FAQs

This is one of the most common questions we get – and probably the hardest one to answer. The problem is that there are so many variables that can change the cost dramatically. The best we can do without knowing anything about the project is to say it will most likely be between $90 and $350 per lineal foot. That’s a big window – we get that. To try to figure out where you are in that range, you can think of it this way: the biggest cost-driving factors are screen height, building height and wind speed. So if your project is in Sacramento CA, on a 12ft tall building, and your screen height is 4ft, you may be on the lower end of the cost range. On the other hand, if you project is in Miami FL, on a 30ft tall building, and your screen is 8ft tall, you may be on the higher end of the cost range.

There’s a lot more that goes into it than that, but we’re just trying to help you get an idea. You can check out this detailed Technical Article for more information: How to Get the Best Price on a Roof Screen

What we really want you to do is give us a call. We’ll talk you through it and provide you with a much more accurate and realistic quote.

We use both steel and aluminum. Steel is much stronger than aluminum so for our products that need very high structural values, steel is our choice. Aluminum is a great choice for more complex shapes and when strength values don’t need to be quite as high.

RoofScreen® System: Steel
Roof Attachments: Steel
Tube Framing: Steel
Metal Panels & Trim: Steel (aluminum available upon request)
Acoustical Panels: Steel (aluminum available upon request)
Architectural Louvers: Aluminum
DryCap™ Sleeper Cap System: Aluminum and Steel

The more details and information we have about your project, the more accurate a price we can give you. You’d be amazed how the smallest things can have a big impact on the pricing of a RoofScreen system. So the best thing to do is provide us with project drawings if you have them. If you want, just send us the whole set of architectural and structural plans and we will find the information we need. At the very minimum, we’re going to need the roof plan, elevations, sections, and roofing details from the architectural drawings, and the roof framing plan from the structural drawings.

If there are no project drawings, we would need as many of the following items as possible.

• Project address so we can calculate local wind loads.
• Height from the ground to the top of the screen.
• Occupancy use (school, office building, church, retail, etc.)
• Sketch of the roof screen layout with dimensions.
• Desired height of the RoofScreen.
• Type and height of the face panels.
• Panel orientation (vertical or horizontal).
• Roofing type (BUR, TPO, PVC, etc.)
• Thickness of rooftop insulation (if applicable).
• Type of roof framing structure (concrete slab, open web steel joist, wood beam, etc.)
• Spacing between roof structural members.

For a much more detailed explanation, please see our technical article titled How to Get the Best Price on a Roof Screen. 

Absolutely! And we’ll even stamp it for any state in the US and Canada. We’re not talking about generic data sheets with all kinds of caveats that have been rubber stamped for general use, but rather a full set of shop drawings and calculations tailored to the specific project and location. We do this every day and we’re good at it. So you can be sure the project is designed correctly and in the most economical way possible. Value engineering is job one with us. For more information please see our Services page.

How tall do you want it? Sometimes, we jokingly say, “it’s a simple matter of engineering.” The truth is that there’s nothing simple about building a huge sail on a rooftop. The forces from wind loads can be massive and it takes some ingenuity to make that work. But that’s where you benefit from working with us. We know how to engineer for difficult and challenging situations.

Most of the rooftop screening systems we design are between 4 ft and 12 ft tall, which are usually not challenging at all and easily accomplished with our standard frame configurations. It’s important to understand that wind loads vary greatly by location and building height. So the maximum reasonable height for a roof screen will be limited by the design wind pressure calculated for the project. We’ve designed screens as high as 18 ft with our standard frame configurations in areas with relatively mild wind loads. But we have also custom designed screens as tall as 22 ft in higher wind areas.

Yes. We don’t try to hold you hostage by making you buy our panels for your roof screen. However, you may find it more convenient to get them from us. If you source through us and we’re providing an engineered project design, you get the benefit of having the panels and trims detailed and integrated into the shop drawings and engineering calculations.

