About this guide

Colorado Roof Guide exists for one reason: most people own a roof for decades without ever being told how it works. Then a hailstorm rolls through, three trucks show up on the street, and they're asked to make a five-figure decision in a weekend.

This guide explains roofs the way a good roofer would explain them to a friend. What's up there, how it ages in Colorado's sun and hail, what you can check from the ground, and how insurance and contracts actually work.

Where our information comes from

We work from primary sources wherever they exist: Colorado statutes, the Colorado Division of Insurance, city building departments, the National Weather Service and NOAA, manufacturer installation and warranty documents, and industry standards bodies. Each article lists its sources. When something is a rule of thumb rather than a rule, we say so.

The hail history in the Roof Report comes from NOAA's Storm Events Database. It records reports from trained spotters, emergency managers and the public, so it's a strong signal but not a complete record of every storm.

How we're paid

Reading the guide is free. If you ask for help, we pass your request to an independent local roofing contractor, and the contractor may pay us for the referral. That never changes what we write. We don't accept payment to say a material, product or company is better than another.

Colorado Roof Guide is not a roofing contractor, public adjuster, insurance agent or engineer, and nothing here is legal or insurance advice for your specific situation.

Corrections

If something here is wrong or out of date, tell us at hello@coloradoroofguide.com. We fix errors and note the update date on the page.