Commercial roof inspections in Colorado are usually three checks in one: the membrane and drainage, moisture in the insulation, and, after hail or a storm, impact damage. Together they tell you whether the roof keeps water out today and what it needs next, from a small repair to a full replacement, whether the building is in Colorado Springs, Denver or the plains towns between. On a flat or low-slope roof, the answer is usually below the surface, so a good inspection goes beyond a visual walk with moisture checks and, where needed, core cuts. This page explains what each step shows, how inspectors judge hail on each membrane type, and what the written report should include. It is general information; insurance coverage decisions belong to the insurer and the policyholder.
On this page: The steps · Moisture · Hail · Wind ratings · The report
What a full inspection includes
- History. Roof age, system, past leaks, repairs and warranty, gathered from the owner or property manager.
- Interior walk. Ceiling stains, wet ceiling tiles, rust on deck underside, and musty areas mapped against the roof above.
- Perimeter and drainage. Edge metal, coping, parapets, drains, scuppers and any water still on the roof two days after rain.
- Field of the roof. Seams, laps, blisters, punctures, fastener back-out, and granule loss.
- Flashings and equipment. Curbs, penetrations, pipe boots, pitch pans and the area around rooftop units, where foot traffic concentrates.
- Moisture check. A meter or scan to find suspect areas, confirmed with core cuts.
- Report. Photos, a roof plan with findings marked, and options with a recommended path.
Finding wet insulation
Wet insulation is the line between a repair and a replacement. The 2021 International Building Code does not allow a new roof to be laid over an existing one that is water soaked or deteriorated, or over two or more existing roofs, so the condition under the membrane decides whether a recover is even legal. A roofing consultant writing for FacilitiesNet went further on coatings: survey for moisture first, never coat a wet roof, and do not coat at all if more than 25 percent is wet.
Core cuts confirm what a scan suggests. Each cut shows the layers, the insulation type and thickness, how the roof is attached and whether it is wet. A careful inspector patches each cut the same day.
Reading hail on each roof type
Haag Engineering, writing in Professional Roofing, defines functional hail damage as damage that reduces a roof’s weather resistance or shortens its expected service life. How that shows up depends on the membrane:
| Roof type | What inspectors look for | Why a walk-over can miss it |
|---|---|---|
| TPO and PVC | Circular or star-shaped fractures in the top ply, worst over stress plates and fasteners | Spatter marks can appear with no fracture underneath |
| EPDM | Small tears in the sheet and dents in the insulation below | Vertex, a forensic firm, says EPDM fractures can be hard to see with the naked eye |
| Modified bitumen | Soft spots that signal a broken reinforcement, and circles of lost granules | The surface can look intact over a fractured mat |
| Built-up (BUR) | Fractured felts, found by sampling | Gravel hides the surface; fractures show on the underside of a sample |
| Spray foam | Cracked coating and dents; punctures that reach the foam | Small fractures on granule-surfaced foam are easy to miss |
Two research findings shape how inspectors work. Haag notes that thermoplastic membranes are generally more sensitive to impact in cold weather. And in lab testing published by IIBEC in 2022, Roof Technical Services found that aged gravel BUR over insulation showed fractured felts at every impact while the same roof over a firm, uninsulated deck did not; the author also said most bituminous roofs resist 1.5-inch hail and that desaturating the felts gives a more reliable read than separating plies. That is why a BUR inspection after a large storm usually means samples, not just a look.
Dented insulation by itself is rarely the issue. Haag Research and Testing found dented XPS and perlite held their R-value within 1 percent, so focus on membrane and cover board fractures and on water getting in. After any storm, start with the ground-level checks in our commercial roof repair guide.
Reading wind and hail ratings
Inspection reports and specifications often quote FM Approvals ratings. In an FM Approvals paper published by IIBEC, a rating such as “1-90” means Class 1 for fire and 90 pounds per square foot of tested wind uplift, and the service load is half that number. Hail classes work the same way: they belong to a tested assembly, and the Very Severe Hail class is far tougher than Severe Hail. Our low-slope systems guide explains the hail classes and how assemblies earn them.
What the report should include
- Dated photos of every finding, keyed to a roof plan
- Core cut locations with the layers and moisture found in each
- Drainage findings, including any ponding areas
- A clear call for each area: maintain, repair, coat, recover or replace
- Code items that would apply to a reroof, such as overflow drainage and insulation levels
- A suggested schedule and next inspection date for your maintenance program
For HOA and condo buildings, ask for one report per building so it can feed the reserve plan. The full series is on our commercial and HOA roofing hub.
Book an inspection
Integrity Roofing and Painting is veteran-owned and family-run, serving Colorado since 1990, an Owens Corning Platinum Preferred contractor with 650+ Google reviews. We inspect low-slope and steep-slope commercial roofs, document damage with photos and core samples, and install TPO roofs. If there is a storm claim, it stays with the owner; our job is a clear record of what the roof shows. Call (719) 488-2800 for a free Colorado Springs inspection, or (303) 209-0152 for a free Denver inspection.
Sources: 2021 International Building Code, Section 1512.2.1.1 (Colorado DFPC edition, UpCodes); FacilitiesNet, Recoating Could Extend Roof's Life (2014); Scott J. Morrison (Haag Engineering), Holy hail! Part 2, Professional Roofing (2009); Vertex, Hail Damage to Roofing Membranes (2017); Stephen L. Patterson, Testing Built-up and Modified Bitumen Roofs for Hail Damage, IIBEC Interface (2022); Haag Research and Testing, Effects of Hail-Caused Dents on Insulation, IIBEC Interface (2022); Mark D. Tyrol (FM Approvals), Changes to FM Approval Standard 4470, IIBEC (2013); Ric Vitiello, Standing up to hail, Professional Roofing (2007); Roofers Coffee Shop, RICOWI Texas A&M hailstorm investigation (2026).
