Removing Asphalt Shingles in Colorado: Hail, Permits, Costs

Tearing off asphalt shingles on a Colorado home takes a roofing shovel, fall protection, a permit from your city or county, a dumpster sized for 4 to 6 tons of debris, and a plan to have the new roof dried-in before the next afternoon storm. On a 2,000 to 2,500 square foot Front Range home the tear-off alone is 6 to 10 hours for two people, and a full tear-off and replacement by a contractor runs $12,000 to $22,000.

This guide covers the Colorado version of the job: what hail does to a roof, when the insurer pays, which permit you pull in Denver, Aurora and Jefferson County, how to do the tear-off step by step, where the debris goes, and what a new roof does to the sale price of your home.

Why Colorado roofs come off early

An asphalt shingle rated for 25 to 30 years lasts 15 to 20 on the Front Range. Three things shorten it: ultraviolet exposure at 5,280 feet with about 300 days of sun a year, freeze-thaw cycling from 60-degree afternoons to single-digit nights, and hail. Colorado's hail season runs from mid-April through mid-September, and the Denver metro storm of spring 2017 alone produced $2.3 billion in insured losses. Read what shortens a roof's lifespan in Colorado for the full list.

• Granule loss: a cup of granules in the gutter after every storm means the mat is exposed and the roof has 1 to 2 years left.
• Hail bruises: soft spots the size of a quarter, in a random pattern, on the south and west slopes. Ten or more per 100 square feet is a replacement, not a repair.
• Lifted or cracked tabs: Front Range design wind speeds are 115 mph on the plains and higher in the foothills; shingles that lift once do not reseal.
• Two layers already: the International Residential Code, adopted across Colorado, bars a third layer. Two layers means a tear-off.

Does insurance pay for the tear-off?

When hail or wind caused the damage, yes: the tear-off, disposal and new roof are one claim. Read your policy for three numbers before you call a roofer.

• The wind and hail deductible: most Colorado policies now set it at 1% to 2% of the dwelling coverage, which is $6,000 to $12,000 on a $600,000 home.
• Roof payment schedule: policies with an actual-cash-value roof schedule pay depreciated value on roofs older than 15 years, and the gap comes out of your pocket.
• The claim window: most Colorado policies require the claim within one year of the storm date. File within 30 days.

Colorado's residential roofing law, C.R.S. 6-22-101 through 105, requires a written contract with the scope, price and dates, bars a roofer from paying or waiving your deductible, and gives you 72 hours to cancel the contract if the insurer denies the claim. A roofer who offers a "free roof" by eating the deductible is breaking that law. Our post on Colorado hail and roof costs lays out the deductible math, and why Denver home insurance costs keep rising explains what a Class 4 roof does to the premium.

Which permit do I need in Denver, Aurora and Jefferson County?

Permit fees run $100 to $400. A homeowner pulls the permit as owner-builder on a primary residence; a contractor must hold a license in that jurisdiction. Every Front Range code requires an ice and water barrier at the eaves and in valleys, a metal drip edge, and six nails per shingle in high-wind zones. Skipping the permit shows up at sale, when the buyer's inspector asks for it and the title company finds none.

Tools for a Colorado tear-off

• Fall protection: a harness, rope and roof anchor, $100 to $150 to buy. Any roof pitch above 6/12, any two-story home and any metal or wet surface calls for it every minute you are up there.
• Roofing shovel with a serrated edge and fulcrum, $40 to buy or $20 a day to rent.
• Pry bar, cat's paw and hammer for flashing and stubborn nails.
• Roof jacks and a 2x10 plank to stop debris and people from sliding.
• Magnetic sweeper for the lawn and driveway; a Front Range lawn service will not mow a yard full of roofing nails.
• Tarps, 6 mil or heavier, enough to cover the entire deck. Front Range afternoon storms build after 2 p.m. from June through August.
• A 20-yard dumpster, $400 to $700 delivered in the Denver metro with about 3 tons included.

