Roofing estimating for contractors
Xactimate roof estimates and roofing supplement support.
Get your roof scope written into a Xactimate estimate and sketch, with an editable ESX file and review PDF. We work from your measurements, material details and photos. Start with a callback—no files needed. We confirm the service, price and delivery date before work begins.
Roof Estimate Only from $179. Estimate + Sketch Only — No F9 Notes.
A defined service
Built around the roof you are estimating.
Defined roofing scope
Identify the roof planes, pitch, materials, access conditions and work to estimate. Connect those details to measurements and photos. Your company verifies the field conditions and approves the final scope.
Support for disputed work
Simple F9 Documentation addresses targeted disputes where most principal repair scope is already approved. Advanced F9 Documentation addresses broader or more technically demanding support. The team assigns the level after reviewing the file.
Separate scopes stay separate
Roofing and interior/reconstruction use their own Estimate Only schedules. Combined or Other assignments receive a reviewed scope and quote. Water mitigation remains a separate service.
Roofing supplement services
A roofing supplement needs more than a higher total.
A roofing supplement starts with documented work missing from the existing estimate. We prepare the accepted estimate and sketch. Optional F9 documentation explains supported line items using project records and applicable building-code references or manufacturer installation requirements. Overhead and profit also need a project-specific basis; it is not an automatic addition. Separately authorized technical carrier support can transmit your approved materials and answer factual scope questions. Your company approves the package; carrier approval is not guaranteed.
Review an under-scoped estimate · Explore F9 documentation services
Scope before quantities
What a Xactimate roof estimate needs beyond roof area.
A roof measurement report describes geometry; your contractor-defined scope identifies the work to price. Connect affected planes, materials, pitch, penetrations, flashing, access and connected work to the job photos and requested operations. Flag missing dimensions or uncertain conditions for review rather than treating them as measured facts.
Use our roof measurement report guide to prepare the handoff after your callback, and check roofing estimate scope gaps when comparing existing work. Estimate Only produces the accepted estimate and corresponding sketch; supporting a disputed scope through F9 Documentation is a separate accepted add-on.
Compare Xactimate estimate writing services for roofing, reconstruction and mitigation.
Read the scope behind the total
What goes into a Xactimate roof estimate?
Two estimates can use the same roof area and still describe different work. The useful comparison is the operation, material, unit and quantity on each line. A measurement report helps establish geometry; your scope and field records identify which repairs and components belong in the assignment.
| Part of the scope | Information to identify | Question to resolve |
|---|---|---|
| Roof covering and removal | Included slopes, existing material, documented layers and the proposed roof system. | Are removal and installation quantities based on their respective operations and accepted extents? |
| Underlayment and membranes | Assembly details, relevant slopes, measured coverage and specified materials. | Which material and extent does the contractor's repair scope require? |
| Starter and edge components | Identified eave and rake lengths, existing details and the specified installation. | Which measured edges belong to each component rather than a single undifferentiated perimeter? |
| Hip, ridge and ventilation | Measured lengths or counts, product details and photos of the relevant locations. | Does each quantity use the correct component, location and unit? |
| Flashings and penetrations | Locations, counts, materials, connections and the contractor's proposed operation. | Is the accepted work replacement, detach/reset or another specifically defined operation? |
| Access and debris handling | Documented height, pitch, access conditions, removal method and disposal scope. | Do separate entries reflect distinct work after reviewing the selected items' inclusions? |
This is a preparation checklist, not a rule that every roof requires every item. The appropriate scope depends on the actual assembly, field conditions and accepted assignment.
An annotated roof quantity example.
Fictional measurement example: A report identifies 2,400 square feet of roof area. Separate measurements show 80 linear feet of ridge and 140 linear feet of eaves; field photos identify three roof penetrations. Those facts describe different parts of the roof.
- Area: 2,400 square feet equals 24 roofing squares. That conversion does not establish every removal or installation quantity.
- Lengths: The 80 feet of ridge and 140 feet of eaves retain their own labels. Neither can be calculated from the square count alone.
- Counts: Three photographed penetrations still need their types and proposed work identified before a corresponding item is selected.
- Open decisions: Included slopes, materials, documented layers, waste treatment and component work must follow the contractor's supported scope. This example supplies no default waste percentage or replacement decision.
The value of the review is in connecting each measurement to its operation. See what to send with a roof measurement report for the report pages and field details that complete the handoff.
Make the roof scope specific enough to write.
A useful handoff names the structure and slope, the operation, the material, the extent and the supporting photo or measurement. It also labels unresolved facts. For example: Main house, slope A: use measurement report A-04 for the area. Replace the covering specified in our attached scope. Photo R-12 identifies the pipe penetration. Additional tear-off layers remain unverified.
That description gives the estimator a defined assignment and a specific question to return to your team. A report total by itself cannot establish hidden conditions or decide what an insurer will approve.
