1. Article Body
Multifamily reroof pricing carries everything a commercial reroof carries plus a set of occupancy costs. Bidders who have not done multifamily routinely miss the second group and recover it as change orders.
Costs vary by market and building, so this explains the structure rather than quoting figures.
The base variables
Total area across every roof section, not only the main roof.
System and specification for each area, since a building with low slope, steep slope and mansard sections needs three specifications.
Tear off or overlay, and existing layer count.
Insulation, and whether bringing it to current energy code is triggered.
Deck condition, not knowable until the roof is open.
Penetration count. Multifamily carries many more per square foot than comparable commercial buildings and each one is a detail.
Drainage work: drains, scuppers, tapered insulation to correct ponding.
The occupancy premiums
Resident notification and coordination, including translated notices where needed.
Restricted working hours. Noise limits before and after set times reduce productive hours per day and extend the schedule.
Parking displacement and resident vehicle protection. Staging a crane or a dumpster in a full parking lot is a logistics exercise.
Protected walkways and overhead protection at every entry, maintained daily.
Phasing. Only part of the roof can be open at once, which means more temporary terminations, more mobilizations and a longer program.
Daily cleanup to a higher standard, because the site is a residential neighborhood.
The small roofs
Stair towers, elevator overruns, entry canopies, trash enclosures and mechanical platforms are frequently omitted.
They are disproportionately expensive per square foot because each is a separate setup, and they are where leaks come from. Get them into the written scope explicitly.
Balconies
Decide early whether balcony waterproofing is in scope. It is a different trade and a different product, and it is either a significant line or a significant exclusion.
Why bids differ
On multifamily, almost always scope. Check that every bid covers the same roof areas, the same number of penetrations, the same drainage work, the same phasing plan and the same occupancy provisions.
A bid materially below the others usually excludes the small roofs, the phasing or the protected walkways.
The reserve conversation
In an association, the price is only half the problem. The other half is whether reserves cover it.
Commission the condition assessment early, put a defensible remaining useful life figure into the reserve study, and give the board time to act. A special assessment decided in a hurry is decided badly.
