It is important for roof designers to determine if the building owner has any specific requirements, such as type of materials; what the building owners expectations are regarding the roofs longevity; and to what extent the owner is committed to maintenance.
If the owner is unwilling to allocate adequate funds for maintenance, a conservative durable system should be selected.
Also, designers should determine how detrimental leakage or a roof flow-off would be. For most buildings, these events are unpleasant but generally manageable.
But, if the roof is over very expensive electronic equipment, or a critical facility such as a hospital, a conservative roof design may well be appropriate. It is also desirable to determine if the owners insurer has specific requirements for the roof system.
Contract documents should be carefully designed and administered. A good roof design should be complemented with comprehensive, unambiguous specifications and drawings, so that the design intent is clearly communicated to the contractor.
