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We are about to go into contract for a unit on the top floor of a newly constructed building.

The problem is that our inspection showed that the roof was almost completely flat (i.e. not angled or sloped at all for drainage). It is our understanding that flat roofs are supposed to have a slight pitch to keep water from pooling and leaking in. There are drains (2) on the roof, but absolutely no pitch and you can already see where some ponding has occured.

Having zero familiarity with flat roofs, here’s the question: Will an improperly pitched flat roof cause significantly more problems (leaks, costly repairs), than a properly pitched flat roof? Should we walk away if the developer refuses to fix the pitch?

We love the place and will probably have a tough time finding a similar unit in our price range, but we have no desire to buy into a potentially costly situation either. We will be the first ones to be leaked on if there’s an issue, and even though major repairs would be paid for by the whole building, there aren’t that many units to share the cost with.

So, thoughts from those who are more experienced? Is this something worth walking away over?