If a McKinney contractor has told you that fixing one hail-damaged slope means replacing your entire roof, you are running into what the industry calls the 25% rule. It sounds like a sales tactic. It is not. It is a building code provision, and in Collin County it is enforced at the permit counter. At Wortham Brothers Roofing, we have pulled roofing permits in McKinney since long before Stonebridge Ranch and Craig Ranch filled in, and the 25% question comes up on nearly every partial hail claim we inspect.
The problem most homeowners have is simple: you have damage on one or two slopes, an adjuster who wants to pay for a repair, and a code that may not allow the repair to stay a repair. This article explains exactly where that line sits, what each path actually costs in McKinney in 2026, and how to decide without guessing.
Key Takeaways
- The 25% rule is a building code provision (IRC R908.3), not an insurance rule — if more than 25% of a roof’s total area is repaired or replaced within any 12-month period, the affected roof section must be brought up to current code.
- In McKinney that usually means adding required underlayment, drip edge, and ventilation to the whole roof — which is why a “partial” often becomes a full replacement.
- Typical McKinney roof repair: $475–$1,900. Larger partial slope work: $2,400–$5,000. Full architectural shingle replacement: $13,500–$23,000 for a 2,000–2,800 sq ft home.
- Class 4 impact-resistant shingles run roughly $625–$850 per square installed and can earn a homeowner’s insurance discount.
- Your adjuster does not enforce code — your city does. Ordinance-or-law (code upgrade) coverage is what bridges the gap.
- The answer is measurable, not a judgment call. WBR’s free documented inspection gives you photos of every elevation and real measurements: 817-ROOFING (766-3464).
What the 25% Rule Actually Says — and Who Enforces It in McKinney
Here is the misconception worth clearing first: no insurance company invented the 25% rule. It comes from Section R908.3 of the International Residential Code, which most North Texas jurisdictions have adopted. The language is straightforward — when more than 25 percent of the total roof area of a structure is removed, repaired, or replaced inside any twelve-month window, the affected portion must be brought into compliance with current code requirements.
The enforcement point is the permit. McKinney requires a permit for roof replacement, and the inspection that follows checks current-code items. A 1998 roof in Eldorado or a 2004 roof off Virginia Parkway was legal when it was built. It may not meet 2026 code today. Here is what the inspector is actually checking:
What the 25% Rule Actually Says — and Who Enforces It in McKinney
No insurance company invented the 25% rule. It comes from Section R908.3 of the International Residential Code. The enforcement point is the permit — here’s what the inspector is actually checking:
| Code Item Checked | What Current Code Requires | What WBR Typically Finds |
|---|---|---|
| Approved underlayment | Synthetic or ice-and-water at required locations | 1990s–2000s McKinney roofs typically carry 15# felt only |
| Drip edge | Required at eaves and rakes under current code | Frequently absent entirely on pre-2010 installations |
| Nailing pattern | Correct fastener count and placement per manufacturer spec | Under-nailing is common on older builder-grade installs |
| Attic ventilation | Net free area sized to attic square footage | The most commonly undersized item WBR finds in McKinney |
| Flashing integration | Step, counter, and valley flashing to current standard | Reused flashing is a frequent inspection failure point |
That is the whole trap. A homeowner approves a “repair” on two slopes, the square footage crosses 25 percent, and now the entire roof has to be brought current — which cannot be done underneath existing shingles. The repair becomes a replacement by code, not by choice. The critical detail: this is measurable before you commit to anything. Roof area is a number, and 25 percent of it is a number. Any contractor who cannot tell you where your damage sits relative to that threshold has not measured your roof.
Roof Repair vs Replacement in McKinney: A Straight Comparison
Most homeowners want one thing: a side-by-side that tells them which path they are actually on. This is what WBR walks through on a McKinney inspection.