Compare the deliverables as well as the fee.
Roof Estimate Only includes the accepted estimate, corresponding sketch, editable ESX and review PDF, without F9 notes. SaguaroScope assigns the level of any separately accepted F9 Documentation after file review. Carrier technical coordination requires separate authorization.
Review roofing scope gaps · Compare current service inclusions
Request a roofing callback
No files or payment needed to request a callback. We confirm the service, required records, price and delivery target before preparation.
Roof Estimate Only
A fixed fee for a defined estimate.
Estimate + Sketch Only — No F9 Notes
Simple Estimate Only
$179Generally simpler roof geometry and limited estimating coordination.
Workload guidelines
Generally up to 4 roof planes, 2 valleys, 1 pitch change, 1 roofing system, 6 penetrations, 2 wall-to-roof intersections, 2 stories, 8:12 pitch, 40 squares and 2 separate roof sections. Generally up to 2 trades, such as roofing with minor carpentry.
Moderate Estimate Only
$214More roof planes, systems or coordinated work within the reviewed assignment.
Workload guidelines
Generally up to 10 roof planes, 6 valleys, 3 pitch changes, 2 roofing systems, 12 penetrations, 6 wall-to-roof intersections, 3 stories, 12:12 pitch, 75 squares and 5 separate roof sections. Commonly two coordinated trades, such as roofing with solar coordination. Three or more meaningful trades generally indicate Complex.
Complex Estimate Only
$249Complex geometry, multiple trades, specialty systems or extensive coordination.
Workload guidelines
Generally exceeds a Moderate guideline: 11 or more planes, 7 or more valleys, 4 or more pitch changes, 3 or more systems, 13 or more penetrations, 7 or more wall-to-roof intersections, more than 75 squares or 5 sections, or 3 or more trades. Also includes turrets, cones, mansards, dead valleys, radius roofs, extensive parapets or irregular multi-system tie-ins. Commercial, industrial and specialty roofs—including warehouses, barns, data centers, malls and high-rises—generally require Complex classification.
Simple, Moderate and Complex describe estimating workload only. These are guidelines, not automatic entitlements or formulas. SaguaroScope confirms the classification after reviewing the complete assignment, documentation quality, estimating time, coordination, trades, specialty conditions and overall effort.
Combined or Other projects receive a reviewed scope and written quote. No combined price is inferred by adding table entries. Commercial, industrial, specialty and unusually coordinated assignments require review.
Estimate Only includes one project-specific estimate with correctly sourced and identified line items and one corresponding sketch. F9 notes, code arguments, manufacturer documentation, advanced technical positions, embedded claim photographs or photo reports, supplement arguments, carrier submission, carrier correspondence, adjuster negotiation and Carrier Technical Coordination are excluded.
Optional documentation add-on
When disputed scope needs technical support.
You request F9 Documentation. SaguaroScope assigns Simple F9 Documentation or Advanced F9 Documentation after reviewing the complete file. Clients do not choose the documentation level. You may accept or decline the assigned scope and terms before work begins.
Simple F9 Documentation
Targeted support for disputed items such as ice and water shield, starter, flashings, drip edge, code-required components, or limited quantity and pricing corrections. Most reasonably supportable principal repair scope is generally already approved.
| Progressive bracket | Rate |
|---|---|
| First $25,000 | 10% |
| Next $25,000 | 8% |
| Above $50,000 | 5% |
$399 minimum total documentation fee
Advanced F9 Documentation
Broader support may involve whole-roof replacement where limited slopes were approved, omitted roof systems, manufacturer requirements, or substantial matching, repairability, integration and code issues. Support depends on the actual records and accepted assignment.
| Progressive bracket | Rate |
|---|---|
| First $25,000 | 12% |
| Next $25,000 | 9% |
| Above $50,000 | 6% |
$499 minimum total documentation fee
The estimate is prepared with the accepted F9 notes in its line items. Standard accounts pay the base estimate fee at handoff before final ESX/PDF release; approved periodic accounts follow their agreed billing and release terms.
The separate F9 percentage fee or applicable minimum is billed after you report the final carrier settlement or approval and we verify it. No upfront F9 deposit or handoff F9 minimum applies. The base estimate fee is not credited toward F9.
RCV means replacement cost value. Percentage fees use only the additional carrier-approved RCV supported through SaguaroScope’s work. The original carrier estimate is excluded. The brackets are progressive: each later rate applies only to dollars within that bracket.
How is the carrier baseline established?
Baseline Carrier RCV is the carrier’s most recent written replacement-cost amount for the same claim and substantially the same scope immediately before SaguaroScope begins percentage-based documentation work. The final approved RCV minus the baseline is the potential additional RCV, never below zero; fees use only the supported increase attributable to SaguaroScope’s work. The original estimate, deductible, previously approved scope and unrelated increases are excluded.
How is the documentation level assigned?
