About Roof Decoder

Roof Decoder explains roof leaks, storm damage, repairs and the decisions around them in plain words for US homeowners.

Every figure, rule or safety warning links to its source, shown as a small numbered note. Most sources are government agencies and universities; some are national industry and research bodies, such as the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA), the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) and the Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I).

Quotes from other homeowners are copied word for word from public forums.

We do not inspect roofs, we do not sell roofing work, and we do not give legal, insurance or structural advice.

Pages are written and edited by the Roof Decoder editorial team.