Roof Repair vs. Replacement in McKinney: A Straight Comparison
| Factor | Repair | Replacement |
|---|---|---|
| Typical cost | $475–$1,900 small · $2,400–$5,000 large partial | $13,500–$23,000 (2,000–2,800 sq ft home) |
| Time on site | 2–5 hours | 1 day, occasionally 2 |
| Roof age that fits | Under 12 years | 15+ years, or storm-totaled |
| Damage extent | Under 25% of total roof area | Over 25%, or multi-slope hail |
| Permit required | Usually no | Yes — McKinney permit + final inspection |
| Warranty | Workmanship on repaired area | Lifetime material + 10-year transferable workmanship |
| Best for | Isolated wind damage, flashing, a few blown tabs, one leak | Widespread hail bruising, granule loss, aged roof |
The honest read: if your McKinney roof is under about twelve years old and the damage is confined — a wind-lifted ridge on the front elevation, a failed pipe boot, flashing at a chimney — repair is the right call and we will tell you so. The Clear Brook Drive project detailed below is exactly that scenario. If hail has bruised three or four slopes across a Stonebridge Ranch two-story, you are almost certainly in replacement territory whether or not anyone mentions the 25% rule.
How Collin County Hail Changes the Math
North Texas sits in one of the most active hail corridors in the country, and NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center storm reports show Collin County taking multiple significant hail events in a typical spring. WBR’s decay-weighted storm tracking counted twelve events affecting the McKinney service area this season alone.
Hail rarely respects a single slope. A storm cell moving across 75071 hits the front and left elevations of one street of homes and the right and rear of the street behind it. When our Account Managers document a McKinney inspection, they photograph every elevation separately for exactly this reason — a claim built on one slope of photos is a claim that gets underpaid.
Hail damage on asphalt shingles also does something repairs cannot fix: it fractures the mat under the granule surface. The shingle still looks intact from the driveway. It has lost the granule layer that shields the asphalt from UV, and it will fail early — three to six years early, in our experience across North Texas. That is a replacement conversation, not a patch conversation. For the full post-storm action sequence, see our published guide: storm damage in McKinney TX — what to do.
WBR Field Insight
The Line Item That Surprises McKinney Homeowners Isn’t the Repair Price
The number that surprises McKinney homeowners is not the repair price. It is the ventilation line item. We regularly open up roofs built in the late 1990s and early 2000s with static vents sized for a house half the size. Once the 25% threshold is crossed, the whole roof has to be ventilated to current code — and we put it in the estimate on day one.
The practical test: if a bid has no ventilation line at all, that contractor either has not been on the roof or is planning to ask for more money later.
What a Roof Replacement Costs in McKinney in 2026
Real numbers, no hedging. Roofing is priced by the square — 100 square feet of roof surface. A typical McKinney two-story with moderate pitch runs 28 to 40 squares once you account for waste and hips.
What a Roof Replacement Costs in McKinney in 2026
Real numbers, no hedging. Roofing is priced by the square — 100 square feet of roof surface. A typical McKinney two-story with moderate pitch runs 28 to 40 squares once you account for waste and hips.
| Line Item | 2026 McKinney Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Architectural asphalt shingle — installed | $475–$625 per square | OC Duration, GAF Timberline HDZ, CertainTeed Landmark |
| Class 4 impact-resistant — installed | $625–$850 per square | OC Duration Storm, GAF Timberline AS II |
| Full replacement — 2,000–2,800 sq ft home | $13,500–$23,000 | 28–40 squares once waste and hips are counted |
| Full replacement — larger / steep / complex | $24,000–$38,000 | Craig Ranch, Trinity Falls, custom Stonebridge profiles |
| Decking replacement, when needed | $85–$135 per sheet | Itemized separately — often unknown until tear-off |
| McKinney permit and final inspection | $150–$300 | Pulled, scheduled, and included in the WBR contract |
Class 4 costs more up front and returns two things: a shingle rated to withstand a two-inch steel ball impact under the UL 2218 test standard, and in most cases a premium discount from your homeowner’s insurance carrier. In a hail belt like Collin County, we recommend it on most re-roofs and we will show you the math on your specific policy. For a full breakdown of how Class 3 and Class 4 ratings translate into insurance savings, see our published guide: McKinney Class 3 vs. Class 4 insurance savings. See the full product lineup on our asphalt roofing page.
