Does insurance pay for roof decking in Minnesota?
It depends on your policy and on what Minnesota's building code requires for your roof. Minnesota law (Minn. Stat. § 65A.10) says replacement-cost coverage must include repairing damaged property to the minimum code, and in Great Northwest Insurance Co. v. Campbell (2025) the Minnesota Supreme Court held that this required the insurer to cover new sheathing the code required before new shingles could be installed.
What does Minnesota code require under asphalt shingles?
Minnesota amended the national code so that asphalt shingles must be fastened to a solidly sheathed deck or to 1-inch nominal wood boards (Minn. R. 1309.0905). Many older Twin Cities homes have spaced "skip" boards from the wood-shake era, which don't meet that rule for a new asphalt roof.
What did the Campbell case decide?
| Question | What the court held |
|---|---|
| New sheathing required by code before re-shingling | Covered under § 65A.10; the policy's sheathing exclusion was invalid |
| Contractor overhead and profit | Not required in that case; the homeowner didn't show it was part of the cost to meet code |
What do we document about decking?
From the attic and at any exposed edges: decking type (plywood, OSB, boards or spaced boards), thickness, gaps, rot, delamination and past leak stains, with photos. That lets everyone see what the code will require before the old roof comes off.
What we document on every storm inspection
The Repair King Storm Damage Documentation Standard. You keep the report whether or not you hire us.
- Street view and every elevation photographed
- Every roof slope photographed, with close-ups of each damaged area
- Soft metals (vents, caps, gutters, AC fins) checked for dents
- Shingle brand, line and exposure identified; availability checked
- Hand-lift brittleness check on the existing shingles, when relevant
- Attic and decking checked for type, gaps, rot and past leaks
- Storm date and hail size at your address from NOAA reports
- Everything put into one report you keep, whether or not you hire us
Related questions
Sources
- Minn. Stat. § 65A.10, subd. 1 (replacement cost must cover repair to minimum code)
- Great Northwest Insurance Co. v. Campbell, Minnesota Supreme Court, July 30, 2025 (A23-0519)
- Minn. R. 1309.0905, IRC R905.2.1 as amended: asphalt shingles fastened to solidly sheathed decks or 1-inch nominal boards
- Minn. Stat. § 325E.66 (residential roofing contractors and insurance claims)
This is general information about Minnesota law and building code, not insurance or legal advice. How it applies to your home depends on your policy and your situation; your insurance agent or an attorney can tell you. Minnesota law doesn't allow roofing contractors to negotiate claims for homeowners, so Repair King's role is inspection, documentation and the construction work.
Get the facts about your roof
A licensed Minnesota contractor walks your roof, photographs everything and explains what we found in plain words. Or call (612) 354-7677.
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