1. Article Body
A unit owner does not buy a roof. The association buys a roof and the cost reaches you as a reserve contribution or a special assessment. That changes every question worth asking.
Costs vary widely by market and building, so this explains the structure rather than quoting figures.
How the cost reaches you
Through reserves, if the association has been funding properly. This is the painless route and it depends on decisions made years earlier.
Through a special assessment, if reserves fall short. Divided among owners by the allocation in the declaration, which is often square footage rather than an equal split.
Through a loan taken by the association, repaid through increased dues. This spreads the cost and adds interest.
Most buildings use a combination.
What drives the building level price
Total area across every roof section, including the small roofs.
The mix of systems, since many condominium buildings have low slope, steep slope and mansard areas each needing its own specification.
Tear off, layer count and deck condition.
Penetration count, which is high in multifamily because every unit has a plumbing stack.
Drainage work, including tapered insulation to correct ponding.
Occupancy costs: resident notification, restricted hours, parking displacement, protected walkways, phasing and daily cleanup.
Whether balcony waterproofing is in scope, which is a separate trade and a significant line either way.
What to ask before a vote
What remaining useful life figure is this based on, and what evidence supports it. A number from a table is weaker than one supported by a condition assessment and cores.
Does the scope cover every roof area including stair towers, elevator overruns and canopies.
Are balconies included or excluded.
How many bids were obtained and were they on an identical written scope.
What deck allowance is carried and at what unit rate.
What is the phasing plan and how long will residents be affected.
What warranty is included, who backs it, and does it transfer on sale of a unit.
Why deferring costs more
A roof deferred past its useful life leaks, and leaks damage interiors, which the association or individual owners then pay to repair while still facing the replacement.
Deferral also removes the option of a planned, competitively bid program and replaces it with an urgent one.
For a prospective buyer
Ask for the reserve study, the last roof assessment, and the special assessment history before you make an offer.
A discounted top floor unit in a building with an aging roof and thin reserves carries a cost that is simply not on the listing.