Whether your damage crosses the 25% line is not an opinion — it is a measurement. Two contractors can disagree about it only if at least one of them has not measured.
Find Out Exactly Where Your Roof Sits Relative to 25%
Every elevation photographed, roof measured, hail strikes marked on a test square — and a written estimate you can hold next to anyone else’s. Free, no obligation.
Schedule Your Free McKinney Inspection
McKinney Project: Clear Brook Drive — When The Answer Was A Repair
A recent project at 2613 Clear Brook Drive in McKinney’s Creek Hollow neighborhood is worth detailing precisely because the outcome was a repair, not a replacement — and because of who the homeowner was.
WBR originally replaced this roof in 2014. More than a decade later, the roof sustained storm-related damage including blown shingles, traced to a June 2, 2024 storm that produced one-inch hail across the area. The original ten-year workmanship warranty had already expired. The homeowners called WBR back anyway.
PM Bryan Lopez evaluated the roofing system and built a targeted repair plan that addressed the damaged sections while preserving the rest of the roof. The damage was confined — lifted and wind-damaged shingles in specific areas rather than the multi-elevation bruising pattern that pushes a job past 25 percent. Using CertainTeed XT 25 architectural shingles in Weathered Wood to match the existing system, the repair blended into the surrounding roof and restored watertight performance without triggering a code-upgrade cascade. Additional repair work was completed where needed. The project was finished on July 24, 2026.
Two things make this project instructive. First, a roof past its warranty period with real storm damage does not automatically become a replacement — the measurement decides, and here the measurement said repair. Second, the homeowners had no contractual obligation to call us and did anyway, eleven years after the original install. That is the outcome of telling people the truth about their roof the first time. For more on why timely repairs matter, see our published guide: the hidden costs of ignoring minor roof damage.
McKinney Project: Mayberry Drive — A 21-Year-Old Roof And The Decking Underneath
A second project at 801 Mayberry Drive in Stonebridge Ranch’s Mayberry Park neighborhood reached the opposite conclusion — and did it without an insurance claim involved at all.
PM Sam Wortham evaluated a roofing system that had been in service more than 21 years. Age alone made this a replacement candidate, but the inspection surfaced the finding that settled it: failing shingles had allowed water to penetrate the system, and the roof decking underneath had deteriorated in several areas. Decking damage is invisible from the surface and from the ground. It only shows up when someone gets on the roof and knows what pattern to look for.
Because no insurance claim was involved, the homeowners were spending their own money — which changes the conversation. Sam walked them through each phase before work began: the condition of the existing roof, the decking sections that had to come out, and why a new roof performs only as well as the substrate beneath it. Compromised decking was removed and replaced to restore a solid structural foundation before any new material went down.
The completed system used CertainTeed Landmark architectural shingles in Weathered Wood — a dimensional profile with strong durability characteristics in North Texas conditions and a color that complemented the home’s existing exterior. Proper ventilation and flashing integration were completed to current standard as part of the install. The result: restored weather protection, meaningfully improved curb appeal, and a roof built to carry this Mayberry Park home for decades. Owner-funded projects like this one are, in a sense, the harder test — there is no adjuster and no claim check, just a homeowner deciding whether to trust the contractor’s read on their roof.
WBR Field Insight
What McKinney’s Build-Out Eras Predict About What’s Under Your Shingles
The Stonebridge Ranch and Eldorado build-out through the late 1990s and 2000s produced a consistent profile: 15# felt underlayment, drip edge frequently absent at rakes, and ventilation sized below current requirements. When the 25% threshold is crossed, the code-compliance package is where the estimate moves — a known cost, not a surprise.
The decking question can’t be priced before tear-off, which is why WBR itemizes it separately at $85–$135 per sheet rather than burying it in a square price. A bid with no decking allowance and no ventilation line isn’t a cheaper roof — it’s a change order later.
