How to Document Multiple Layers of Shingles During Tear-Off

When a crew strips the first section of a roof and finds a second or third layer that was not visible from the ground, the job is bigger than the estimate assumed. Extra layers mean more labor, more disposal and sometimes different installation steps. To ask the carrier to reflect that, you need proof the office can use: a clear photo of the stacked edge with a tape, the count by slope, and a note of the material. Take it during tear-off, before the layers are in the trailer.

Disclosure: we make Supplement Snap, which helps roofing crews document damage found at tear-off and export a report. It does not decide coverage, negotiate claims or guarantee approval. This page is general guidance, not legal or claims advice.

From the ground, a roof with two layers can look like one. Edges are covered by drip edge or fascia, and the layer count may differ between slopes if part of the roof was repaired or re-roofed at another time. The estimate is usually built from what the adjuster could see and from aerial measurements, so extra layers often show up only once the crew is on the roof. The table lists what to capture the moment you find them.

Cut or lift a clean edge so the layers are visible from the side. Hold a tape measure or a marked stick against it. Take one close photo showing every layer and the tape, and one slightly wider photo that shows where on the slope the edge is. If you cannot get a clean side view, photograph the exposed layers as the crew removes them, one at a time, with the slope noted.

Do not rely on a single photo. If a reviewer cannot tell how many layers there are, the photo does not do its job.

Layers can differ across a roof. A rear addition may have one layer while the main roof has two. Write the count for each slope: Front slope, two layers. Rear slope, one layer. Addition, three layers. Then put the quantity of roofing in squares beside each count, if the crew has measured it. Our free findings log has a table for exactly this.

Say what the layers are made of. Asphalt shingles over felt over old shingles is different from wood shakes under newer shingles. Note whether the lower layer looks like a different age or product, and whether you saw anything unusual between layers. Keep it factual: what is there, not why it happened.

Extra layers add weight and loads. Keep dump tickets and dumpster invoices, and photograph the debris pile if useful. Write the claim number or address on each receipt. Our article on debris removal and dumpster costs covers what the carrier may need to see. Building codes, manufacturer instructions, policy wording and carrier practice vary, so confirm the details for your job with the building department and the claim documents.

A crew starts on the rear slope of a 32 square roof. The lead lifts a shingle at the eave and finds two layers. He walks the roof, finds the same stack on the front slope, and then sees that the garage addition has only one. He photographs the cut edge on each slope with a tape, writes Front 2 layers, Rear 2 layers, Garage 1 layer in the log, and sends the log and photos to the office before lunch.

The office builds a supplement with three numbered findings, each with its edge photo, and compares the tear-off quantity in the estimate with the second-layer quantity. The example is made up. It shows the order: stop, photograph, count by slope, send.

Keep it short and checkable: Second layer of asphalt shingles found on front and rear slopes, 28 squares. Photos 6 to 11 show the stacked edge with a tape. Garage addition has one layer, photo 12. Dump tickets attached.

Ask for the difference between what the estimate lists and what you found. Do not argue about why the adjuster did not see it. The roof was not open when they looked.

Our free findings log has a row for each of these.

Someone reviewing a supplement from a desk was not on the roof. They commonly want to be able to answer four questions from your package alone: how many layers, on which slope, of what material, and how much extra material that created. If a photo or a note answers each, there is less reason to send the request back for more information. If the reviewer still has to ask, answer in writing and attach the missing photo. Keep a copy of each exchange.

Compare the carrier's tear-off line with your own count. If the estimate assumes one layer and you found two, write the difference in squares and attach the edge photos. If the quantities are close but not identical, say how you measured, because small differences can come from where each person measured. Ask for the difference in writing, keep the tone factual, and set a follow-up date. See our email template and tracker.

Many places limit how many layers a roof can carry, and some require all layers to come off when there are already two. Whether that applies to your job depends on the local building code, so ask the building department. Your own contract should also say what happens when hidden layers are found, so the homeowner is not surprised. Neither of those decides what the carrier pays, but both are good records to have. Building codes, manufacturer instructions, policy wording and carrier practice vary, so confirm the details for your job with the building department and the claim documents.