What an Ann Arbor Roof Inspection Actually Checks
The inspection records membrane, seams, flashings, drains, penetrations, edge metal, moisture indicators, photographs, and practical next steps in a condition report. A commercial roof inspection here has to account for a specific seasonal rhythm: what a winter of freeze-thaw cycling did to seams and flashings, and what needs attention before the next one arrives. We time most inspections to spring, right after the thaw, and fall, right before the first hard freeze, because those windows show the most useful evidence.
The Spring Inspection Reads Winter's Damage
A spring walk after a Michigan winter shows exactly where ice dams formed, where ponded meltwater sat longest, and which flashing details took the worst of the freeze-thaw cycling. Cracked or stiffened pipe boots, lifted lap edges, and displaced coping sections are common findings at this time of year, and catching them in spring means repairs happen before summer thunderstorm season tests those same details with wind-driven rain.
The Fall Inspection Prepares for the Next Freeze
Fall inspections focus on drainage. Clogged strainers, debris in scuppers, and gutters full of leaves or seed pods from nearby trees all set up ice dam conditions once temperatures start cycling below freezing. We clear what we can during the inspection and flag anything that needs a return trip before the first snow, since a blocked drain going into winter turns a manageable maintenance item into a leak call in January.
What We Physically Check on the Roof
An inspection isn't a walk-by from the parking lot. Every roof section gets covered on foot, with specific attention to:
- Seam and lap condition at a sample of locations across the field, hand-probed rather than just viewed
- Flashing at every penetration, curb, and wall termination
- Parapet caps, coping joints, and expansion joint covers for movement or displacement
- Drain bowls, scuppers, and gutter runs for debris, ponding, and ice damage
- Rooftop equipment curbs and mounting points for corrosion or loose fasteners
- Membrane surface condition, including UV wear, blistering, and visible tears
- Interior ceiling tiles below the roof, where accessible, for stain patterns that predate a reported leak
Documentation That Actually Gets Used
An inspection report only earns its cost if someone can act on it. We deliver photo-tagged findings mapped to roof location, a plain-language priority order, and a rough budget range for anything beyond routine maintenance, so a facilities director or property manager can decide what happens this quarter versus what gets planned for next year's capital budget.
Inspection Cadence for Different Building Types
Lab and clinical buildings connected to Michigan Medicine or university research space often warrant a third inspection after any major storm event, given how much rooftop mechanical equipment those roofs carry and how disruptive an unplanned leak is to research continuity. Retail and office buildings on a standard budget cycle typically do fine on the spring and fall schedule alone. We help set the cadence based on roof age, membrane type, and what's underneath it rather than applying one interval to every building in a portfolio.
Rooftop Equipment Adds Its Own Inspection Points
Buildings around Ann Arbor's research and medical footprint tend to carry more rooftop mechanical equipment than a typical retail box, exhaust fans, condenser banks, dunnage supporting ductwork runs between buildings, and lab exhaust stacks among them. Every piece of that equipment sits on a curb or pad that penetrates the membrane, and every one of those penetrations is a potential leak point that a general roof inspection has to account for specifically rather than treating the equipment as someone else's scope. We note equipment condition even when it's outside our repair responsibility, since a failing curb gasket or a corroded equipment pad affects the roof underneath it.
Tracking Roof Condition Across Multiple Visits
A single inspection tells you today's condition. A history of inspections tells you the trend, whether a membrane is aging on schedule, whether a specific drain keeps recurring as a problem area, or whether a roof section is deteriorating faster than the rest of the building. We keep prior inspection records on file for repeat clients and reference them directly in each new report, so a facilities team can see the trajectory rather than starting from zero every visit.
Access Planning for Multi-Level and Setback Roofs
Some of the larger institutional buildings around campus have multiple roof levels stepping down from a central mechanical penthouse, with setback sections that aren't reachable from a single ladder or hatch. We plan access for each level separately during scheduling, since a roof with four distinct elevations takes meaningfully longer to inspect thoroughly than a single flat plane of the same total square footage, and skipping a hard-to-reach setback section defeats the purpose of the inspection.
Roof Inspection Questions We Get Asked
How long does a typical commercial roof inspection take?
Most single-building inspections run a few hours depending on roof size and complexity. Buildings with extensive rooftop equipment or multiple roof levels take longer since every curb and transition needs a look.
Do you inspect roofs that aren't showing any problems?
Yes, and that's usually the most valuable time to inspect. Catching a lifted seam or a clogged scupper before it causes a leak is the entire point of a scheduled inspection rather than reactive service calls.
What's included in the inspection report?
Photo documentation tied to roof location, a written list of findings by priority, and budget guidance for anything beyond routine maintenance. We can format reports to match how a property management company tracks capital items internally.
Can an inspection support an insurance claim?
An inspection creates a documented baseline that's useful if storm damage happens later, and our insurance documentation support page covers how we handle storm-specific documentation separately.
Should we inspect before or after winter?
Both, ideally. A fall inspection sets the roof up to handle freeze-thaw cycling with clear drains and sound flashings, and a spring inspection catches whatever the winter still managed to damage.