Commercial roofing in Doctor Phillips, FL

A newly built low-slope roof must be pitched at no less than one-fourth unit in 12, roughly 2 percent, whether it uses built-up, modified bitumen, single-ply, spray foam or liquid-applied materials. Ask a bidder whether the finished roof will drain within 48 hours of rain, since that is the test the code uses for positive drainage.

Under the 25 percent rule, if more than a quarter of a roof is repaired or replaced within a 12-month span, the entire roof system has to be brought up to current code. By our arithmetic, a building with a 10,000 square foot roof could replace 2,500 square feet in one year before triggering full replacement. The rule's exception applies only if the existing roof met the 2007 Florida Building Code or later.

• Ask whether the bid states the roof's wind uplift design and edge testing.
• Confirm the deck is sloped to drains or scuppers, and that overflow drains are included where the parapet traps water.
• Ask the bidder to confirm the permit clocks: work must start within 6 months of issuance.

Doctor Phillips has 4.7 square miles of land and water, with 27.9 percent of that total area being water, so drainage and ponding matter more here than in drier areas. Orange County averages about 51 inches of rain a year at both Orlando airports. Ask each bidder how the new system handles standing water and whether a structural review is advised before work starts.

Check whether the bidder is a certified roofing contractor under Florida law, and whether the bid lists the roofing subcontractor. Roofing work for a general contractor must be subcontracted unless the contractor holds the roofing certification or registration.