Condo and HOA Roof Replacement in Schaumburg

Who decides about the roof in a condo or townhome community?

The association board, acting under the declaration, bylaws and Illinois law. The roof is generally a common element, so an individual owner cannot hire a roofer for it without the board's approval. Owners usually have a voice through votes, especially on special assessments, and a right to see records.

Schaumburg's growth makes this a local question. International Village, opened in 1967, was the village's first major multifamily project, and later decades added townhome and condo communities across the village and in neighboring Glendale Heights, Hanover Park and Wheeling. The buildings sit at different points in their roof cycles, and many boards are now making a second replacement decision.

If you are an owner with a leak, report it to the board or manager in writing, with dated photographs. Do not authorize roof work on common elements yourself, because you may not be reimbursed and may create a dispute. The condo and townhome roofing page describes the work from the roofer's side.

Townhome rows add another feature: each building is a long strip of attached units, with a single ridge and eave line crossing many owners. A leak at one end of a strip can be traced to a flashing joint several units away, which is why a survey of the whole building is more informative than a look at the unit that reported the stain.

How do associations decide it is time?

Most use a mix of a reserve study, a roof survey and the pattern of leaks and repairs. A reserve study projects the roof's remaining life and the cost to replace it, a survey by a roofer rates the condition, and rising repair bills often tip the decision. The board should be able to show the evidence to owners.

Ask whether the reserve study is current. Costs move, and a study done years ago may understate what the project will take. Ask also whether a roofer has surveyed each building, since buildings of the same age can differ in condition depending on exposure, ventilation and past repairs.

A written survey with photographs and a rating by building is a useful tool for sequencing. It lets the board start with the worst buildings and spread the rest across seasons. See the roof inspection page for what a good report includes.

It is also reasonable to ask whether ventilation and attic insulation have been looked at as part of the scope. Replacing the shingles without addressing a poorly ventilated shared attic is a common reason for the same roof to disappoint twice.

How is the project funded?

Usually from the reserve fund built up through regular assessments, supplemented where needed by a special assessment, a loan or a phased schedule. The board decides within the governing documents, and owners should ask how much is in reserve, how much is needed, and how any shortfall will be covered and by when.

A shortfall is common, and the response differs by association. Some levy a one-time assessment, some borrow and repay through higher dues, and some phase the work across several years. Each choice shifts cost between current and future owners, which is a fair thing to raise at a meeting.

This guide does not state any assessment amounts or legal limits. Those depend on your documents and on Illinois law, and the association's attorney or manager is the person to ask.

What are the stages, and who does what?

Survey, scope, bids, selection, contract, permit, notice to owners, installation, inspection and close-out. The board owns the decisions, the manager coordinates, and the roofer carries out the work and the paperwork. Each stage has a question worth asking, and the table sets them out.

Delays tend to come from the early stages, where the scope is vague or the funding is not in place, and from the middle, where owners are not told what to expect. A clear sequence helps everyone.

What should the board ask a roofer before signing?

The Illinois license number and class, proof of insurance, references from comparable buildings, the permit plan, the schedule, the decking allowance, how many layers are expected and how hidden damage is priced. A building of more than eight units needs an Unlimited licensee, and the number must appear on the contract.

The license guide explains how to verify a number, and the permit guide describes what is known about Schaumburg and Carol Stream. Schaumburg requires a reroof permit for residential work and a copy of the state license, and registers out-of-town contractors. Other villages differ.

Ask also how the roofer will protect common areas: walkways, parking, landscaping and entrances. Ask what notice owners will receive, who they call during the work and how debris, nails and noise are managed.

How should the board compare bids and run the owner side of the work?

Give every bidder the same written scope, ask each to itemize layers, decking allowance, flashing, ventilation, permit and cleanup, and compare line by line. Then tell owners what to expect: the order of buildings, the days of noise, what to move, and who to call. Clear notice prevents most disputes.

A lower bid that omits the decking allowance or the permit is not cheaper, only incomplete. Ask the low bidder what was left out, and ask every bidder how they handle hidden damage and weather delays. References from buildings of similar size in the area are worth calling, and the board can ask to see a finished building from the previous season.

On the owner side, a one-page notice for each building works well: the expected dates, what must be moved from balconies and attics, parking arrangements, and a phone number for questions. Owners who work from home or have pets should be able to flag it early. Keep a record of the notices sent.

Finally, keep the paperwork: the contract, the permit, the inspection result, the product and grade installed, the photographs of replaced decking and the roofer's license number. The next board will need them, and so will a buyer's lender.

• Same written scope for every bidder
• License number, class and insurance proof checked for each
• References from comparable buildings
• Itemized layers, decking allowance, flashing and ventilation
• Permit responsibility and fees
• Schedule, building order and weather plan
• Notice to owners and a contact for questions
• Close-out records filed with the association

Why is a whole building or row usually done together?

Because the roof is continuous across the units, shares walls and details, and a mix of old and new sections leaks at the joins. One crew and one system across a building also give uniform appearance and drainage. Phasing happens between buildings, not within one.

Phasing across buildings is common when the reserve is limited. A roofer can price a multi-year program and hold the scope constant, but the board should record how each year's price will be set and what happens if the program is interrupted.

Rows of townhomes also share ridges, valleys and sometimes chimneys. Flashing at firewalls and party walls needs particular care, and should be named in the scope. The flashing repair page explains why.

What about leaks between units, insurance and ice dams?

Report a leak to the board first. The roof is generally the association's responsibility, while interior damage may be the owner's or the association's depending on the documents and the insurance. A roofer fixes the roof source; who pays for interior repair is a question for the documents and the insurers.

Ice dams are a common winter problem on association buildings, with long eaves and shared attic spaces. The cause is the same as on a house, heat in the attic, and the cure is the same sequence, but a shared attic means coordination among owners. See the ice dam guide.

Keep records: dates, photographs, whom you told and when. If a claim is likely, keep wet materials until an adjuster has seen them. Whether an insurer pays is its decision under the policy.