You are also free to source panels anywhere you want and mount them to our framing system. This may be the best method for certain specialty panels unavailable for us to source for you. In this case, details and wind calculations would need to be performed by others.

We sell direct without the use of distributors, so you can just simply give us a call and we can set you up to buy whatever you need. We take major credit cards, or we can set you up with 30 day terms on approved credit. We can work with you on a project basis, which we call a “System Order”, where we provide all the engineering and project management necessary, or if you simply want to buy parts without engineering or project management, you can provide us with a parts list for us to fulfill.

Yes, we’ve designed and engineered many jobs through both DSA (Division of the State Architect – California) and OSHPD (Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development – California). We can provide a list of completed jobs upon request.

Our systems are capable of being designed to thousands of variables so it’s not practical to test and pre-approve them. Products that typically obtain pre-approvals are the type that can be applied the same way on many different projects in different locations. This allows the product to be used on the project without engineering calculations to support the specific application. Pre-approval is not required for our products since we provide wet stamped, site specific engineering, tailored to the project conditions including local codes, wind loads, exposures, etc.

We do offer installation services in California. We use subcontractors for this as we do not maintain our own installation crews. The advantage to using this service is that we have the experience and expertise to get the job done fast and accurately. We use trusted subcontractors who have experience with our products, so you can be assured the project will get done right. It can also be much more convenient for you to provide one contract for material and labor, and not have to deal with managing the subs.

Give us a call if you need a quote! Contact Us

Our products are fairly intuitive and easy to install. Our installation manuals with step by step instructions and illustrations, along with our detailed shop drawing sets makes the installation straightforward for anyone with basic construction skills. Our products have been successfully installed by roofing, architectural sheet metal, HVAC, electrical and general contractors. We can provide lists of contractors familiar with our products for many cities. We also offer installation services for California projects. For more information please Contact Us.

Yes, the RoofScreen Attachment systems work with any type of roofing system including Built Up, TPO, PVC, EPDM, Liquid Applied, Foam and Metal. RoofScreen Attachments are designed to be installed using industry approved techniques that are considered best practices in roofing. For that reason, any roofing materials manufacturer will approve the attachment with their system without compromising the roofing warranty. We have many thousands of roof attachments in service across the United States, and have never been rejected by a roofing system manufacturer. Oh, and by the way – we’ve never had a leak.

For more information about the flashings, check out our Product Data Sheet.

Nope. That’s one of the coolest parts of our design. Our Square Base with RotoLock™ attachment system has adjustment built in. The bases can be mounted directly to the roof with no concern about whether they are plumb or level.

Yes. That’s one of the great features of our modular, bolt-together design. The system could be completely dismantled and re-installed if desired. So for a major remodel or re-roofing project, the system could actually be taken completely apart and stored elsewhere while the construction takes place. Afterwards, the system could be re-installed. The only items that cannot be re-used are the Base Gaskets and Base Cap Sealing Bolts (both minor and inexpensive parts). Of course, roof flashings may or may not be re-usable depending on a lot of factors.

Alternatively, re-roofing could take place by removing one frame at a time. Each frame can easily be removed temporarily while the roofing takes place in that spot. The adjacent frames can handle the extra span for a short period of time, assuming you’re not working in a wind storm!

We’re actually not rated at all, but that’s a good thing. Products that claim a rating for a certain wind speed are playing marketing games. Basically they are dumbing it down for the public by referencing wind speed as the criteria for product strength. But the truth is that wind speed is only part of the equation for calculating wind loads on a building or product. This means somewhere in the fine print, they talk about the other contributing factors like building height, wind exposure, risk factor, etc. This approach would be like a car dealer saying “Model X gets 48 mpg.” Then in the fine print you see that to get that kind of mileage you have to have a tail wind and be going downhill.

RoofScreen won’t dumb anything down for you, and we don’t sugar coat the truth. We would rather provide you with a just-right-engineered solution. So we look at each individual project with our value-engineering colored lenses, and provide tailored shop drawings and engineering calculations that match the specific conditions of your project.