How to remove asphalt shingles, step by step

1. Protect the ground. Tarp shrubs, cover the AC condenser, close windows and move cars out of the driveway. Set the dumpster where the shingles can slide straight in.
2. Set fall protection and roof jacks. Anchor at the ridge. Install jacks and the plank two courses above the eave.
3. Start at the ridge cap. Pry off the cap shingles, then work the roofing shovel under each course from the top down. Push, lift, slide the sheet of shingles to the plank.
4. Pull flashing. Remove step flashing, pipe boots and the drip edge. Reuse nothing that is bent or rusted; new flashing costs less than one leak.
5. Clear the deck. Pull or drive every nail flush, sweep the deck, and walk it looking for soft, dark or delaminated OSB. Replace damaged sheets at $60 to $90 per sheet installed.
6. Dry it in the same day. Roll out synthetic underlayment and the ice and water barrier at the eaves before you leave the roof, then tarp the rest. Colorado's afternoon storms do not wait for the weekend.

Working time on a 25- to 30-square roof is 6 to 10 hours for two people on a walkable 4/12 to 6/12 pitch. Add half a day for a second layer.

Where do the shingles go on the Front Range?

A 30-square roof of architectural shingles weighs 5 to 6 tons; three-tab weighs 3.5 to 4 tons. Denver metro landfills that accept roofing debris include the Denver Arapahoe Disposal Site in Aurora, Tower Landfill in Commerce City and Front Range Landfill in Erie, at $50 to $90 per ton on top of the dumpster rental. Keep nails and flashing separate; a dumpster overloaded past its weight limit costs $50 to $90 per extra ton.

Which shingle goes back on a Colorado roof?

A Class 4 impact-resistant shingle, tested under UL 2218 to take a 2-inch steel ball without cracking, costs $1,500 to $3,000 more on a 30-square roof than a standard architectural shingle. Colorado insurers discount premiums 5% to 30% for a Class 4 roof; get the discount in writing before you buy. Full replacement cost by material is in roof replacement in Colorado: costs, lifespan and materials.

When to hire a Colorado roofer instead

• Pitch above 6/12 or any roof you cannot walk without holding on.
• Two stories or a foothills lot where the ground drops away on one side.
• An insurance claim. The adjuster's scope, the supplement and the depreciation release go faster with a contractor who writes them weekly.
• A sale in the next 12 months. A buyer's inspector wants a permit, a manufacturer warranty and a contractor's workmanship warranty. Owner-installed roofs get none of the three.

Hire an asphalt roofing company that carries Colorado workers' compensation and general liability, pulls the permit in its own name, and gives you the written contract that C.R.S. 6-22-101 requires. Get three bids; the spread on the Front Range is 30% or more for the same shingle.

What a new roof does when you sell a Colorado home

Buyers, inspectors, appraisers and insurers all ask the roof's age. Several Colorado insurers decline new policies on asphalt roofs older than 15 to 20 years, which means a buyer cannot close on your home without a roof allowance or a replacement before closing. A roof under 5 years old with a transferable warranty removes the inspection objection, the insurance problem and the appraisal condition in one move.

• Disclose it: the Colorado Seller's Property Disclosure asks about roof age, leaks and past claims. Attach the permit and the invoice.
• Price it: a new Class 4 roof does not add its full cost to the price, and an old roof subtracts the full replacement cost plus a buyer's margin. Our Smart Pricing Report shows how a roof moves the number in your neighborhood.
• Time it: a claim-funded roof before listing beats a $15,000 credit at the inspection deadline. Read preparing and adding value before selling and the roof report every Colorado buyer inspects before closing to see the roof through the buyer's eyes.

Where to go next

• How to sell a house in Colorado
• Preparing and adding value before selling
• The Colorado home seller's guide
• Roof replacement in Colorado: costs, lifespan and best materials
• Search every home for sale in Colorado
• Meet the Kenna Real Estate Group agents

Talk to the Kenna Real Estate Group

We tell Colorado sellers whether to replace the roof, file the claim or credit the buyer before the home goes on the market, and we price the home either way. Call or text 303-955-4220. A live person answers. Not a robot, not a phone tree. Buyers can search every home for sale in Colorado and ask us for the roof age on any listing.