by Brianna Crandall — June 9, 2014— Representatives Tom Reed (R-NY) and Bill Pascrell (D-NJ) have introduced a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives that seeks to make roof replacement less expensive and would help commercial building owners move to more energy-efficient systems. The sponsors say the HR 4740 Roofing Efficiency Jobs Act of 2014 would create an estimated 40,000 construction and manufacturing jobs while improving energy efficiency by making a much-needed reform to the outdated cost recovery system.
“This is a jobs bill that has the added benefit of saving millions in energy costs with energy-efficient roofing systems,” Rep. Reed said. “The bill fairly puts the depreciation period of a commercial roof in line with its actual lifespan, a common-sense reform to our tax code that results in a win for manufacturing and construction jobs and a win for small businesses working to improve their energy efficiency and lower their energy costs.”
Current law requires a 39-year depreciation schedule for commercial roofs, while the average lifespan of these roofs reportedly averages just 17 years. This discrepancy causes building owners to delay the full replacement of older, failing roofs in favor of limited, piecemeal repairs, say the sponsors. The Roofing Efficiency Jobs Act of 2014, led in the Senate by Senator Cardin, lowers the depreciation period for commercial roofs to 20 years.
By making energy-efficient roofing systems more accessible, energy consumption in the United States could be reduced by as much as 11.4 trillion BTUs and save small businesses and consumers millions of dollars each year in energy costs, say the sponsors. This legislation also creates thousands of well-paying jobs. A report conducted by Ducker Worldwide, a global industrial research firm, found that reforming the depreciation schedule for commercial roofs would spur demand and create an estimated 40,000 jobs.
The bill is said to be supported by a wide range of manufacturing, energy efficiency, labor and construction organizations including the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), Center for Environmental Innovation in Roofing (CEIR), Joint Roofing Industry Labor and Management Committee, National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA), and United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers and Allied Workers.
