Course Description

The Commercial Roofing Loss course is designed to familiarize adjusters and litigators with important aspects of commercial roofing types, construction, assembly, and vulnerability to loss. The module is presented by Gerald Mercer, a Professional Engineer.

Mr. Mercer begins by describing types of commercial roofs an adjuster will encounter while investigating losses. The instructor explains how these roofs are designed and rated to resist wind, hail, and fire loss and how they are rated by testing laboratories. The second portion of the program deals with loss investigation and provides essential information to allow adjusters to recognize potential problems in the field.

After completing the course, the attendee will be able to better understand commercial roofing losses, the importance of roofing system specification, the causes of roofing losses, and opportunities for subrogation related to roofing losses.

After completing the course, the attendee should be able to name the main types of commercial roofing; list the components of roofing systems and their functions; explain the importance of roofing specifications and how they relate to loss investigation; describe the forces of wind on various areas of a roof and roof system and how that relates to proper roof design; name the areas of a built-up roof system that are susceptible to hail damage and those that are not susceptible to hail damage; list the potential causes of damage to EPDM roof coverings; explain the causes of roof ponding and the long term effects of ponded water; describe the symptoms of freeze damage on a roof; discuss the causes of alligatoring and recognize it in the field; articulate the causes of bubbles and blisters on a single membrane roof; describe a potential cause of hail damage to metal roofs; discuss the potential benefits of thermal imaging to evaluate the scope of loss; and list the parties that may be liable under theories of subrogation where a roof suffers wind damage due to speeds lower than the design wind speeds established in the building codes.

The course is designed for adjusters, managers, attorneys, and other insurance claims professionals involved in the area of first-party property insurance coverage and litigation.