A facility manager says yes to a roof inspection. Then the replacement proposal sits for months. Most roofers assume it's the price, or that the manager doesn't trust them yet. More often it's the budget line.
Two different pots of money
Maintenance and repairs usually come out of the operating budget. In a lot of buildings, the facility manager can approve that spending without asking anyone.
A full replacement is a capital project. It goes up to the owner, an asset manager or a board. It gets bid out, and it waits for the next budget cycle. The facility manager can agree with every word you say and still not be able to sign.
Pitch the work they can approve
Start with what the facility manager controls: a condition survey, a maintenance plan, the urgent repairs. That gets you on the roof and starts the relationship.
Then hand them what they need for the bigger decision: a clear report they can take upstairs, with options instead of one big number. Three choices work well:
- Fix now: the urgent repairs and what they cost.
- Next 12 months: what can wait, and what it'll cost then.
- Plan for replacement: a likely year and a budget range.
Facility managers don't need convincing. They need something they can defend in a budget meeting.
This is why timing matters so much. Read why next year's re-roof is decided this fall, or see how we book condition surveys with the facility managers who own these budgets.