There is a line in Denver's Roofing Guide that quietly adds thousands to some replacements: existing roofs without insulation in the cavity, where the sheathing or insulation is exposed during reroofing, must be insulated either above the sheathing at R-30 continuous or below it at R-38 flat and R-49 attic. On a pre-1960 Denver house — and 34.3 percent of the city's stock predates 1960 — that is not a hypothetical. It is the single most common reason a Denver replacement costs more than the homeowner was quoted by someone who had not read the guide.
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Denver's guide states plainly that new roofs must comply with the Denver Energy Code, and that an uninsulated cavity exposed during reroofing must be insulated to R-30 continuous above the sheathing or R-38 flat and R-49 attic below it. The exposure concentrates exactly where the old stock is: Denver's 123,248 pre-1960 units are the least likely to have any insulation at all. We identify this at the survey and put it in the proposal as its own line, because a homeowner discovering it on day two of a tear-off has no good options.
Denver's Roofing Guide is direct: existing roofs must be removed to deck and replaced where two or more layers of any roof covering exist. There is no third layer available here, and older housing is precisely where second layers are found. That means old stock in Denver reliably produces a tear-off to deck plus deck remediation, and any bid that assumes otherwise on a pre-1960 house has not looked closely enough.
Denver sets numbers where most cities leave judgment. No continuous opening between boards may be greater than half an inch, regardless of the manufacturer's recommendations — and if the manufacturer requires a smaller gap, the manufacturer's requirement prevails. For asphalt shingles on 1X plank decking, no opening may exceed six square inches, and openings smaller than that may be covered with 26-gauge metal. On the 60,867 Denver units built before 1940 this is a routine inspection failure point, and we price remediation rather than discovering it.
Denver's requirement is geographic. East of Federal Boulevard a shingle must carry a minimum 115 mph rating; Federal to Sheridan requires 125 mph; Sheridan to Kipling requires 140 mph. Shingles must be tested and labeled to ASTM D 7158, or to ASTM D 3161 where the brand falls outside that scope. We select from products that carry the rating for your address and show you the label. The criteria table behind it reads 35 psf ground snow, Seismic Category B, severe weathering, a 36-inch frost line, a 1°F winter design temperature and an air freezing index of 712.
Denver's own guide reproduces the amended table with ice barrier underlayment listed as not required, and says in text that self-adhering bitumen at the eaves and rakes to two feet inside the exterior wall is not required. We frequently specify it anyway — it performs, and manufacturers routinely condition their system warranties on it. What we will not do is tell you the city requires it. Most competitor pages in this market get that wrong, and it is an easy thing to check.
Denver does not inspect venting on re-roof projects, but the guide requires it to meet the building code in effect at the time of original construction — and optional venting may be added to satisfy a manufacturer's warranty conditions. Separately, any asbestos work follows Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment requirements for certified inspection and removal, and proof of inspection may be required. On a pre-1980 Denver roof both of these belong in the scope conversation, not the day-of conversation.
We measure, check whether the roof cavity is insulated, identify layer count, and look at decking type. Those three answers determine whether your replacement is a straightforward tear-off or a tear-off plus deck remediation plus an energy-code insulation upgrade. We would rather have that conversation at the proposal than at the dumpster.
Denver licensing verified in the correct Specialty Class D category for the system — including membrane where your house has a low-slope section over the threshold. Permit pulled against a real valuation, since Denver derives the fee from the value of labor and materials rather than a flat rate. Contract written to Colorado's Article 22 requirements including the trust language, the rescission right and the deductible statement.
Where two or more layers exist the roof comes off to deck because the city requires it. We photograph the sheathing, remediate board gaps to the published limits, install insulation where the energy code is triggered, then underlayment, drip edge and flashings before the crew leaves.
A one- and two-family asphalt job needs no pre-inspection in Denver, but the 201 final is required on every roof type, and tile and metal also require a 206. Magnet sweep, walk-through with you, and a closeout file: permit record, warranty registration, insulation documentation where it applied, and the deck photographs.
In Denver the wind rating comes before the color. East of Federal a shingle must be rated to at least 115 mph, Federal to Sheridan 125, Sheridan to Kipling 140, tested and labeled to ASTM D 7158 or D 3161. We pick from products that carry the rating your address actually requires and put the label in front of you. A bid that quotes one product citywide has not read the guide.
With 140 metro hail days in eleven years and 75 reports of two inches or larger, a Class 4 shingle pays for many Denver homeowners through an insurance credit. Two honest caveats: Denver's roofing guide contains no impact-resistance requirement at all, so this is economics rather than code; and a Class 4 pass means no crack through the back of the shingle, not no cosmetic damage. Ask your own agent what credit your carrier gives, because it varies and we will not quote a number we cannot source.
Concealed-clip metal removes exposed fasteners from the uplift equation, which matters most on the west side where Denver's requirement reaches 140 mph. It also solves the low-slope porch or patio that should never have carried shingles — and Denver's licensing rules put that section under a D-Roof Covering/Waterproofing licensee once it passes ten percent of the roof or two squares. We hold the classification. Tile and metal both require a 206 inspection in addition to the final.
Most premium laminates carry a limited lifetime warranty with a non-prorated initial period, after which it prorates. It is tied to your ownership and it is material-only unless the full system is installed by a certified contractor. We read the document with you rather than letting the word do the work.
Where underlayment, starter, field shingle, hip and ridge and ventilation come from one manufacturer and are installed by a contractor that manufacturer has certified, coverage extends into workmanship for a defined term. In Denver this is also the honest reason for ice-and-water shield and for added ventilation: warranty conditions, not code requirements.
Our own coverage on the installation — deck remediation, insulation, flashings, fastening. Behind it sits Colorado's statutory framework: required contract terms, your deposit held in trust until materials are delivered or most of the work is done, a prohibition on deductible games, and a 72-hour rescission right after an insurer's denial notice.
Don't see your question? Call us at (720) 644-2020 — we're happy to talk it through.
Most often, insulation. Denver's Roofing Guide requires that an existing roof without insulation in the cavity, where the sheathing or insulation is exposed during reroofing, be insulated to R-30 continuous above the sheathing or R-38 flat and R-49 attic below it. On a pre-1960 house — a third of Denver's stock — that condition is common. A bid that does not mention it either has not looked in the cavity or is planning to raise the question after the roof is open. Ask the other bidder directly.
If there are two or more layers of any covering, no — Denver requires removal to deck in that case. If there is one layer, a recover may be possible depending on condition and the system, but on an older Denver house the board-gap rules and the insulation question usually push toward a full tear-off anyway. We tell you which situation you are in after we look, not before.
Denver publishes numbers where most cities do not. No continuous opening between boards may exceed half an inch regardless of the manufacturer's recommendations, and if the manufacturer requires a tighter gap, the manufacturer's requirement controls. For asphalt shingles on 1X plank decking no opening may exceed six square inches, and smaller openings may be covered with 26-gauge metal. With 60,867 units built before 1940 and 123,248 before 1960, plank decking is common here and remediation belongs in the bid.
No. The city's Roofing Guide reproduces its amended Table R301.2 with ice barrier underlayment listed as not required, and states in text that self-adhering bitumen installed at the eaves and rakes to two feet inside the exterior wall is not required. Given a 1°F winter design temperature and an air freezing index of 712, that surprises people — but it is what the adopted table says. We often specify it for performance and for manufacturer warranty compliance, and we will always tell you which of those two reasons applies.
Denver derives building permit fees from the valuation of the work including labor and materials, and publishes no flat roofing fee. We will not print a dollar figure or a multiplier here because we would be guessing, and guessing on a fee is how a proposal loses credibility. We compute it against your actual scope through Denver's fee schedule and show it as a line item. A permit is required for a residential re-roof, and for repairs once they exceed ten percent of the roof area or two squares, whichever is smaller.
Denver does not inspect venting on re-roof projects, but the guide requires it to meet the code in effect at the time of original construction, and permits optional venting to be added to satisfy a manufacturer's warranty requirements. So the answer depends on your assembly and on the warranty you want. On an unvented assembly in new construction Denver requires air-impermeable insulation at a minimum of R-20 per IRC Table R806.5 with the total R-value meeting the Denver Energy Code. We calculate rather than default.
Then it gets handled properly. Denver's guide directs that Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment requirements for certified asbestos inspection and removal be followed, and notes that proof of inspection may be required. On a pre-1980 roof with built-up or mastic layers we raise this at the survey and build the testing into the schedule rather than stopping a tear-off midway to deal with it.
We will not name a year on a web page, and the reason is that Denver's own sources do not agree right now. The city's code-adoption page describes the 2022 Denver Building and Fire Code, adopted January 2023 and generally effective 1 May 2023, with no mention of a later edition — while Denver simultaneously publishes amendment documents for a 2025 Denver Building and Fire Code built on the 2024 I-codes. We work from the Denver Building and Fire Code as currently adopted and confirm the governing edition with Community Planning and Development for your permit.
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