A commercial roof inspection checklist for building managers

Confirm the purpose and arrival plan so the right people and information are available.

• Describe the reason for the visit: a leak, a condition review, a proposal, or another specific question. Share what you know and leave the diagnosis to the contractor.
• Identify the building, wing, roof area, or interior location using names and grid references your team already uses.
• Agree on an arrival window, check-in point, visitor or escort process, parking instructions, and who to call if plans change.
• Tell the contractor about operating hours, deliveries, tenant activity, or production schedules that could affect the visit.
• Once the visit window is confirmed, notify affected staff or tenants through the building’s normal channels. Include the contact person and any expected disruption.
• Flag restricted rooms, sensitive equipment, photography limits, or other site-specific conditions before the date.
• Ask who is authorized to coordinate any roof access. Keep keys, badges, alarms, and restricted-area entry within your normal building procedures.

Useful records give the contractor context without asking staff to investigate on the roof.

• Collect prior roof inspection reports, repair records, work orders, warranty or maintenance documents, and a roof plan if available.
• For a leak, note when it appeared, the interior location, whether it recurred, and any weather or recent work details already in your records.
• Add interior or ground-level photos only when they can be taken from a normally accessible area and shared under your company’s privacy and security rules.
• List rooftop equipment, past access by other trades, or areas that the contractor may not be able to review during this visit.
• Send records through an approved channel and omit unrelated tenant, security, or personal information.

Use the agreed check-in and stay within the building’s normal access procedures.

• Meet the contractor at the agreed entrance or confirm the day-of contact is reachable.
• Review the purpose, known restrictions, and information you brought; let the contractor identify what additional access is needed.
• Point out interior leak locations or equipment from the building’s normal work areas. Do not use this checklist as a reason to climb a ladder or enter the roof.
• Ask which areas were reviewed, which could not be reviewed, and whether any information is still needed to complete the assessment.
• Follow your facility’s process for visitors, escorts, keys, badges, alarms, and securing doors when the visit ends.

Turn the inspection into a clear record and a manageable follow-up.

• Ask for the findings in writing, with photos or marked locations when available, and a note of any areas not reviewed.
• Ask the contractor to separate observed conditions from recommendations and to identify what remains uncertain.
• Clarify the recommended next step, what needs a separate written scope or price, and when your team should expect follow-up information.
• Save the report with prior roof records, assign an internal work-order owner, and update affected staff or tenants if needed.

After the visit, use our inspection report action plan to turn findings into a written next step, owner and follow-up date.