Regular roof maintenance will save your Atlanta business thousands of dollars down the road. You won't have to handle those expensive emergency repairs, and your roof will probably last much longer, too. All you need to do is get your roof checked twice a year to see these benefits.
When you take care of your roof before problems happen, it can cut your costs by as much as 60% over the life of your commercial roof. Consider how much inspections might cost you, what kinds of repair options you have, and how Atlanta's weather affects your business. In Atlanta, the summer heat gets intense, and we often have storms. Ensuring proper water drainage prevents you from having to pay for water damage later.
Let's tell you how you can protect the money you've put into your business and avoid those unexpected roofing problems that nobody wants to handle!
You'll spend between fifteen and thirty cents per square foot for roof maintenance if you run a business in Atlanta. A few things can push your costs higher or lower within this range. The size of your roof is a big factor in what you'll end up paying. Bigger roofs need more materials and take more time to maintain.
What your roof is made of affects your maintenance costs, too. Metal roofs usually need less care than other types, and you might pay more when you first get one. But they help you save money over time.
The age of your roof also matters. The older your roof gets, the more often it'll likely need to be checked and fixed.
If you have a typical commercial roof in Atlanta that's about 10,000 square feet, you should set aside between $1,500 and $3,000 each year for maintenance. That money is worthwhile in the long run because building owners find that taking care of their roof helps it last about 25% longer.
A simple preventative maintenance plan might only cost three to six cents per square foot per year. This usually covers regular check-ups and small fixes, while bigger repairs cost extra. Having your gutters cleaned and cleared of debris usually costs between $85 and $150, depending on the size of your building. These easy tasks help stop serious problems before they start because clogged gutters can cause water damage that results in thousands of dollars in unexpected repairs.
One property manager in Atlanta told us, "I thought I was saving money by not taking care of my roof. That choice ended up costing me $15,000 when water damage made part of my ceiling fall down."
This kind of story isn't unusual among business owners, who say that unexpected roof repairs are the biggest headache on their budget. A recent survey showed that 68% of property managers in Atlanta listed surprise roof repairs as a source of frustration. These unexpected fixes cost about $2.50 per square foot on average in 2023!
When you put a little money into keeping your roof in shape, it'll probably save your Atlanta business money later on. Having your roof checked can actually make it last twice as long, which means you might not need to pay for a whole new roof as quickly as you would otherwise.
The weather in Atlanta is tough on your roof. The hot summers and sudden storms can damage your roofing materials faster than you might expect, and with the humidity here, small leaks can turn into big mold problems pretty fast. These issues might feel like small concerns. But they can soon become serious problems for your business.
You should know that most roofing warranties say you need to get regular maintenance. If you don't get these check-ups, you might lose your warranty protection and some business owners don't find this out until they try to make a claim. At that point, it is too late and they end up having to pay for the whole repair themselves.
A local Atlanta restaurant's experience last year shows why this matters. They tried to save money by skipping their roof maintenance, but a small leak went unnoticed for months before causing serious water damage. They had to close down for two full weeks for repairs, and between lost business and repair costs, they ended up spending more than $30,000.
Regular inspections can also help lower your energy bills. Even small roof problems can let expensive air conditioning escape during those hot and humid Atlanta summers, and a roof that's kept in shape helps your insulation stay dry and work the way it should. This can save you hundreds of dollars each month during the times when you need cooling the most, especially since you'll pay about three to four times more for emergency roof repairs than you would for planned maintenance because rush jobs need more workers and usually happen in bad weather.
An inspection only costs a few hundred dollars once or twice a year, which is much better than emergency repairs that can cost thousands. The smartest business owners in Atlanta plan their roof maintenance for spring or fall because these times of year usually have better weather, and it's easier to find quality contractors who are available. Your business can stay open during these regular check-ups, too, so you won't have to worry about surprising closings when your business is busiest.
Regular roof maintenance works like a health check for your building. You need to clear off the leaves and branches from your roof at least twice a year because moisture can cause problems when it sits on your roof for too long. Most business owners don't see how fast small roof problems can turn into big problems.
When you clean your gutters, it might look like an easy job. But cleaning your gutters is essential for keeping your roof healthy. When gutters fill with junk, water backs up and finds its way under your shingles. I've watched clients pay thousands of dollars to fix water damage because they didn't clean their gutters for one season, which is an even bigger problem for local businesses in Atlanta since we get a lot of rain here.
You should also take some time to look for loose or damaged shingles after big storms come through. Georgia weather can be pretty tough on roofs, especially when hurricane season hits. When you make small fixes now, it costs way less than paying for serious repairs later. Most roof businesses say you should get your roof checked right after any bad weather.
The areas around vents, pipes, and other places that stick through your roof need to be resealed from time to time. These areas tend to crack or wear out faster than the rest of your roof. When you keep up with maintenance, you'll find these weak places before they start to leak. The hot and sticky summers we get in Atlanta can make sealants and flashings break down faster when they're exposed to the heat.