Assignment considers the approved scope; breadth and significance of omitted slopes, rooms, systems and finishes; disputed trades; technical complexity; code and manufacturer support; documentation quality; and the work required. Claim dollars alone do not determine the level, and no fixed percentage-of-scope cutoff applies.
Does the estimate fee reduce the later F9 fee?
No. The base estimate fee and F9 documentation fee are fully separate. The F9 fee is the greater of the applicable progressive calculation or minimum, without an estimate-fee credit. See the current pricing page for the fee basis and payment terms.
Optional · separately authorized
Carrier Technical Coordination
Carrier Technical Coordination is available by written Service Order for eligible F9 Documentation assignments and SaguaroScope-written mitigation estimates. At the client’s direction, SaguaroScope may transmit and technically explain client-approved estimates and supporting construction documentation, defend its technical estimate, correct factual scope deficiencies, respond to factual carrier-scope questions, and provide reasonable backend technical support concerning the accepted repair scope.
SaguaroScope does not accept or reject carrier payments, bind the contractor or insured, interpret policy coverage, or make settlement decisions.
01
Technical Deployment
Billed when SaguaroScope transmits the approved technical package and establishes the submission record.
02
Backend Technical Support
Applies only when SaguaroScope completes a substantive backend technical response.
Detailed project pricing is stated in the written Service Order. F9 Documentation and Carrier Technical Coordination are separately priced services.
Once the Backend Technical Support phase is earned, reasonable later technical-response rounds concerning the same accepted repair scope are included at no additional charge. Materially expanded project scope may require a written change order.
Your file checklist
What to send
- Project location, company contact, job status and the roofing scope you want estimated.
- Roof measurements or diagrams, roof planes and pitch, stories, quantities, and any available sketch or ESX.
- Roofing materials and system details, relevant access conditions and connected work.
- Photos linked to the roof areas, existing conditions and operations described in your scope.
- The current carrier estimate if one exists, your identified omissions or disputes, and relevant project instructions.
What to send with your roof measurement report
Check a roofing estimate for scope gaps
The next steps
From your records
to your review
- Send
Provide the project records and identify whether you need Estimate Only or F9 Documentation. An inquiry does not authorize work or a charge.
- Review fit
We review the complete assignment, identify missing information and confirm the workload classification or documentation level.
- Accept the order
Review the proposed service, deliverables, fee, required inputs, revisions and delivery target. Work begins after acceptance of the applicable terms.
- Prepare and deliver
We write and check the accepted scope, prepare the estimate and sketch, and return the agreed ESX/PDF deliverables. Accepted F9 notes accompany the estimate. We identify unresolved questions for your review.
- Review your file
Your company verifies the field facts and reviews the deliverables included in the accepted order. You retain approval of the final technical materials and all coverage, settlement and payment-acceptance decisions.
Before you send a file
Questions contractors ask
Who can write a Xactimate roof estimate for my company?
SaguaroScope provides remote roofing estimate writing for contractors. We review the defined scope and supporting records, confirm the assignment and prepare the agreed estimate, sketch, editable ESX and review PDF. Files are supported nationwide subject to accepted service and scope.
What should I send for a roofing estimate?
Send the project location, company contact, defined scope, measurements, photos and relevant material or project records. For roofing, identify roof geometry, pitch, materials, access and connected work. Include an existing estimate or ESX if available.
Can you write the estimate without a carrier estimate?
Yes. Estimate Only can be written from a sufficiently defined contractor scope and supporting measurements without a carrier estimate. Percentage-based F9 work requires its written carrier baseline and compensation basis to be established before that documentation work begins.
What files will I receive?
An accepted roofing writing order includes the project estimate, corresponding sketch, editable Xactimate ESX and review PDF. Estimate Only has no F9 notes; accepted F9 documentation is added to the estimate when separately ordered. Deliverables and revisions follow the accepted order.
How much does roofing estimating cost?
Roof Estimate Only is $179 Simple, $214 Moderate or $249 Complex. SaguaroScope confirms workload after file review. The base estimate fee and any later F9 percentage/minimum fee are separate; no estimate-fee credit applies. Specialty scope receives a confirmed quote.
How long does an outsourced roofing estimate take?
SaguaroScope confirms a delivery target after reviewing scope, measurements, record completeness and current capacity. Missing facts, specialty work or added scope can change the target. There is no universal turnaround guarantee.
Does SaguaroScope negotiate claims or control submission?
No. SaguaroScope does not determine coverage, represent the insured, negotiate settlements or guarantee carrier approval. Your company verifies the field facts and approves the estimate. Separately authorized technical coordination may transmit and explain client-approved materials; your company retains control of submission and homeowner communication.
Start with the scope.
We’ll confirm the next step.
Send the project details and available records. We confirm fit, service, price, required inputs and a delivery target before production. The accepted order controls deliverables, revisions and payment terms.
Reviewed October 20, 2026 · SaguaroScope Editorial