Mississippi’s attempt to ban low-slope roofing on public buildings is defeated

A coalition of roofing industry organizations helped defeat legislation that would have imposed a mandatory minimum 3:12 roof slope on all new public buildings constructed in Mississippi.   

The measure passed the state’s House of Representatives but stalled in the Senate. It would have effectively prohibited low-slope roofing systems on public construction projects and “eliminated proven, cost-effective roofing solutions used on schools, hospitals, government buildings, and other public facilities,” according to a Roofing Contractor article.  

The bill would have restricted the work of architects, building owners, and contractors, and driven up costs for taxpayers, according to a roofing contractor quoted in the article. An industry insider called the bill “well-intentioned but based on a fundamental misunderstanding of building science.”