Budgeting and planning for your commercial roofing project may seem daunting if you haven’t gone through the process before, or aren’t sure exactly what your roof needs. These processes are critical to ensuring your team is continuously thinking about the nuances of your roof and the priority of your maintenance projects.
During your next budgeting season, here are some things you can consider:
1. Reference historical data
When assessing the needs of your roofs, it’s important to reference historical data. This might include records of your building’s maintenance, reports from previous roofing projects, or insights about your roof’s overall performance. One key piece of information you can search for is when your roof was last installed and when it last received maintenance. If it's been a long time, that’s a good indicator that your roof needs attention to ensure your asset is protected.
2. Think about the order of priority
The commercial buildings you own or manage may have a variety of repair needs, ranging from your roof and their foundations. Thinking critically about the order of priority regarding your repairs can help you determine what to plan for first. For example, if your building’s roof needs to be repaired, you may want to have that completed before beginning a repainting project.
3. Recognize your strengths and consult with others
Recognizing your strengths and areas of expertise can be crucial when creating your budgets for upcoming projects. This can be especially helpful to prevent you from underestimating costs and being surprised later. If you’re unsure about the needs of your roof or how to evaluate them, you can always consult with a trusted industry professional. You may even get multiple opinions if you’d like additional insights.
4. Leverage technology tools
There are many technology tools you can leverage to help you throughout your budgeting process, especially when you’re estimating potential costs. Before selecting the right tool for you, it may be helpful to research the different features specific tools offer and think about how they could streamline your process. If you’re not sure what tool would work best for you and your business, you can always see what others in your industry are using.
5. Create a request for proposal (RFP) that attracts the right contractors
When creating your RFP, it’s helpful to think about how you can narrow your requirements to make sure you’re attracting the right contractors. One way you can do this is by making sure the scope of your project is detailed and clearly defines the niche needs of your roof. You can also ask contractors to provide insights or examples from projects they’ve completed that may be similar to yours. Doing this can help you ensure the partner you select is someone with the expertise you need.
Better budgeting checklist
- Reference your roof’s history
- Think about the priority of your maintenance projects
- Start early, to help make your budgeting and project process more efficient
- Consult with a trusted industry professional to ensure you don’t under budget
- Make sure you’re realistic about project timing and don’t underestimate
- Leverage technology tools that make sense for your needs
- Stay aware of any potential pitfalls or shortcomings that might happen
- Review the project’s contract terms because not all are created equal
- Check the credentials of your property partner to ensure they’re experts
- Try to get at least 3 bids, otherwise, you may not have enough to make a decision
- Examine reviews of your potential partners to ensure they’re reliable
- Consider changes, if something isn’t working in your budgeting process
Do you not know what your roof’s needs are and want support?
If you’re unsure what your roof needs, our team at White Hat is happy to help. We’ve been in the commercial roofing industry for decades and always assess our customers' roofs like we own the building. That’s right, our team will only make recommendations we’d do ourselves, even if it means you partner with someone else to take care of your roof’s needs.
Connect with a member of our team today by calling 937.909.9030 or contact us via email.
