Our sales and estimating team get asked daily by prospective customers “should we repair our roof or replace it?" As an owner of Exterior Pro I had to think long and hard about what our company response should be.
Since every situation is different it isn't always easy to advise folks on the correct course of action. We have had much better outcomes providing information to building owners and talking about possible solutions and letting the building owners decide what route is best for them than trying to tell them what they should do. After all, no one knows more about your particular situation than you do, especially regarding finances, timing, and long term goals for property.
At Exterior Pro, our company goal is to stay out of the business of telling people what they “should” do and stay more in the business of repairing or replacing roofs. Here are 3 tactics that support our strategy and will help create the framework for how we talk with customers.
- Exterior Pro will help customer problem solve by gathering information
- We will help customers analysis and compare the cost associated with a repair or roof replacement.
- We will develop a plan that fits around the customers world, life, business, etc.
Problem Solving together
Deciding whether to repair or replace a roof involves many factors such as the age of roof, the type of roof system, the quality of the install, feasibility of repair, probability that repair will be short term or longterm, and on buildings where multiply commercial roofing systems are present, the way roofs systems tie in together or connect to keep water out.
“ Not every job we see is as easy as finding a 4 year old roof that still has 11 years life with one or two leaks that are easily repaired, that call is simple, repair it. Or a twenty year roof at year 40 with more leaks than you can count, Replace it. But it gets tougher when we find leaky roofs that are 10 or 11 years old and should last for another 4-6 years but probably wont because of a poor installation job by a roofing contractor that is already out of business or from lack of roof top maintenance by building owner or tenant. Those conversations with building owners are more involved and the decision to repair or replace isn't so clear.” Bill Peckinpaugh, Sales Manager
Good information will help you make the right decision for you and your business.
Here is a list of several things that you will learn by having Exterior Pro evaluate your building:
Type of roof
Approx. age
Normal conditions associated with specific type of roof
Amount of existing insulation
Repair ability of roof or likelihood that roof is able to be repaired
Longevity of repair
Cost to repair vs. Cost to Replace.
Putting together a budget
Doing a cost comparison between the cost to keep your old roof or have a new one installed is similar to the process of deciding whether or not to replace your old vehicle. When the cost of keeping your old car approaches or surpasses the cost you will incur by purchasing a new car it makes financial sense to buy a new car. The only thing this “ hard cost “ equation of dollars and cents is missing is a way to quantify the way a new car makes you feel, or the “soft cost” involved with the purchase. The financially correct decision might be to keep you old car one more year but you trade it in anyway and get a new one because of the way you feel driving it was worth the expenditure.
In roofing, the cost to repair is almost always going to be less than the cost to replace but people have new roofs installed on buildings everyday, why? Some building owners are able to calculate the cost of potential loss if roof continues to leak and damages merchandise or equipment in the facility. But just like with the choice to buy a new car vs. repairing your old one, roofing has "soft cost" as well.
Many owners opt to replace their building’s roof because it was worth the expenditure not to have stained ceiling tiles in their showroom or office area, or because the leak creates a safety issue either for them, as they attempt to fix it themselves, or for their maintenance team. Maybe they are tired of receiving nasty phone calls or emails from tenants after every rain or snow, and the list goes on.
Our company recently installed a new flat roof on a building for one reason, the water dripping from the ceiling was falling directly on the heads of the customers as they entered or left through the front door of the business. This building owner knew that over time having potential customers get wet as they walk in the front door of his business far out weighed the cost to install the new roof.
Cost of a dumpster to dispose of old roof 4 dumpsters x $450.00 =
Cost to replace Flat roof with new insulation $4.55 per sq ft x 10,000 sq ft =
Being able to sleep rainy nights = priceless
Putting together a Plan
Exterior Pro Inc. repairs and installs roofs ranging from factories to retail stores and from churches to public libraries and funeral homes. Each job we do requires a plan specific to the needs of the organization or business where work is to be preformed. We make it our job to keep you business or organization running smoothly throughout the roof repair or roof replacement process.
The right decision is always easier to make when you are well informed. When our customers have made the right choice about their home or building they are happy, and keeping our customers happy has alway been a wining business strategy for Exterior Pro Inc.
