Condo and townhouse roofing, Oregon

Start with the board

In an Oregon condominium, the roof is usually a common element, so the association of unit owners decides on it, not one owner. The Oregon Condominium Act (ORS chapter 100), together with your declaration and bylaws, sets out who is responsible for the roof and when owners vote. The Act also requires the association to keep a reserve account for major maintenance, repair and replacement of common elements, to set its reserve needs every year through a reserve study, and to keep a maintenance plan, so a roof replacement is usually something the board has been planning for. Check your documents with your property manager or the association's attorney before you choose a roof.

If you are in southwest Washington, the association works under Washington law instead; the same first step applies: read the declaration and bylaws with your manager or attorney.

Bring us in early. We provide the product documents, color samples and warranty terms the board will ask for, so it can decide and give owners whatever notice the documents require.

Small condominiums

Some condominiums are small: an older house or a small building in Portland or Salem with two to four units under one roof. A small association still makes the roof decision together under its declaration and bylaws, and one written price for the whole roof makes that decision easier.

Townhouse associations and attached homes

In a townhouse association, the declaration says whether the association or each owner is responsible for the roofs. Where each owner owns their own roof, the roofs still meet at the party walls. Neighbors who replace together can share one visit, one profile and one color, and the joints between units are flashed once, properly, instead of patched where an old roof meets a new one.

One roof across every unit

One profile and one color can run across every building in the complex, and the manufacturer's Guardian Lifetime Limited Material Warranty terms are the same for each unit. Read the full terms before the board votes: the warranty covers material and finish for the original purchaser while they own the home and transfers once, and the transfer rules matter when units change hands.

Built for Oregon weather

Interlock® panels lock to each other on all four sides with the fasteners concealed, and wind resistance is warranted to 120 mph when installed to manufacturer specification. Aluminum absorbs no water and doesn't rot, so months of rain and freeze-thaw have nothing to soak or split, and it does not rust in coastal salt air. Where trees shade the buildings, a roof still collects needles and moss, so we talk through gutter and roof cleaning with the board as part of the maintenance plan.