How the Insurance Side Actually Works
Your adjuster’s job is to price damage. Your city’s job is to enforce code. Those are two different jobs, and the space between them is where McKinney homeowners get stuck. Here is the sequence WBR runs:
How the Insurance Side Actually Works
| 1 | Free documented inspection Every elevation photographed, roof measured, hail strikes marked on a test square. You keep the photo report whether or not you file. |
| 2 | You file the claim — with our documentation WBR never files on your behalf. It’s your policy and your call; we supply the evidence. |
| 3 | Adjuster meeting on the roof An Account Manager meets the adjuster in person so scope is agreed on-site, not by email three weeks later. |
| 4 | Scope reconciliation If the adjuster’s scope misses code-required items, WBR supplements with the IRC citation. This is where ordinance-or-law coverage matters. |
| 5 | Build and city inspection One day on most McKinney homes. WBR pulls the permit and schedules the final inspection. |
Ordinance-Or-Law Coverage: The Endorsement That Bridges The Gap
This is the single most important policy detail for a 25%-rule situation, and most homeowners have never looked for it. Your damage payment covers the damaged slopes. Ordinance-or-law coverage — sometimes labeled code upgrade coverage — is the endorsement that pays to bring the remaining roof to current code when the 25% threshold forces the issue. Without it, the code-required underlayment, drip edge, and ventilation on the undamaged portion of your roof can land on you.
Check your declarations page for that endorsement before you file, not after the adjuster’s scope comes back. If it is not there, it is worth a conversation with your agent at your next renewal — in a county that sees the hail volume Collin County does, it is one of the more consequential endorsements on a Texas homeowner’s policy.
The Deductible Line WBR Will Not Cross
One thing we will not do: waive or absorb your deductible. Texas Insurance Code Section 707.002 makes that illegal, and any contractor offering it in McKinney is telling you something about how they run the rest of their business. The mechanism behind a “waived” deductible is an inflated invoice submitted to your carrier — that is insurance fraud, and the homeowner who signs it carries exposure alongside the contractor.
The Texas Department of Insurance publishes homeowner guidance on this, and it’s worth ten minutes of reading.
What to Look For Before You Call Anyone
Walk your property after the next storm and check for these. Any two of them together is worth a free inspection:
What to Look For Before You Call Anyone
Walk your property after the next storm and check for these. Any two of them together is worth a free inspection.
Check From the Ground
- Granules collecting in gutters or at downspout splash blocks
- Shingle tabs lifted or curled, especially along ridges and rakes
- Dents in soft metal — gutter aprons, vent caps, AC condenser fins
- Fascia or siding dimpling on the storm-facing elevation
Check From Inside
- Dark bruise marks on shingles visible from an upstairs window
- Interior ceiling staining near chimneys, bathroom vents, or valleys
- Daylight visible at roof penetration points in the attic
- Musty attic odor after rain — a sign of prolonged moisture
Roofing damage in McKinney does not announce itself with a leak — by the time water is inside, the roof has usually been compromised for a season or more. That lag is exactly why the Clear Brook Drive homeowners caught their damage at the repair stage and the Mayberry Drive decking had already deteriorated by the time anyone looked. Learn more about hail damage roof inspections in North Texas, or read about the full roof replacement process and targeted roof repair.
Why McKinney Homeowners Have Trusted Wortham Brothers Roofing Since 1986
Why McKinney Homeowners Have Trusted Wortham Brothers Roofing Since 1986
Verifiable Credentials
- Family-owned since 1986 — David and Steve Wortham, McKinney HQ
- 128,000+ roofs completed
- TX Roofing License ROOF9129582 · GC License GCGC3756360
- General liability and workers’ comp carried
- BBB A+ accredited since 1992
- Owens Corning Platinum Preferred — OC’s highest tier
- GAF Certified Contractor · CertainTeed ShingleMaster · Atlas Platinum
Every McKinney Inspection Includes
- Free — no fee, no deposit, no obligation
- Every elevation photographed separately
- Roof measured — so the 25% question has a real answer
- Hail strikes marked on a test square
- Ventilation and decking assessed, not assumed
- Written estimate you can hold next to anyone else’s
- Permit pulled and city inspection scheduled by WBR
Learn more at our About Us page or explore the McKinney roofing services page for full service area detail.
