Roofing has the most famous change order in construction: rotten decking. It’s invisible until tear-off, it can’t be ignored, and it can’t wait — an open roof and an afternoon storm don’t negotiate. That urgency is exactly why so much sheathing gets replaced on a shouted “go ahead” from a driveway… and disputed from a kitchen table.
Roofing’s recurring extras
- Deck replacement: soft, delaminated, or rotted sheathing found at tear-off — priced per sheet plus labor
- Structural surprises: cracked rafters or sagging framing under the bad deck
- Hidden layers: the “one layer” roof that turns out to be three — disposal and labor jump
- Flashing and penetrations: chimney flashing that crumbles on contact, boots that must be rebuilt
- Fascia and soffit rot discovered once the edge metal comes off
Handle it per-sheet, up front
The cleanest pattern: your original contract names the per-sheet price for deck replacement (“decking replaced as needed at $X per sheet, documented by photo”). Then the change order during tear-off just fixes the quantity — 6 sheets, photos of each area, signature. The customer pre-agreed to the rate, so approval takes seconds instead of becoming a negotiation with the roof open.
A real example
Tear-off reveals rot around a poorly flashed chimney. In ScopeProof: photos from the roof (each GPS- and time-stamped), line items — 7/16" OSB sheathing 6 × $38 · Labor 2.5 hr × $85 · Chimney flashing kit $120 — reason: “Decking rot at chimney; long-term flashing leak. Replacement required before re-cover.” Homeowner is at work, so the signing link goes by text; signed from her office in minutes; the crew never leaves the roof.
Signed before the next square is torn off
Photograph the rot, price the sheets, and get the homeowner’s signature on your phone — or text a signing link if they’re not home. ScopeProof stamps every photo with GPS and time, so the evidence is as solid as the new deck.
