Guide
Tear-off or layover in Ohio: what the residential code allows
Updated
The single biggest price gap between two Ohio bids is usually not the shingle. It is whether the old roof is coming off.
Replacement means down to the deck
The Ohio Residential Code is direct about it: "Roof replacement shall include the removal of existing layers of roof coverings down to the roof deck." The single exception is that where the existing roof assembly includes an ice barrier membrane adhered to the roof deck, that membrane may remain in place and be covered with an additional layer of ice barrier membrane (Ohio Administrative Code 4101:8-9-01, section 908.3).
When a recover is not allowed at all
A roof recover, meaning a new covering installed over the existing one, is not permitted where any of the following occur (section 908.3.1.1):
- The existing roof or roof covering is water soaked or has deteriorated to the point that it is not an adequate base for additional roofing.
- The existing roof covering is slate, clay, cement or asbestos-cement tile.
- The existing roof has two or more applications of any type of roof covering.
That third condition is the one homeowners run into most. If there are already two layers up there, the conversation about a cheap third layer is over before it starts.
Where a recover is permitted
The code does allow a recover in defined situations, including where the new covering is installed to the roof covering manufacturer's approved instructions, where a complete and separate roofing system such as a standing-seam metal roof is designed to transmit loads directly to the building's structural system rather than relying on the existing roof, where metal panel, metal shingle and concrete or clay tile coverings go over existing wood shake roofs as the code specifies, and where a new protective coating is applied over an existing coating or membrane system (section 908.3.1).
How to tell which one you are buying
- Ask the direct question: are you tearing off, or going over? Get the answer in the written scope.
- Ask how many layers they found and how they know. A roofer who has not lifted a shingle at the eave has not looked.
- Ask what the disposal cost is and whether a dumpster is included.
- Ask for the per-sheet decking rate, because rotten sheathing is only visible after the tear-off.
- Confirm the permit and inspection with the local building department, since the inspector is the person who applies these sections to your roof.
A layover bid and a tear-off bid are not two prices for the same job, and comparing their totals is meaningless. Put them side by side only after each has stated which it is.