Which comes first? The downspouts or the dock canopy installation?

A question we sometimes hear is “Why do you need downspouts installed prior to a dock canopy installation?”

The preferred approach is to have the roofer's downspouts installed before our mobilization and this approach is based on 20+ years as a subcontractor installing these canopies. This best practice remains valid today for a few important reasons.

First, when we install our canopy, we notch around these downspouts. This notch includes both our rear canopy gutter and panels and is crucial to our canopy's overall appearance and performance.

The alternative is either to A, have the roofer notch our canopy after the fact, or B, have us try to leave the notch ahead of time for the downspout to run through our canopy to the ground. But neither of these is a great option. Why?

For option A, we prefer to be the only ones working with our canopy as we want to be able to stand by our final product’s appearance and performance. Adding this notch is a specific skill and is not easy to execute, especially after the material is installed on the wall.

Option B allows very little flexibility for the movement of this downspout and for adjustment. It also requires the roofer to work over the top of our finished canopy system. Both can result in canopy damage and a return repair trip to the site.

Bottom line: Downspouts need to be installed before we install a canopy.

Our loading dock canopies focus on functional protection for your operations, with three distinct options to match your specifications and budget requirements. Click now to learn more about our Bullnose Loading Dock Canopy as one option and be sure to let us know how we can help with your next commercial architectural metal project.