It's worth your time to trim any tree branches that hang over your roof. These branches can rub against your roofing materials when it gets windy. They also drop leaves and give squirrels and other pests an easy way to get onto your roof. Most roof experts recommend that you keep branches at least six feet away from your roofline.
When you have a professional look at your roof, it can help catch problems you might not see during your own checks. A good inspector knows where to look for early warning signs. They can find these small problems before they turn into leaks or bigger issues. Businesses in Atlanta get professional inspections done every spring and fall, and ensuring that your roof has good airflow helps it last longer in our humid climate. When air doesn't move well through your roof space, moisture builds up and damages your roofing materials from underneath, which becomes a real issue during our hot and sticky summer months.
Roof maintenance for Atlanta businesses is changing faster with new tech. Drones can now do the work that used to require people climbing ladders. These flying cameras can find these problems before they turn into big and expensive disasters. They can take pictures of your entire roof in just a few minutes instead of hours.
Small sensors are another tool for building owners looking to save money. These small devices sit on your roof and alert you when water shows up in places it shouldn't. Most roof leaks start small and get bigger over time. With sensors, you can fix these problems when they're still affordable to repair.
I recently talked with a property manager on Peachtree Street who cut his maintenance costs by 30% last year. He put in a sensor system that cost about $5,000 upfront. The system paid for itself when it caught a small leak right before the heavy rains we had. The water damage to his retail tenant's inventory would have cost him more.
The weather in Atlanta makes taking care of your roof ahead of time more necessary than in other cities. Our summer storms and winter freezes put extra stress on commercial roofs. Local roofing businesses now offer monitoring packages along with their regular inspections. These services usually cost somewhere between $2,000 and $8,000 each year.
Thermal imaging is now becoming a normal part of roof checks. These cameras can see differences in temperature that show where water could be hiding inside your roof. Cold places often mean that moisture has become trapped in the insulation. Finding these areas early can save you thousands in replacement costs later on.
Some businesses in Atlanta are trying out new self-healing roof materials that can fix small cracks on their own when the sun warms them up, although they cost more - however, they should make your roof last longer and work well during our hot summer months. Maintenance software helps you track past inspections and plan future work on your roof. These programs remind you when it's time for scheduled checks. They store all your photos and reports in one place so you can see how your roof changes over time. Most of these programs cost between $50 and $100 each month for basic service.
Atlanta businesses often wait until their roofs leak before doing anything about them, which is a known mistake. You can save money in the long run by creating a plan to take care of your roof before any problems start. Most business owners end up spending over $127,500 on their roofs during the life of their building, and you could save that money if you plan ahead a little.
When you have your roof checked, it helps you find small problems before they develop into large and expensive ones. You'll only need to spend about 1-3% of replacement costs on yearly maintenance, and this small amount of money will help your roof last almost twice as long. The numbers show the difference between taking care of your roof and having to replace it.
With good maintenance, your commercial roof might last 21 years instead of just 13. The cost over the life of your roof drops from about 25 cents per square foot to only 14 cents when you stay on top of things. There's no reason to pay more when you don't have to!
Approximately 80% of roofs get replaced earlier than needed when building owners throw out roofing materials that still have lots of life left in them. You could save as much as half the cost over a 30-year period by keeping up with maintenance instead of replacing everything. These savings go right back to your bottom line.
Consider adding a white coating to your roof. One office building in Atlanta cut its cooling costs by 20% after it added this easy solution. These coatings help direct heat away from your building during those hot Georgia summers and your air conditioner won't have to run as much.
Remember that roof maintenance programs can be written off on your taxes if you own a business, which makes the real cost even lower than what you see on paper. Your accountant will probably like this easy deduction because it makes sensible financial sense. Small repairs often cost just a few hundred dollars when you catch problems early. But if you wait until you need emergency fixes, you could be looking at tens of thousands of dollars. That's money you could use to grow your business instead. Planning ahead helps you avoid these surprise costs.
Taking care of your roof is a lot like taking care of your health because a bit of prevention now helps keep big problems away later. Since the cost of replacing your entire commercial roof is much higher than the much smaller price of keeping it in decent shape, it makes sense to perform regular maintenance. In Atlanta's weather, with hot summers, heavy rain, and sticky humidity, your roof faces more challenges than in other places. Your business could face serious and expensive issues if your roof suddenly fails during your busiest time.
We've seen this prevention strategy work well. Last year, an Atlanta restaurant had its older roof checked twice a year. During one of these regular checks, we found some small water damage that would have been easy to miss.
If they had waited until they noticed the problem inside, they would have needed serious fixes to their ceiling, insulation and electrical work. They also would have lost money from closing while repairs were made. Instead, they only needed a few small fixes that we completed without shutting down their business!
Your workers, equipment, products, and work all need that protective layer between your business and the weather. When you have that kind of safety and comfort, it can help support your plans for your business.
When it comes to protection, Colony Roofers offers commercial and home roofing, and our main offices are in Georgia, Florida, and Texas. You can protect what you've built and keep everyone safe by letting experts manage your roof repairs. Get in touch with us for a free look at your roof, and we'll take care of it. We can give you some advice and quality repair and installation work. Reach out to us!