Hail-Damaged Discontinued Shingles, Matching, and Code-Upgrade Supplement
A 22-year-old asphalt shingle roof on a 3,200 sq ft ranch has hail hits on 14 shingles on the south slope. The insurer’s scope pays to replace 14 shingles and says the rest is wear and tear. The insured’s policy is replacement cost with a $5,000 deductible and includes ordinance or law coverage up to $25,000. The public adjuster observes that the shingles are discontinued, the south slope measures 1,800 sq ft, and a 10x10 test square has 14 hits. Granules are embedded in gutters, and the ridge cap is cracked. The local building code requires ice barrier and drip edge replacement when more than 25% of a roof slope is replaced, and the manufacturer voids warranties on partial repairs of discontinued shingles. The insurer has already paid $1,900 for the patch and closed the claim.
1. Determine whether the PA can justify replacing the entire south slope rather than 14 shingles, and explain the matching and manufacturer-warranty reasoning.
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The PA can justify full south-slope replacement if the evidence shows the patch cannot restore a uniform, functional roof. Key facts: the shingles are discontinued, the manufacturer voids warranties on partial repairs, the south slope has 14 hits in a 10x10 test square, granules are in the gutters, and the ridge cap is cracked. Matching is not cosmetic vanity; it is a functional issue when replacement shingles do not match the existing profile, color, or exposure and the manufacturer will not warrant the repair. The insurer’s 14-shingle patch leaves a roof that may leak at the transitions and cannot be warranted.
The PA should support the slope replacement with the manufacturer’s discontinuation letter, a test-square photo log, a contractor’s statement on matching, and the code trigger. If the insurer still refuses, the PA should request an engineer’s or roof consultant’s inspection.
2. Calculate the code-upgrade exposure and explain how ordinance or law coverage and the deductible apply.
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Assume the south slope is 1,800 sq ft, or 18 squares. At $550 per square, the slope replacement is $9,900. Code items, such as ice barrier and drip edge, add about $2,400, so the code-upgrade exposure is within the $25,000 ordinance or law limit. The $5,000 deductible applies once to the covered loss, not separately to the shingles, code items, and ridge cap. The insurer has already paid $1,900, which should be credited against the total. The PA should calculate: $9,900 + $2,400 + ridge cap and O&P, less $5,000 deductible, less $1,900 paid. Ordinance or law coverage pays the code-required portion; it does not eliminate the deductible. The PA should confirm whether the policy pays code upgrades on a replacement-cost basis and whether the limit is per building or per occurrence.
3. List the documentation needed to support a supplement for overhead and profit, discontinued shingles, and ridge cap.
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The supplement should include: (1) a line-item estimate for the full south slope, ridge cap, ice barrier, drip edge, and disposal; (2) the manufacturer’s letter showing the shingles are discontinued and partial repairs void the warranty; (3) test-square photos with chalk-marked hail hits and a count per square; (4) granule accumulation photos in gutters and downspouts; (5) the code citation requiring ice barrier and drip edge when more than 25% of a slope is replaced; (6) a contractor’s letter on matching and feasibility; and (7) an overhead-and-profit calculation, since the PA is coordinating multiple trades and the job meets the general contractor test. The PA should also photograph the cracked ridge cap and include the prior $1,900 payment as a credit.