Commercial Roof Inspections.

A documented inspection before hurricane season is not optional maintenance — it is the baseline record that determines whether a post-storm insurance claim advances or stalls. We walk, photograph, and report in a zone-keyed format that holds up under adjuster review.

New Orleans commercial buildings age in a pattern that does not match other markets. The combination of annual rainfall above 60 inches, peak summer dew points above 75 degrees Fahrenheit, and recurring tropical storm exposure compresses what might be a 20-year maintenance cycle in a temperate climate into something closer to 12 to 15 years. Facility teams managing buildings across Orleans and Jefferson parishes who operate on a reactive inspection model — waiting for a ceiling stain before calling a roofer — are consistently surprised by how much deferred condition accumulates between visible failures.

We run scheduled inspection routes across the metro. Buildings in the CBD and Warehouse District corridor go on our downtown cycle. Buildings along Veterans Boulevard and the Clearview Parkway zone in Metairie go on our Jefferson Parish route. Each inspection produces a zone-keyed photo log tied to a numbered roof map, a condition grade per zone, and a scope column that distinguishes items requiring attention within 60 days from items to track at the next visit and items to budget over a one-to-three-year horizon.

Two inspection windows matter most in this market: late April through May, before the June 1 official start of Atlantic hurricane season, and November after the season closes. The pre-season inspection identifies perimeter flashing vulnerabilities, drain conditions that will not survive sustained tropical rainfall, and parapet details that have degraded since the prior storm year. The post-season inspection documents storm-related changes before they are absorbed into the general deferred-maintenance picture and become difficult to separate from pre-existing conditions in a future insurance context.

Membrane field and seams: We walk a grid pattern across the roof surface, photographing every area of blistering, seam separation, lap failure, or UV degradation. In New Orleans's subtropical heat, dark-surface membrane temperatures regularly exceed 160 degrees Fahrenheit in July and August — that thermal load accelerates seam creep and adhesive bond failure at rates that architects designing to temperate-climate standards do not fully account for. We flag every area where seam condition has deteriorated to a point that warrants monitoring before the next tropical rain event.

Drains: Every drain on the inspection gets its cover pulled, its bowl examined for debris and clamping ring condition, and its leader checked for flow acceptance. New Orleans's Sewerage and Water Board storm drainage infrastructure operates under elevated load during major rain events — when the city's subsurface drainage system is at capacity, roof drains that are partially blocked by debris cannot compensate by draining faster. We document the debris load, the clamping ring condition, and the bowl seating at every drain on every inspection visit.

Parapets and perimeter flashings: Every parapet cap joint, every base flashing termination, every counterflashing reglet, and every pipe penetration boot. In a hurricane-prone market, the parapet-to-roof-membrane transition is the highest-probability failure point in a wind event — post-storm surveys following Hurricane Ida in 2021 documented perimeter and parapet flashing separation as the dominant failure mode on Jefferson Parish commercial buildings. We assess and grade this zone on every inspection regardless of the building's apparent overall condition.

HVAC curbs and penetrations: Conduit boots, gas line penetrations, exhaust vent flashings, and equipment curb edge details. Rooftop mechanical equipment is added over the life of a commercial building with uneven attention to flashing quality. We photograph every penetration and flag any boot or curb flashing showing sealant shrinkage, separation, or UV degradation.

Expansion joints: We verify the joint cover is properly seated, that the bellows has not been packed with debris or filled with a rigid material that defeats the movement function, and that the termination flashings on both sides of the joint are intact. Buildings in New Orleans with significant pre-Katrina structural history sometimes show differential settlement that has increased the movement demand on expansion joint covers beyond their original design range.

Every inspection produces a numbered roof zone diagram with four to eight zones per building depending on geometry, each zone assigned a condition grade from A through D, a written description of observed conditions in that zone, and a three-row scope column: Immediate (address within 60 days), Monitor (reassess at the next visit), and Capital (budget for one to three years out). Every photograph in the report is keyed to a zone number and an item description so there is no ambiguity about where it was taken or what it shows.

The format matters for two specific purposes in this market. First, for pre-hurricane-season planning: facility managers who receive a zone-keyed condition report with an Immediate scope column in May have a clear action list and can prioritize the items most likely to contribute to storm damage before the season opens. Second, for post-storm insurance claims: a dated pre-storm inspection report with documented baseline conditions is among the most useful documents a building owner can have when a tropical weather event produces roof damage and the insurer's adjuster needs to distinguish event-related damage from pre-existing conditions.

We deliver inspection reports as a PDF within five business days of the roof walk. Buildings on our annual or semi-annual inspection contracts receive reports on a consistent calendar that aligns with the pre- and post-hurricane-season windows described above.

Annual vs. Semi-Annual Inspection Frequency

Annual inspections are appropriate for buildings in good documented condition and on active manufacturer warranties. Most major membrane warranty programs — GAF, Carlisle, Johns Manville, Firestone — require annual inspection to keep the warranty active. We structure our reports to