By the time a Sarasota or Manatee County condominium board has a roofing contract in front of it, price is usually the biggest factor. We asked Jim Ryan, General Manager at Colonial Roofing, what a property manager or board should ask a contractor about operations before signing. His first answer was to widen the view:
"I think look beyond the number. I think ask who they are, get to know their story. What are they about? How do they operate?"
Jim flagged one question that is often overlooked:
"Something very important that I think gets overlooked, look at their backlog, their body of work. Ask for that."
A contractor's body of work shows what it builds every day. A list of completed and active projects tells a board whether the company has handled communities like theirs, at a similar size, with a similar roof system. It also gives the board names to call.
Jim framed the question boards can ask themselves while reviewing a contractor's history:
"Is what they’re providing a price to you for something that they do day in and day out? Or is this just a one-off, something that they can throw a big price at, and hopefully they get the job?"
A company that bids condominium roof replacements every week has priced the hidden pieces before: access, staging, resident coordination and the conditions crews tend to find under an old roof. A company stepping outside its usual work may be pricing those pieces for the first time.
Jim described the trap he sees boards fall into:
"I think sometimes people get tunnel vision, they're focused on the budget, the short-term goals, and they lose sight of the potential long-term gains. Because, again, when it comes to roofing, it's not just ‘buy a new roof and it's done’. That's something that has to be supported for the lifetime of the roof."
A roof replacement initiates a relationship that can run as long as the roof does. Warranty service, maintenance and repairs all depend on the company that installed it. A board protecting the budget this year is also choosing who it will call for help years from now.
Drawing from Jim's answer, a board's list before signing could include: