Independent roof repair cost estimates for litigation and appraisal.
Line-item roof repair and replacement scopes and pricing for counsel, carriers, and appraisal panels in Colorado, built from field measurements, the adopted code, and the manufacturer's installation requirements.
Our role in insurance disputes
We are retained by attorneys, insurance carriers, and appraisers or umpires to provide independent technical estimates. We do not represent policyholders in insurance claims, negotiate or settle claims for anyone, or act as a public adjuster. Where we are the roofing contractor under a signed contract, we may discuss repair scope with the insurer as C.R.S. 6-22-105(3) permits; we never do so on a matter where we are retained as an expert, consistent with C.R.S. 6-22-105(3). We never pay, waive, or rebate a deductible. Fees are hourly or flat under a written retention agreement and never depend on the outcome.
Homeowners looking for representation in their own claim should talk with a licensed public adjuster or an attorney. For recent storm damage, see our hail and storm damage page.
What the estimate includes
A defensible estimate starts with quantities someone measured and a scope that follows the code and the manufacturer, then prices it at the valuation date counsel specifies.
Estimates are organized so they reconcile line by line against a carrier or opposing estimate, which is where most disputes are actually resolved.
- Measured quantities. Squares by slope, pitch, waste, and ridge, hip, valley, eave, and rake lengths.
- Tear-off and disposal by layer, including additional layers found in the field.
- Code-required items. Ice barrier, drip edge, underlayment, ventilation, and local Class 4 shingle requirements, each cited to the adopted code.
- Components. Flashings, vents, skylights, gutters, and detach and reset of solar arrays and other rooftop equipment.
- Access and safety. Steep and high charges, fall protection, staging, and mountain access.
- Project costs. Permits, sales tax at the local rate, and general contractor overhead and profit where the scope reasonably requires a general contractor.
How we build the number
Field verification
Measurements taken on the roof and checked against aerial measurement reports. Layers, deck condition, and existing details are recorded before anything is priced.
Documented pricing
Prices reflect the local market at the date of loss or the date of repair, as counsel specifies, with sources recorded so the other side can test them.
Repair or replace
Whether a repair can meet the manufacturer's instructions and local code, including brittleness of aged shingles and availability of a compatible product.
Code upgrade analysis
Items the code requires that were not present before the loss are identified, cited, and priced separately so the parties can apply the policy's terms.
Reconciliation
Our estimate is lined up against competing estimates item by item, and each difference is explained as quantity, unit price, or scope.
Rebuttal review
Opposing estimates are reviewed for missing items, measurement errors, and pricing outside the local market.
Support for appraisal panels
Many property policies let either party demand appraisal when they disagree on the amount of loss. Typically each side selects an appraiser, and the appraisers select an umpire.
We support that process with independent site documentation, measured scopes, line-item pricing, and reconciliation against competing estimates, and we can walk the roof with the panel. Questions about what an appraisal panel may decide, including causation, depend on the policy and Colorado law and are for counsel. We provide technical opinions, not legal advice.
When the dispute is about cause rather than cost, see hail cause-of-loss inspections. For defect repairs, see construction defect review.
How an engagement works
Tell us the valuation date and who the estimate is for at intake. Both shape the scope.
Intake
Parties, property, valuation date, and deadlines. Conflict check before anything substantive.
Records
Carrier and contractor estimates, photos, prior reports, and policy provisions counsel wants applied.
Measure
Roof measurement, layer count, component inventory, and code review for the jurisdiction.
Estimate
Line-item scope and pricing with a reconciliation against competing estimates.
Present
Appraisal panel meetings, mediation, deposition, or trial.
What you receive
- Line-item estimate with quantities, unit prices, and pricing sources.
- Measurement report with roof diagram and photographs.
- Code citation schedule for every code-required item.
- Reconciliation table comparing competing estimates line by line.
- Testimony before appraisal panels, mediators, and courts.
Independence and disclosures
Our opinions follow the evidence. We do not take contingency fees on expert work, and we do not bid, sell, or perform roofing work on a property where we are retained as an expert, and we disclose any prior relationship with the property or parties at intake. Engagements are hourly or flat fee under a written retention agreement.
A CV and fee schedule are provided on request, along with any prior testimony disclosures the rules require., and reports are prepared to support Fed. R. Civ. P. 26 and C.R.C.P. 26 expert disclosures.
We provide technical opinions, not legal advice.
Other litigation support
Cost estimate and appraisal questions
Who retains you for repair cost estimates?
Attorneys for plaintiffs or defendants, insurance carriers, and appraisers or umpires in an appraisal. We are engaged under a written retention agreement, and our fee never depends on the outcome.
Will you negotiate with the insurance company for a homeowner?
No. Colorado law (C.R.S. 6-22-105) prohibits roofing contractors from acting as public adjusters, and we do not negotiate or settle claims for anyone. We provide independent technical estimates to the party that retains us.
Can you support an appraisal panel?
Yes. We provide measured scopes, line-item pricing, and reconciliation against competing estimates to appraisers and umpires, and we can meet the panel on site. We disclose any relationship with the property or the parties at intake.
Do you price at the date of loss or today?
Whichever the matter requires. Counsel specifies the valuation date, and we document the pricing sources for that date so the numbers can be checked.
Do you include code upgrade items?
We identify code-required items, cite the adopted code section and local amendment, and price them separately so the parties can apply the policy's ordinance or law terms.
Can you review the other side's estimate?
Yes. Rebuttal reviews compare quantities, unit costs, and scope line by line and explain each difference in plain language.
Do you ever pay or waive a deductible?
Never. Colorado law prohibits roofing contractors from paying, waiving, or rebating an insurance deductible, and our estimates never assume one is waived.
Need an independent number?
Send the parties and the valuation date. We follow up the same or next business day.