01
Decide what to save before removal
Ask the architect, owner, and contractor which representative pieces or distinctive shapes should be retained. Record their roof locations and photograph them in place where feasible. A sample removed without context may still show color and texture, but it cannot explain how it contributed to a decorative pattern or a special junction.
02
Keep the evidence organized
Use durable labels and a storage plan suitable for the material, keeping identification separate from any treatment of the visible surface. Distinguish historically significant samples from usable repair stock and from discarded fragments. Include an inventory in the project file. Retention should serve an identified purpose so the building does not accumulate an unexplained pile that a future caretaker removes during routine cleanup.