Code Upgrades on Your Roof: Ask About Ordinance or Law Coverage

A roof that was damaged in a storm is rarely put back exactly as it was built. When a covered loss leads to a full replacement, the city or county permit desk may require the new work to meet the code in force today, and that can add items the original roof never had. Drip edge, a self-adhering membrane at the eaves, new decking where the old boards have rotted, and changes to attic ventilation are the usual examples. Whether your insurer pays for that extra work depends on the wording of your policy, and in most cases the answer sits in an endorsement rather than in the main form.

What ordinance or law coverage is

Most homeowner policies pay to repair or replace damaged property with material of like kind and quality. Many standard forms leave out the added cost of meeting a building code that did not apply when the house was built. Insurers often offer an ordinance or law endorsement to address that gap. Endorsements of this kind usually address three things: the increased cost of construction needed to meet current code, the cost of demolishing undamaged parts of the structure so the code work can be done, and in some forms the value lost on parts that were not damaged. Each one may carry its own limit, and that limit may be a fixed amount or a percentage of the dwelling coverage. The exact terms vary by insurer and by policy form, so the endorsement list on your declarations page is the place to start. If the declarations page does not list an ordinance or law endorsement, that does not settle the question by itself, so ask the agent to confirm it in writing.

Where St. Louis roofs pick up code work

Freeze and thaw cycles are the reason many local permit desks look hard at the eaves. Water that backs up behind ice at the eave can run under the shingles and into the wall, so inspectors often expect a self-adhering membrane along the lower edges and a drip edge that directs water past the fascia. Decking is another frequent item. An inspector who finds soft or split sheathing when the old shingles come off may require replacement before the new underlayment goes on. Ventilation is a third. Attic airflow that was adequate for the old roof may not meet the current requirement once the roof is replaced. These rules are not the same from one municipality to the next across St. Louis County, which is why the permit desk for your city or county is the source to check, not a neighbor's permit from a different street.

Ask the permit desk before the scope is final

One reliable way to learn what the code will require is to ask the permit desk about your address before the work is scheduled. Ask which items the inspector will check on a reroof permit, whether any of them depend on the condition of the decking, and whether the answer can be given in writing. A written list from the jurisdiction is more useful to you than a verbal one, and it is the document you will want if your insurer asks why a line item appears on the scope. Ask your roofer to show those items as separate lines with photos and measurements, so the code work is visible and not buried in a total. Keys Roofing documents the damage, puts a written scope with photos and measurements in your hands, and attends as the contractor while you deal with your own insurer. Missouri law (RSMo 407.725) bars a roofing contractor from representing or negotiating your insurance claim, and from saying anything about paying, waiving or covering a deductible, so the conversation with the insurer is yours to have.

Questions to put to your insurer

Once you have the permit list and the scope, the questions for your insurer are specific. Put them in writing and keep the answers.

• Does my policy include an ordinance or law endorsement, and what is its limit?
• Does that limit apply to the increased cost of meeting the code, to demolition of undamaged parts, or to both?
• Is the code cost paid when the work is actually done, or only on the estimate?
• Which items on the permit list do you treat as code requirements, and which do you treat as upgrades?
• If the inspector requires decking replacement after tear-off, how should that be documented for the claim file?

Keep the inspection paper with the claim

A failed inspection is useful evidence, not just a delay. When the inspector flags a condition, ask for the correction notice in writing and note the item, the date and the inspector's name. Photograph exposed decking before it is covered, with a tape measure or another known reference in the frame. Keep the permit, the correction notice and the final inspection record together. Those papers show what the code required, when it was required and what it cost to meet it, which is the information an insurer will need if the endorsement is in play.

What the endorsement does not cover

An ordinance or law endorsement pays for work the code requires. It does not usually pay for work you choose. If you want a heavier underlayment than the permit calls for, a different shingle line, or upgraded flashing the inspector did not ask for, that choice is generally your own cost. Some owners add these items on purpose, and that can be a sound decision, but the paper trail should separate required work from elective work so the two are not mixed on the invoice. A line marked 'code required' and a line marked 'upgrade' are easy to tell apart on a written scope and hard to tell apart on a final bill that says only roof replacement.

If your permit desk has given you a list and you want the code items written out as separate lines on the scope, call Keys Roofing at (314) 220-2333 and ask for that before the job is priced. Keys will attend your inspections as the contractor and document the work, while the claim itself stays with you and your insurer.