We Will Tell You If It’s a Repair
The Clear Brook Drive homeowners called us back eleven years after their warranty expired, and the answer that day was a repair — not a replacement. We never pressure a McKinney homeowner into a replacement they do not need, and the 25% question has a measurable answer we will show you in writing.
Serving all of McKinney — Stonebridge Ranch, Craig Ranch, Trinity Falls, Eldorado, Creek Hollow, Virginia Parkway corridor, historic downtown 75069, and 75070/75071.
Request Your Free Inspection · 817-ROOFINGFrequently Asked Questions: The 25% Roof Rule in McKinney
What is the 25% rule in roofing?
It is a building code provision — IRC R908.3 — stating that if more than 25% of a roof’s total area is repaired or replaced within any 12-month period, the affected roof section must be brought up to current code. In McKinney that is enforced through the roofing permit and final inspection, and it commonly turns a large partial repair into a full replacement.
How much should a new roof cost in Texas?
For a typical 2,000–2,800 sq ft home, expect $13,500–$23,000 for architectural asphalt shingles and more for Class 4 impact-resistant or complex roofs. Priced per square, that is roughly $475–$625 installed for standard architectural and $625–$850 for Class 4.
Will my insurance pay for a full replacement if only part of my McKinney roof is damaged?
It depends on your policy. The damage payment covers damaged slopes; ordinance-or-law (code upgrade) coverage is what pays for bringing the rest of the roof to current code when the 25% threshold is crossed. Check your declarations page for that endorsement before you file.
Does McKinney require a permit to replace a roof?
Yes. A residential re-roof requires a permit and a final inspection. WBR pulls it, schedules it, and includes the cost — typically $150–$300 — in your contract.
Can a roof be repaired instead of replaced after hail?
Sometimes. Isolated wind damage, a failed pipe boot, or damaged flashing are legitimate repairs — the Clear Brook Drive project in this guide is exactly that case. Widespread hail bruising across multiple elevations is not, because the shingle mat is fractured beneath the granule surface even where the roof looks fine from the ground.
How long does a roof replacement take in McKinney?
One day for most homes. Larger Trinity Falls or Craig Ranch homes with steep pitch and heavy detail can run two days. City inspection follows within a few business days.
Are Class 4 shingles worth it in Collin County?
In our experience, yes. Collin County sees repeated significant hail, and Class 4 shingles — Owens Corning Duration Storm and GAF Timberline AS II are the two WBR installs most — hold up materially better under the UL 2218 impact standard while typically earning an insurance premium discount. We will price both options so you can compare on your specific policy.
Can a roofer pay my deductible?
No. Texas Insurance Code Section 707.002 makes waiving, rebating, or absorbing a deductible illegal. Any McKinney contractor who offers it is breaking state law — and the homeowner who accepts carries fraud exposure alongside them.
Why does ventilation show up on my McKinney roof estimate?
Because attic ventilation is a current-code inspection item, and roofs built in McKinney in the late 1990s and 2000s are frequently under-ventilated relative to today’s requirement. Once the 25% threshold is crossed and a permit is pulled, the whole roof must be ventilated to code. WBR puts it in the estimate on day one rather than as a change order later.
What if my roof decking is damaged?
Decking replacement runs $85–$135 per sheet in McKinney and is itemized separately in every WBR estimate, because its true extent usually is not known until tear-off. The Mayberry Drive project in this guide is a typical example — 21 years of service, water penetration through failing shingles, and deteriorated decking that was invisible until the old roof came off.
How do I schedule a free McKinney roof inspection?
Call 817-ROOFING (766-3464), Monday through Saturday 6AM to 8PM, or request an inspection through our contact page. You get photos of every elevation, real measurements, and a written estimate — with no obligation and no pressure.
