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3 Signs Your Fixed Vertical Roof Ladder Isn鈥檛 Doing Its Job
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| May 07, 2025 |
Fixed vertical ladders might look like they solve the problem. They鈥檙e bolted in. They meet code. They check the compliance box.
But just because a ladder is there doesn鈥檛 mean it鈥檚 being used.
We鈥檝e seen it across countless properties鈥攖here鈥檚 a fixed ladder on the side of the building, but contractors and maintenance teams ignore it completely.
So how do you know if your ladder is actually doing its job?
Here are three signs it鈥檚 not:
1. People Keep Bringing Their Own Ladders
If vendors are showing up with their own extension ladders鈥攁nd leaning them against your parapet or gutters鈥攖hey鈥檙e not improvising, they鈥檙e avoiding your permanent ladder.
Why? Because it:
- Feels unsafe
- Is in the wrong spot
- Might be blocked or locked
- Is hard to use with tools
- Doesn鈥檛 make the job easier
At that point, the 鈥減ermanent solution鈥 isn鈥檛 solving anything. It鈥檚 just pushing the problem somewhere else鈥攕omewhere you can鈥檛 see or control.
2. It鈥檚 Far From Where the Work Happens
That ladder on the back wall might look tidy on the site plan, but if it鈥檚 100 feet from the rooftop unit that needs servicing, it鈥檚 not helping anyone.
Contractors don鈥檛 want to cross the roof in rain, snow, or heat鈥攅specially not while hauling gear. And if they need to go up and down more than once? Forget it.
Roofs aren鈥檛 always built for traffic, and the more distance involved, the more likely someone will find a shortcut.
And shortcuts are where the damage happens.
3. There鈥檚 Wear and Tear in the Wrong Places
Scuffed parapets. Damaged flashing. Bent conduit. Loose panels. If your roof shows signs of wear away from your fixed ladder, people are creating their own access points.
And they鈥檙e doing it in ways that put your roof鈥攁nd your budget鈥攁t risk.
Makeshift access usually means heavy equipment going over parts of the roof never meant to support it. It means stepping on drains, dragging tools across seams, and creating damage you don鈥檛 see until it鈥檚 a bigger issue.
The result?
- Unnecessary roof repairs
- Shortened membrane life
- Leaks from broken seals
- More vendor time on site
- And in some cases鈥攃laims, complaints, and shutdowns
And all of that costs more than getting access right in the first place.
What Now?
A fixed ladder that no one uses isn鈥檛 a safety feature鈥攊t鈥檚 a liability.
It invites workarounds. It encourages unsafe practices. And it puts your building at risk in ways that don鈥檛 show up until something breaks.
There鈥檚 a better way.
The gives vendors a secure, designated point of access鈥攕o even when they鈥檙e using their own ladder, you control where and how they use it.
That means:
- No more random access points
- Less damage across the roof
- One clear, reinforced entry that protects your property and your people
Check out the and see if it鈥檚 a better fit for your building.
@ladderport #ladderport
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