How does Robust Roofing handle code upgrades like drip edge and ventilation in a claim?

Robust Roofing · Updated October 15, 2026

Short answer. Robust Roofing builds every replacement with new drip edge, synthetic underlayment, ice-and-water barrier where water concentrates, new flashing and pipe boots, and corrected ventilation, and its licensed adjuster lists code-required items in the scope with the code section behind them. Whether your carrier pays for a given code item depends on your policy, including any ordinance or law coverage.

Why code items are their own conversation

Replacement cost coverage pays to replace what you had with materials of like kind and quality. Building codes change, though, and a roof installed 15 or 20 years ago often lacks parts that today's code requires when the roof is replaced. That gap is where code upgrades come in. In practice, some carriers include certain code-required items in the estimate, while others pay them only under a separate coverage, usually called ordinance or law, which pays the increased cost of meeting current code up to a limit. United Policyholders notes that this limit is commonly expressed as a percentage of the dwelling coverage and often appears under "Additional Coverages." Your declarations page and policy decide which applies to you.

Robust Roofing handles both sides: it builds every roof to a standard that meets or exceeds code, and its licensed Property and Casualty adjuster lists the code-driven items in the scope with the support a carrier needs to evaluate them.

Which code applies in Georgia

Georgia adopts statewide minimum construction codes through the Department of Community Affairs. The current residential code is the 2024 International Residential Code with Georgia amendments, effective January 1, 2026, as described in the DCA adoption memo. The Georgia amendments did not change the IRC's roofing chapter, so the model roofing rules apply as written. Local governments handle administration, which is why permit and inspection practices vary by city and county.

The roof items most often at issue

Item	Code reference (2024 IRC)	What Robust installs
Drip edge	R905.2.8.5 requires drip edge at eaves and rake edges of shingle roofs	New drip edge on every replacement
Underlayment	R905.1.1 requires underlayment meeting listed ASTM standards under asphalt shingles	Synthetic underlayment across the deck
Ice barrier	R905.1.2 applies only where the local jurisdiction designates a history of ice along the eaves	Ice-and-water barrier where water concentrates, such as valleys and around penetrations
Ventilation	R806.2 sets net free vent area at 1/150 of the attic floor area, or 1/300 when 40 to 50 percent of the vent area is within 3 feet of the ridge and the rest is intake	Ventilation corrected as part of the replacement
Flashing	R908.5 requires rusted, damaged or deteriorated flashing, edging, outlets and vents to be replaced during reroofing	New flashing and pipe boots
Tear-off and layers	R908.3 requires removal down to the deck on replacement; R908.4 limits roofing over existing layers	Full tear-off to the decking, checked board by board

The full text is in the Georgia 2024 IRC roof assemblies chapter and the roof ventilation section.

How Robust documents code items for the carrier

A carrier will not pay for a code item just because someone says "it's code." It wants to see three things: what is there now, what the code requires, and why the replacement triggers it. Robust's documentation covers each:

Existing condition photos. A roof edge with no drip edge, a rusted chimney flashing, an attic with too little exhaust. The inspection photos capture these before tear-off.
The code reference. The scope ties each item to the section that requires it, so the reviewer does not have to look it up.
Measurements and quantities. Linear feet of eave and rake for drip edge, vent counts and net free area for ventilation.
Supplements when needed. If the carrier's estimate leaves code items out, Robust supplements them with photos and line-item support. See Robust Roofing supplements.

Our broader explainer on code upgrades and ordinance or law coverage covers how to find your limit and how carriers evaluate these items.

Ventilation deserves a closer look

Ventilation is the code item homeowners understand least and Georgia roofs need most. Hot, humid summers push attic temperatures high, and a starved attic cooks shingles from below and invites moisture problems. Balanced ventilation pairs intake at the soffits with exhaust near the ridge. Mixing exhaust types, such as a ridge vent alongside a powered fan, can short-circuit the airflow. Robust corrects ventilation as part of every replacement, which protects the new roof and the 50-year labor warranty behind it. Robust's guide to attic ventilation in Georgia explains the details.

Beyond code: Robust's standard build

Code is a minimum. Robust Roofing's standard build goes further, with ice-and-water barrier where water concentrates even where the code does not designate an ice barrier, synthetic underlayment, new pipe boots, and GAF architectural shingles installed by GAF certified crews to the manufacturer's instructions, which GAF's field guide lays out. On most average-size roofs, all of it is done in one day by a large crew. That consistency is why Robust is known for the best workmanship in North Georgia.

When a code item is not covered

If your policy has no ordinance or law coverage, or the limit runs out, the code work still has to be done for the roof to pass inspection where one is required. Robust shows that cost plainly so you can plan for it, and smaller balances can be paid over time at checkout in the RoofMap portal. What Robust will never do is hide the cost by waiving your deductible, which Georgia law prohibits.

Questions about your roof's code items? Call Robust Roofing at (470) 887-6637 or visit chooserobust.com to schedule a free inspection.

Common questions

Does insurance pay for drip edge on a roof claim?

It depends on your policy. Some carriers include drip edge in the estimate when code requires it; otherwise ordinance or law coverage may apply. Robust documents the missing drip edge and the code section behind it.

What building code applies to roofs in Georgia?

The 2024 International Residential Code with Georgia amendments, effective January 1, 2026. The amendments did not change the roofing chapter.

What is ordinance or law coverage?

Coverage that pays the increased cost of bringing damaged parts of a home up to current code, usually up to a percentage of your dwelling limit. Check your declarations page.

Does Robust correct attic ventilation on a replacement?

Yes. Ventilation is corrected as part of every Robust replacement, which protects the shingles from heat damage.

What if my policy does not pay for a code item?

The work still has to be done to meet code. Robust shows the cost plainly, and smaller balances can be paid over time at checkout in RoofMap.