Commercial Roofing
An adjuster standing on a flat roof in Edinburg, TX has a short list of questions: what was damaged by the storm, what was already worn, and what will it take to put the building back. The roof rarely answers those questions without help. A ceiling stain three bays from the nearest drain, a lifted edge cap, a patch from some earlier repair, and a field of brittle sealant can all sit within a few feet of each other, and each one has a different cause.
My job on a claim is to trace the water path from the interior back to the roof, photograph what I find at a scale an adjuster can read, and separate storm damage from age. I do the same sequence for restoration contractors who need a roofing scope before they can write their own, and for adjusters who want a second set of eyes on a commercial deck. Emergency response runs around the clock, which matters when a building is open to rain.
The first visit sets the record. We start with the stop that keeps the building dry, usually a temporary seal over an opening or a tarp over exposed insulation, and photograph the condition before and after we touch anything. Then we walk the roof in a fixed order: perimeter metal, corners, penetrations, drains, seams, and the field of the membrane.
For a large or hard-to-reach roof, a drone roof inspection gives the adjuster overview images of the whole surface and close images of anything suspicious without sending several people across a wet deck. When water has traveled under the membrane, an infrared moisture survey charts where the insulation is wet, which lets the repair boundary come from readings instead of guesses.
Each photo carries a location on the roof plan, so someone who was never on site can follow the findings and agree or disagree with them on evidence.
Wind damage on a low-slope roof tends to start at the edges and corners, where uplift pressure is highest. Hurricane Dolly's gusts ran 50 to 70 mph across the county and left minor damage. After a gust like that I look for a lifted edge cap, a displaced fastener row, a loosened flashing at a wall, and rooftop equipment that moved on its supports.
Hurricane Hanna in July 2020 brought wind and flooding to Edinburg, including a report of shingles blown from a roof and street flooding. Rain driven under a loosened flashing can run along the deck for a long distance before it appears inside, so a stain in the warehouse bay may be far from the opening. A written hurricane damage roof repair scope states where the water entered, which areas are wet, and what each repair will cover.
The National Weather Service reports large hail crossing the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission-Pharr area in spring 2012, though it describes large hail as uncommon for the Valley. That rarity helps and hurts. A claim for hail damage is plausible after a verified event, but many Valley roofs have never been tested by one, and an adjuster will ask for proof that a dent or fractured coating came from hail and not from foot traffic or heat.
On a membrane we look for a pattern: bruises or fractures that line up in one direction, damage to soft metal such as vents and flashing that matches the roof surface, and fresh granule or coating disturbance. A scattered mark with no companion damage is usually something else. If hail did strike, a hail damage roof repair follows the pattern of impact and not a blanket replacement.
The Valley's heat-safety months run May through October, and a roof absorbs that exposure every day. Seams open slightly, sealants harden and crack, coatings chalk, and flashings pull away from walls through hundreds of temperature cycles. None of that is storm damage, and an adjuster will say so.
It still affects the claim. A roof with open seams takes more rainwater than one with tight seams, so a storm may reveal wear that was already present. We describe both on the report: what the storm did, and what the heat season had already done. Where a storm and wear overlap, the owner gets a plain statement of each and a plan for the whole roof, and our roof insurance claim assistance keeps the two lists separate so the claim stays clean.
The scope follows the readings. If the moisture survey shows a dry roof beyond one flashing, the repair boundary stays small and the work is a repair. If wet insulation has spread under a large area, a coating over the top will not dry it, and a restoration or a tear-off is the sound path. A written storm damage roof repair estimate lists the areas by number, the method for each and the reason.
For the restoration contractor, the same document lets other trades start on interior drying and ceilings without waiting for the roof to settle. For the adjuster, it separates items that belong to the covered event from items that belong to maintenance. The owner decides what to do with each list.
The city enforces its adopted 2018 building and energy codes. A tear-off that opens the whole roof can trigger insulation and wind requirements that a small repair would not, and that can add to the scope an adjuster is asked to review. We note on the scope where a permit is likely and where the code changes the specification, so the cost question is raised at the start of the claim.
Both general contractors and property management companies call us to sort this out, since the roof has to be reopened, inspected and closed in a particular order. The same documentation applies to a storm claim on a McAllen property as it does in Edinburg.
The adjuster for the carrier makes the coverage decision. Our part is the evidence: dated photos, a roof plan with numbered areas, moisture readings, and a plain description of each condition. The better the record, the fewer reasons there are for a second visit.
The cause of the opening decides it. A flashing torn loose by a tropical gust and a flashing that failed from years of heat are different causes, even when the stain looks the same. We state which we see and show the photos that support it.
Water already inside the building sets the clock. We stop the entry first, with a tarp, a sealed seam or a panel over an open section, and keep the receipts and photos together so the carrier sees what was done and why. Permanent work waits for the scope.
A restoration crew drying interior spaces needs to know that the roof is no longer feeding the problem. A short roof report with moisture readings tells them where to expect wet insulation and which rooms sit under it, so drying equipment is placed where it works.
A portfolio with several buildings can share a format, but each roof gets its own plan, numbered areas and photos. Wind exposure, roof age and system type vary by building, and a single combined report hides the differences an adjuster has to price.