Unfortunately, as a property manager, it’s impossible to prepare for everything, and damages are bound to happen. Whether it’s the result of bad weather (or simply bad luck), at some point, you’re going to experience a roofing emergency.
It could be anything from a severe leak to a dangerous structural collapse—regardless, it’s your job as the property manager to remain level-headed and take care of the situation as quickly and calmly as possible. Here’s how we recommend you handle a roofing emergency as a property manager in order to ensure the safety of your building and its occupants.
How to Handle a Roofing Emergency
Assess the Situation
If you get a call from a tenant or property management company citing a problem with the roof, the best thing you can do is get to the property as soon as possible. You want to assess the situation to see if you can quickly pinpoint what the roofing emergency may be.
Make sure to do this from the ground! You want to avoid direct contact with the roof until you understand the situation better, as it may be unstable and dangerous to climb onto. Check for missing shingles, large chunks of debris, or pooled water. It may also be helpful to check the attic or ceiling on the upper floors for water stains.
Taking a moment to get a read on the situation will allow you to better communicate the nature of the emergency to the professionals (ie. the roofing company) and immediately determine if your tenants are in harm’s way.
Unsure if the damage to the roof constitutes an emergency or just a simple repair? Although a professional will be better suited to identify the severity of the situation, here are some examples of roofing emergencies:
- Falling objects (like tree branches) create holes.
- A partial or complete roof collapse.
- Large quantities of water leaked into the building.
- Significant fire damage.
Make Sure Your Residents Are Safe
Once you’ve identified the emergency at hand, it’s time to first and foremost make sure that your tenants are out of harm’s way. This may involve evacuating certain units, or, in some cases, the entire building. While your tenants are bound to be disgruntled by this, in moments like these, their comfort is not your priority—their safety is!
As the roofing emergency pans out, try to keep them in-the-know on updates or other important information via text messages, emails, or voicemails. If you don’t already have this, it may be helpful for future emergencies to have access to emergency response plans and emergency contact either in their tenant portal, posted around the property, or both!
Secure the Property
Once you know that all your tenants are safe and sound, you want to secure the property from any further damage. This can involve things such as using a tarp or plastic sheet to cover an area, removing any loose, easy-to-grab debris, turning off utilities (if necessary), or hanging signage that instructs people to stay away from certain parts of the property.
Do not attempt to make repairs! These are just temporary fixes that are stabilizing the situation until a professional arrives. Also, don’t put yourself in harm’s way. If there’s no way to safely secure the damages, then just leave it as is until help arrives.
Contact Your Roofing Company
Once you have quickly and calmly conducted all the previous steps, it’s time to contact your trusted roofing company. Most premier roofing companies will offer emergency roofing services, which means that if you contact them saying you need work done ASAP, they’ll come to your aid.
If they’re a roofing company you’ve been working with for some time, they’ll likely already be familiar with your building, its roofing system, and past repairs. Because of this, they’ll be able to better understand what you’re relaying over the phone and therefore have a good grasp on the situation before they even arrive.
Once they’re on-site, they’ll conduct an inspection of your roof, complete temporary repairs to prevent any further damages, and give you an estimate of what it will cost to permanently repair. Throughout this whole process, you can expect professionalism, a dedication to quality, and plenty of communication to keep you in the know. (Remember, as you learn more about the situation, make sure you keep your tenants updated as well!)
Document the Damage
Now that your roofing company is informed of the situation, it’s time to start documenting damages! Although your roofing company will take documentation of their own, try to snap some pictures and videos from a safe location, as well as take notes regarding details about what happened.
All of this will come in handy when filing a claim through your insurance company. The combination of you and your roofing company’s documentation will be more than sufficient to prove how much you deserve to be paid out for damages.
Trust Us for Your Roofing Emergencies
No matter the roofing emergency, we’ve got you covered. At Standard Roofing & Restoration, we’ve got years of experience working alongside property management companies to protect their portfolio through the use of our premier roofing services.
We’ll make sure that any emergency repairs are handled thoroughly and efficiently, allowing you and your tenants to get back to business as usual. We also offer flexible financing options that will help you get the repairs done regardless of your current finances.
No matter the situation, you can rely on us! Contact us today to learn more about our emergency services or about beginning a partnership as your trusted roofing company.