How to Document Rotted Roof Decking Found During Tear-Off

Decking is hidden until the shingles and underlayment come off. That is exactly why it needs clear proof. The adjuster was not on the roof at tear-off, so your photos, measurements and notes are the only way they see what you saw.

The goal is not to argue for more money. It is to show, factually, what condition the decking was in, where it was, and how much of it was affected. Coverage and approval still depend on the claim, the policy and the carrier.

Capture these items for every area of damaged decking:

Take the photos before the decking is replaced or covered. Once new material goes down, the evidence is gone.

Keep it short and factual. A useful note answers four questions: what was found, where, how much, and why it was not visible before tear-off.

Example: Rear slope, along the eave: four sheets of decking soft and deteriorated when walked, found after removing existing shingles and underlayment. Photos 12 to 16 show the condition.

Avoid guessing at the cause or at what the policy covers. Describe what you can see and measure, and let the adjuster evaluate coverage.

Before you submit, check that the numbers agree. If the note says four sheets, the photos should show four sheets and the line item quantity should reflect that. Mismatches are the quickest way to lose trust with an adjuster.

If you want a full pre-submission check, use the free roofing supplement checklist. For layout help, see the roofing supplement template and the photo documentation checklist.

Our free findings log has a row for each.

People use several words for the same layer. Decking and sheathing both mean the boards or panels the roofing is attached to. Plywood is thin layers of wood glued together. OSB, or oriented strand board, is made of pressed wood strands. Older homes may have plank boards instead. Use the word that matches what you see, and say which kind it is, because it affects how damage looks and how it is described.

A standard sheet is 4 feet by 8 feet, which is 32 square feet. Four sheets are 128 square feet. If damage covers part of a sheet, say so rather than rounding up without explanation: about half of a sheet along the eave, roughly 16 square feet, for example. Show the arithmetic in your note, such as 4 ft x 8 ft x 4 sheets = 128 sq ft, so a reviewer can check it.

Reviewers often want to know whether rot was sudden or has been building for a long time. That is not for you to decide, and guessing weakens your package. What you can do is photograph the layers as they come off, show the condition of the underlayment and shingles above the soft area, and describe exactly what you see. Our guide to wind damage documentation covers the rest of that package. Building codes, policy wording and carrier practice vary, so confirm the details for your job.

The slow part is usually not taking photos. It is matching them to notes and measurements later. Capturing the photo, the roof area and a short note at the same moment keeps everything linked.

That is the workflow Supplement Snap is built around: photograph, tag and describe the finding on the roof, then generate a report. You can preview the output in the sample report. Software organizes the evidence; it cannot guarantee a supplement is approved.