Roof Talks: A Leaking Roof Doesn’t Always Mean it’s Time to Re-Roof

There are home warranties, car warranties, and service warranties, but what about coverage for one of the single largest capital expenditures in a building? On this episode of Roof Talks, host Tyler Kern sat down with Rick Lewis, CEO of Fortis to discuss how building owners can defer expenditures, such as replacing a roof, with a commercial roof warranty.

According to an article on Roofing Contractor Magazine, 80 percent of commercial roofs are replaced prematurely. “Age and the fact that it’s leaking isn’t the sole determinant whether a roof needs to be replaced,” Lewis said.

Typically, a roof leak is an “isolated incident in a high-risk area where there is perimeter penetration,” Lewis explained. Within the last 10 to 15 years, roofing material quality has begun exceeding the manufacturer material design life.

Essentially, that means roofing materials are capable of lasting longer than they have and often can be repaired instead of automatically replaced.

“We’re prolonging a roof’s life cycle with our proprietary roof methodology,” he said. “We’re doing so…through reconditioning the roof and the issuance of our performance guarantee.”

Denver-based Fortis uses proprietary inspections and reconditioning protocols to precisely estimate the useful life of a building’s roof. As such, Fortis can write commercially roof warranties backed by Lloyd’s of London.

“No one wants to spend money on a roof for sure,” Lewis said. “It’s out of sight and out of mind until it isn’t. But when it isn’t — when it leaks, it’s disruptive for everyone- this is a solution.”

For the latest news, videos, and podcasts in the Building Management Industry, be sure to subscribe to our industry publication.

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Twitter – @BuildingMKSL
Facebook – facebook.com/marketscale
LinkedIn – linkedin.com/company/marketscale

Recent Episodes

With the rapid rise of AI workloads, data centers are being built with higher power density, stricter reliability expectations, and cooling technologies that are evolving faster than most teams can adapt. As a result, these facilities aren’t just getting bigger—they’re becoming harder to operate, harder to staff, and far less forgiving when something goes…

Skilled trades are facing accelerating retirements, rising customer expectations, and rapid advances in AI—putting the field service industry at a critical inflection point. Industry estimates suggest millions of frontline roles could go unfilled over the next decade, even as technology promises to automate more tasks than ever before. The stakes are high: decisions made now…

The skilled trades are undergoing a shift as experienced workers retire faster than new talent enters the field. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, demand for HVAC technicians is projected to grow 8% by 2034. That’s much faster than average — and shows the urgency of attracting and keeping new talent.  While…