Commercial Roof Resolutions: A New Year Maintenance Plan for Texas Property Owners

When you think about New Year’s resolutions for your properties, you probably think about leasing goals, tenant improvements, or cutting operating costs. But here’s a quiet truth: few things impact all three of those areas more than the condition of your commercial roof.

A leaking or failing roof doesn’t just create ugly stains in the ceiling tiles. It disrupts tenants, shuts down revenue, damages inventory, and forces you into expensive emergency decisions. On the flip side, a well-maintained roof quietly protects your income, your asset value, and your peace of mind.

That’s why the start of the year is the perfect time to set some “roof resolutions” for your building. Below is a simple, practical New Year maintenance plan from the team at Birdcreek Roofing to help Texas property owners stay ahead of roof problems in 2026.

Why Your Commercial Roof Needs New Year's Resolutions Too

Your roof is one of the largest capital assets on your property. It’s also one of the easiest to ignore… right up until there’s water on the floor of a tenant’s space.

For Texas properties, the stakes are even higher. Between intense sun, big temperature swings, hail, and wind, commercial roofs here take a beating. Flat roofs with poor drainage can turn into ponds after a storm. Older metal roofs can start to rust, separate at seams, or leak around fasteners. Aging single-ply systems can crack or pull away at the edges.

Building a simple plan at the beginning of the year helps you:

• Catch issues early, when they’re still inexpensive to fix
• Reduce unplanned downtime and angry calls from tenants
• Extend the life of the roof you already have
• Budget for repairs and future replacement instead of reacting in crisis mode

Think of it as moving your roof from “out of sight, out of mind” to “managed like any other critical asset.”

Step 1: Start the Year with a Professional Commercial Roof Inspection

If you only do one thing for your roof this year, make it this. Walking your own roof a couple of times a year is helpful, but a professional commercial inspection goes much deeper. When we inspect a roof for a Texas property owner, we’re looking at:

• The condition of the membrane or panels (TPO, modified bitumen, metal, etc.)
• Seams, laps, and transitions where materials meet
• Flashing around HVAC units, vents, skylights, and other penetrations
• Gutters, scuppers, and internal drains for clogs and damage
• Evidence of ponding water or previous leaks
• Signs of hail or wind damage that might not be obvious from the ground

We also document everything with photos and notes. That documentation is incredibly valuable later – whether you’re planning capital improvements, communicating with investors, or working with an insurance adjuster after a storm.

Make it a resolution: one full commercial roof inspection at the start of each year.

Step 2: Build a Preventative Maintenance Schedule (Not Just “Fix It When It Leaks”)

Many roofs fail early, not because of bad materials, but because they only get attention when something goes wrong. A simple preventative maintenance schedule can change that. It doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. For most Texas commercial properties, a realistic plan might include:

• A professional inspection once or twice a year
• Quick visual checks after major storms
• Routine cleaning of drains and gutters
• Prompt repairs of minor defects before they spread

What to Include in Your Maintenance Plan

When you sit down with your roofing contractor, ask them to help you map out:

• How often should your specific roof system be inspected
• Which areas need regular cleaning (drains, scuppers, gutters, roof valleys)
• Known “weak spots” on your building – recurring leak areas, problem flashing, high-traffic zones
• A process for reporting roof issues from tenants to management to your roofing partner

This doesn’t just protect your roof. It creates a clear, repeatable system so that staff changes or busy seasons don’t derail your building’s maintenance.

Step 3: Tackle Drainage, Debris, and Standing Water

If your building has a low-slope or flat roof, drainage should be addressed separately. Standing water is a major enemy of commercial roofs. It adds weight to the structure, accelerates wear on the roofing membrane, and often finds its way into seams or tiny punctures. In Texas, where heavy rains can come on suddenly, clogged drains and scuppers are a recipe for trouble.

At least a few times a year, and after major storms, make sure:

• Roof drains are clear and flowing freely
• Gutters and downspouts are not clogged or damaged
• Overhanging trees are trimmed back so that they do not drop excessive leaves or branches on the roof
• Any areas that consistently hold water for more than 48 hours are evaluated and addressed

Sometimes, solving a ponding issue is as simple as correcting a drain or repairing a small section of the membrane. Other times, it may require more extensive work. Either way, catching it in January is better than discovering it in the middle of a busy season with tenants on the phone.

Step 4: Fix Small Problems Before They Become Big Capital Expenses

Every commercial roof has minor flaws: a small puncture from a dropped tool, a bit of loose flashing, a seam that’s starting to open up. On their own, those issues may not look like much. Left alone, they’re exactly the spots where leaks usually start. Part of your New Year's roof plan should be a commitment to handle small repairs quickly. That might include:

• Patching small punctures or blisters
• Re-sealing seams and transitions that are starting to separate
• Replacing failed sealant around penetrations and flashing
• Tightening or replacing loose fasteners on metal roofs
• Repairing minor damage from hail before it worsens

From a budget standpoint, this approach turns unpredictable emergencies into manageable line items. A few small repairs over the course of a year are almost always cheaper than one major leak that shuts down a tenant space and requires interior build-back.Empty heading