Tear-Off
Tear-off is the complete removal of existing roofing materials down to the bare wood deck before installing new materials. Tear-off includes removal labor and disposal costs (dump fees, dumpster rental), and is one of the highest-cost line items on any re-roof estimate.
Stripping It Down to Bare Deck
Tear-off is the complete removal of all existing roofing materials - shingles, underlayment, flashing, pipe boots, ridge vent, valley metal - down to the bare wood deck before installing new materials. Full tear-off means everything comes off until you are looking at bare plywood or OSB. It is one of the highest-cost line items on any re-roof estimate because it includes both removal labor and disposal costs (dump fees, dumpster rental).
What Tear-Off Includes in Xactimate
Xactimate breaks tear-off into separate line items by material type. This matters because each material has a different removal cost, and the adjuster's scope of loss needs to reflect the correct material being removed.
| Material Being Removed | Xactimate Category | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Composition shingles (1 layer) | RFG | Most common residential tear-off |
| Composition shingles (2 layers) | RFG | Higher labor cost, heavier disposal |
| Wood shakes | RFG | Significantly more labor-intensive |
| Built-up roofing (BUR) | RFG | Commercial, requires different equipment |
| Metal roofing | RFG | Panel removal, fastener extraction |
| Tile | RFG | Heaviest material, highest disposal cost |
Each line item carries different labor rates and waste factors. If the adjuster scoped tear-off for one layer of composition shingles but the roof actually has two layers, that is a supplement for the additional removal labor and disposal weight.
The Roof-Over Fight
Carriers sometimes try to pay for a roof-over instead of a full tear-off. A roof-over means installing new shingles directly on top of the existing layer, which is cheaper for the carrier because it eliminates removal labor and disposal costs. The problem: most building codes prohibit roof-overs on properties with existing double layers, and many codes prohibit them entirely.
If code requires a tear-off, that is not negotiable. Reference the local building code in your supplement and include the specific code section. The carrier cannot override building code to save money on the claim. This is one of the most common and most defensible supplement items.
Tear-Off and Hidden Damage
Tear-off is where you discover damage the adjuster could not see from the surface. Rotted decking, damaged rafters, deteriorated underlayment, and rusted flashing all become visible only after the existing materials are removed. This is additional scope of work that was not part of the original estimate and needs to be documented immediately for a supplement.
Photograph the hidden damage before installing new materials. Once the new underlayment goes down, the evidence is gone. Take photos with measurements, mark the location on a Sketch diagram, and build the supplement line items while the damage is still exposed.
Frequently asked questions
A full tear-off means stripping everything - shingles, underlayment, flashing, pipe boots, ridge vent - down to bare wood. Xactimate separates tear-off into specific line items by material type: composition shingles, wood shakes, built-up roofing, etc.
Carriers sometimes try to pay for a roof-over (installing new shingles on top of old ones) instead of a full tear-off, which violates most building codes for properties with existing double layers. If code requires a tear-off, that is not negotiable.
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