Roof Observations are visual reviews of the application of the roof system by an accredited RRO (Registered Roof Observer) as it is being installed. We attend the site and meet the roofing contractors’ forces and document the application (good or bad) and reports are produced and sent back to you. This allows you to be connected to the roofing process and benefit from our experience as professionals in the roofing trade. We document whether the specifications are being followed, answer questions, document progress (used as a guide when invoices are issued) and relay concerns back to the design authority so that the roof designer can amend any unforeseen issues.

A Registered Roof Observer (RRO) is a person who has passed a test given by RCI, Inc (the Roof Consultants Institute, www.rci-online.org ). First the proponent must meet the minimum requirements in order to write the test and then take a test which covers all types of roofing application, ethics, codes, responsibilities, procedures, etc.

At IPRC, we also require a certain level of practical work experience (minimum 5 years "on the tools" and journeyman roofer certification) before we hire someone to observe roofs. In our opinion, having the RRO designation alone without practical work experience is not enough to be a Roof Observer. There are too many “tricks of the trade” that are not written into any manual that roofers will try to use that may go unnoticed if a roof observer has never actually applied roofing.

As recommended by the Roofing Contractors' Association of BC, the frequency of roof observation services format is 1 visit per each 279m² (3,000 square feet) of completed roof system and a final roof observation report upon completion of the project. This is the basic rate used in the industry and meets the minimum requirements for the 5 (five) year RCABC guarantee.

The roofing contractor pays by deducting the cost of the post final observation from money still owed to the contractor. This is why we ask for the contractor to let us know in writing that he deems the project complete. It is his responsibility to see that there are no outstanding deficiencies before calling for the final.

We review the work that the roofing contractor is actively working on the day of our site visit, and we also check on previous day’s work. This allows us to check that previously noted deficiencies have been corrected. Some times when we are only doing periodic site visits, we need to go back and check on what happened during the days we were not on site.

By the time a roofing contractor calls for a final, any previously noted deficiencies should have been corrected, so we will confirm that these items have been corrected. We will look at the general finished product, noting debris left on site, flashing condition, etc, and we will write up a deficiency list (if there are any) and submit this list to you and the roofing contractor. If there are deficiencies, the roofing contractor is then responsible for correcting the deficiencies and informing us when they are complete.

No. Many times the items noted as deficiencies at the final are minor items that can be proved corrected to us by clear digital photograph. If the photos do not clearly show the correction, or the deficiency is serious enough that we need to physically see and touch it, we will have to perform a post final roof observation, which the roofing contractor must pay for.

While we certainly welcome your complete involvement, the active roofing zone can be quite dangerous, either because of the activities of the contractor, or because of the design of the roof. So we much prefer if you refrain from accessing the active roof zone. Your safety is your responsibility and it is your building, so we cannot tell you not to go on the roof, but we caution against it. Our Roof Observers have years of experience on roofs and have the safety gear and training to allow them to access the roof safely. If you have such equipment and training, by all means, accompany us. But you do so at your own risk.

The reports are sent to you, the roofing contractor, and any other pertinent parties usually within 24 hours (except weekends) of the site visit. IPRC asks that you register at our web site so that you can enjoy the benefit of our Project Portal System. For more information on the benefits of the Project Portal System, please contact one of our consultants.

This will depend on a couple factors:

1. If IPRC wrote the specification, we will review the work of the contractor to document whether or not they are following the instructions written into our specification or not. This will tell you whether or not you are getting what you are paying for. In these cases, we can make changes to the spec as issues arise during the project. Our specs are written to exceed the BC Building Code, Manufacturers requirements, and the RCABC's minimum standards.
2. If someone else wrote the specification, we must document whether or not the roofing contractor is following that specification. In these cases, we cannot make changes to the specification unless the design authority (Architect, Engineer, General Contractor, Building Owner - who wrote the spec) agrees with our recommendations. Sometimes, when a specification is written by a "professional" who does not actually have a roofing background, there can be many conflicts or errors that do not complement the roof application.
3. If the roofing contractor wrote the specification (or simply quoted the job with little or no detailing in the quote), we are limited to following whatever was written on their quote/spec, and the BC Building Code. This is the least beneficial method of reviewing a project, as there is no clear guideline to refer to when we comment on something being wrong and the roofing contractor thinks he is correct. The contractor may purposely avoid noting detailing on his quote so that he can seek extra charges for work that really should have been included. Beware of this when beginning your roofing project.