By Mike McGilvary, Florida Certified Roofing Contractor, CCC1331721
Mike McGilvary, Florida Certified Roofing Contractor CCC1331721 and owner of Mike McGilvary Roofing, Inc., has published a new editorial in Florida Community Association Journal addressing one of the largest capital decisions facing Florida community associations: whether an aging tile roof truly requires complete replacement or whether documented repair and preservation can responsibly extend its useful service life.
The editorial, “Before You Budget for Roof Replacement: What Florida Associations Should Know About Tile Roof Preservation,” explains why association boards should begin with the roof’s documented condition, repairability, remaining useful life, and preservation options before committing reserve funds to a complete tear-off.
Request an Association Roof Assessment
What Florida HOA and Condominium Boards Should Evaluate Before Budgeting for Roof Replacement
In the editorial, Mike lays out a condition-based framework boards can use before allocating major capital. These are the points association directors, community managers, and reserve professionals should weigh:
1. Condition, not age
Florida Statute §627.7011 recognizes that roof age alone should not be the sole factor in evaluating a roofing system. A roof should be judged on its actual condition, performance, and remaining useful life — not simply the number of years since installation. For associations, that distinction can carry substantial financial implications. Read more on the Florida Roof Age Law and remaining useful life.
2. Tile roofs rarely fail uniformly
Deterioration usually concentrates in high-water-flow areas — valleys, penetrations, flashing transitions, wall tie-ins, dead valleys, and drainage-concentration points — which age faster than the general field of the roof. That means the choice is often not “replace everything,” but whether targeted rebuilding of the failing sections can safely extend the roof’s service life.
3. Preservation is a documented rebuild, not a patch
Proper tile roof preservation is not cosmetic maintenance. It means identifying the actual failure points, removing tile in the affected sections, inspecting the roof deck, replacing compromised sheathing where necessary, installing new underlayment, rebuilding critical flashing details, and restoring those areas to a structurally sound condition — with documentation boards can rely on. See how that compares on our roof repair vs. replacement page.
4. The financial stakes for associations are significant
The editorial describes real association scenarios: a property approaching 300 units facing potential roofing expenditures in the $1.5–$2 million range, where proper condition assessment let the board evaluate rebuilding high-failure sections rather than automatically assuming full replacement — and luxury properties valued above $50 million where preservation avoided unnecessary full-replacement recommendations. Documentation and a roof certification where appropriate give boards a defensible basis for those decisions.
5. These are fiduciary decisions, and they require accurate information
For boards, roof decisions are not simply maintenance decisions — they are fiduciary decisions balancing property protection, reserve planning, owner interests, insurance considerations, and long-term budgeting. A proper evaluation should include a comprehensive inspection, documentation of active failure areas, evaluation of valleys, flashings, penetrations, transitions and drainage points, an assessment of overall condition versus isolated deterioration, photographic documentation, remaining-useful-life analysis where appropriate, and clear written recommendations. We do this work for commercial and association properties across Palm Beach County.
6. Preservation is not always the answer
Some roofing systems legitimately require replacement. The goal is not to preserve every roof indefinitely — it is to make an informed decision based on the roof’s actual condition rather than an assumption based on age. When the condition genuinely calls for replacement, that is the responsible recommendation. You can see documented examples in our Palm Beach County case studies.
Before Your Association Budgets for Roof Replacement
A short checklist boards and managers can use. Before committing reserve funds to a full tear-off, obtain:
- A documented condition inspection of the roofing system
- Roof and drone photography where appropriate
- A repairability assessment of the failing areas
- Remaining useful life findings
- Identification of localized versus systemwide failure
- A preservation-versus-replacement comparison
- A phased maintenance or capital plan
- Clear documentation for the board’s permanent records
For HOA & condominium boards, property managers & commercial owners
Request a Board-Level Roof Condition & Preservation Assessment
Tell us about the community and the roof. We’ll help your board understand condition, remaining useful life, and whether targeted preservation is an option — before you budget for a full replacement.
Related resources for association boards and managers
- Florida HOA Roofing Consultants: what every board should know before making roofing decisions — our full guide for HOA and condominium boards.
- Commercial, industrial & association roof repair across Palm Beach County.
- Explore tile roof preservation, repair vs. replacement, remaining useful life, and roof certifications.
- Request a documented roof inspection for your community or building.
About Mike McGilvary
Mike McGilvary is the owner of Mike McGilvary Roofing, Inc. and a Florida Certified Roofing Contractor (CCC1331721), and a published contributor to Florida Community Association Journal on tile-roof preservation and condition-based roofing decisions. His work focuses on repair-first roof evaluations, tile-roof preservation, targeted rebuilds, remaining-useful-life assessments, and roof certifications for HOA boards, condominium associations, property managers, and commercial owners throughout Palm Beach County and South Florida.
The original editorial, “Before You Budget for Roof Replacement: What Florida Associations Should Know About Tile Roof Preservation,” was published by Florida Community Association Journal. Read the full editorial on FLCAJ.