The process of laying a new roofing system over an old one without tearing off the original materials. This saves significant labor and disposal costs compared to a full replacement. Building codes typically limit the number of permitted roof layers, meaning a building can only be recovered once or twice before a complete tear-off becomes mandatory to prevent excessive dead load on the structure.
The decking is still solid, so we can recover the asphalt shingles instead of stripping it down to the plywood.
Always check local building codes before bidding a recover job, as most jurisdictions strictly prohibit adding a third layer of roofing.
Also heard as
- roof over
- overlay
- Oversheet
- overclad
Related terms
Tear-off
The complete removal of an existing roof system down to the bare wooden deck.
Dead load
The permanent, stationary weight of a building's structural elements and fixed equipment.
Asphalt shingle
A waterproof roofing element made of a fiberglass or felt mat coated with bitumen and topped with mineral granules.