheduling around residents

A roof replacement on a single house is a day or two of noise. A twelve-building community is weeks. We build a building-by-building schedule and share it with the association so residents know when their building is up. Vehicles need to be moved from carports and driveways, patio furniture gets covered, and residents who work from home or have pets that react to noise can plan around their day. We give notice before each building and update the schedule if weather moves it.

Staging, dumpsters and site protection

A multi-building project needs a staging area for materials and dumpsters that does not block fire lanes, mail delivery or trash pickup. We plan this with the board and the management company before the first delivery. Landscaping and common areas are protected, and each building gets a full magnet sweep before we move to the next one. On a community with shared lawns and playgrounds, this is not a detail.

Insurance claims on a community

When a hail or wind storm hits a condominium development, the association's master policy usually covers the roofs. That means one claim for the whole community, and the documentation has to hold up for every building. Our HAAG certified inspectors document each building with test squares and collateral damage, and we work with the association's adjuster on the full scope. We have handled community-wide storm claims and know how to keep them organized.

Communication with the board

A board wants to know what is happening without having to chase the contractor. We provide a single point of contact, progress updates at set intervals, photos of decking replacement before it is covered, and a walk-through with the board or manager at the end of each building. Change orders, such as more decking than expected, are documented with photos and approved before the work continues.

After the job

Every building gets a final inspection, the township permit is closed out, warranties are registered in the association's name, and the board receives a package with the specification, the warranty documents and the photo record for every building. That package is what the next board and the next buyer's inspector will want to see.

If your association is planning roofs

Whether the community is in Brighton, Hartland, Howell, Pinckney or anywhere in our service area, we will start with the assessment and a written report you can bring to the board. Request an inspection and let us know how many buildings we are looking at.