When planning or restoring a commercial roof, building owners and contractors may encounter both FM Approvals and FM Global loss prevention recommendations. Although the two are closely related and come from the same FM organization, they serve different purposes.
The simplest distinction is this: FM Approvals certifies products and systems, while FM Global loss prevention recommendations provide engineering guidance for how facilities should be designed, installed, protected, and maintained. Understanding the difference is especially important for commercial roofing projects where wind uplift, fire performance, insulation, membranes, fasteners, and complete roof assemblies must work together.
What Are FM Approvals?
FM Approvals is a third-party testing and certification program. It evaluates products, materials, equipment, services, and assemblies against FM Approval standards to verify that they meet defined performance requirements.
For roofing, FM Approvals can apply to items such as roofing membranes, insulation, fasteners, adhesives, cover boards, and complete roof assemblies. FM states that its testing and certification covers building materials and roofing assemblies, among other products. Products that successfully meet the applicable requirements can receive the FM APPROVED certification mark.
This means an FM Approved product has been tested and certified for specific performance characteristics. However, the certification does not automatically mean that the product can be installed in any configuration or on every building.
What Are FM Global Loss Prevention Recommendations?
FM Global’s Property Loss Prevention Data Sheets are engineering guidelines designed to reduce the risk of property loss from hazards such as fire, severe weather, equipment failure, and other exposures. FM describes these data sheets as engineering-based guidelines developed from extensive property-loss experience, research, testing, and industry input.
For commercial roofing, the recommendations may address subjects such as roof wind loads, roof deck securement, above-deck components, roof system design, installation practices, maintenance, and inspection.
In other words, an FM Data Sheet helps answer questions such as how a roof system should be designed and installed for a particular risk, rather than simply whether an individual product has passed certification testing.
The Key Difference
Consider the difference this way:
- FM Approvals: “Has this product or assembly been tested and certified to the applicable FM standard?”
- FM Global recommendations: “How should the building or roof system be designed, installed, and maintained to reduce property-loss risk?”
These concepts work together. FM’s own loss prevention data sheets frequently recommend using FM Approved equipment, materials, and services when applicable and available.
For example, a roofing membrane may be FM Approved, but the project still needs to follow the applicable requirements for the complete roof assembly, including attachment, deck construction, insulation, perimeter details, and wind-uplift design.
Why This Matters for Florida Commercial Roofs
This distinction is particularly important in Florida, where commercial roofs can face significant wind and hurricane exposure. A contractor should not assume that using an FM Approved membrane alone makes the entire roof system compliant with FM requirements.
The complete assembly and installation configuration matter. FM’s roofing guidance can address design wind loads, roof deck securement, above-deck components, and other factors that affect overall roof performance. FM materials also emphasize that approved products should be used according to applicable requirements and that proper supervision and installation are important.
What Should Building Owners Ask Their Roofing Contractor?
Before approving a commercial roofing project, ask:
- Is the proposed roofing product FM Approved?
- Is the complete roof assembly recognized for the required application?
- Which FM Property Loss Prevention Data Sheets apply?
- Does the proposed assembly meet the required wind-uplift performance?
- Are the fasteners, insulation, membrane, adhesives, and other components compatible?
- Will the installation follow the approved assembly and manufacturer’s requirements?
- Can the contractor document the applicable FM approval and design information?
Bottom Line
FM Approvals and FM Global loss prevention recommendations are complementary, not interchangeable. FM Approvals provides product and assembly certification based on testing, while FM Global’s loss prevention recommendations provide broader engineering guidance for reducing property-loss risk.
For a commercial roofing project, the goal is not simply to select an FM Approved product. The goal is to select and properly install an appropriate FM-recognized roof assembly while following the applicable FM loss prevention recommendations, project specifications, and local building-code requirements.
That distinction can help Florida building owners make better roofing decisions and avoid assuming that a certification on one component automatically applies to the entire roof system.
Commercial Roof Inspections
Related Questions
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