Quick answerA complete roof claim file carries eight document types: the first notice of loss, exterior and damage-detail photos, a measurement report, a sketch or diagram, the priced estimate, any supplement records, a correspondence log, and the closing documents. Each item exists to answer a specific question a reviewer, appraiser, or auditor will ask later. Build the file in that order as the claim moves, rather than assembling it after the fact.

What a complete roof claim file has to answer

A claim file is read by people who were not on the roof: a desk reviewer, a supervisor, an appraiser, sometimes a court. Each document in the file answers one question that person will ask. The FNOL answers when and what was reported. The photos answer what the damage looked like. The measurement report and sketch answer how big the roof is and how it is shaped. The estimate answers what it costs to fix. Supplements answer what changed and why. Correspondence answers who agreed to what. The closing documents answer whether the file is actually done.

Missing any one of these does not necessarily change the outcome of a claim, but it removes the answer to that question from the file, which means the next person to open it has to reconstruct it from memory or from a phone call. The checklist below is built around keeping that reconstruction unnecessary.

The checklist: item and why

  • First notice of loss (FNOL)

    Establishes the reported date of loss, the reported cause, and the initial description from the policyholder, which anchors every deadline and coverage decision that follows.

  • Exterior overview and elevation photos

    Shows the property and all four elevations before repair activity starts, so the roof's condition and shape are on record independent of the estimate.

  • Close-up damage-detail photos (covering, flashing, decking, penetrations)

    Ties specific line items in the estimate to specific, visible damage rather than to a general description of roof condition.

  • Interior photos where the loss reached the interior

    Connects roof damage to interior effects such as ceiling staining or insulation damage, which supports the scope for interior line items tied to the roof event.

  • Roof measurement report (ESX, XML, or PDF)

    Puts a measured footprint, pitch, and facet count in the file that a reviewer can check against the estimate, instead of a field figure with no source document behind it.

  • Roof sketch or diagram

    Shows facet layout, ridges, valleys, and hips, and where damage was marked on the roof, so the shape and the damage location are visible without a site visit.

  • Estimate or scope (Xactimate®, Symbility®, or comparable platform)

    Converts the measured roof and the documented damage into priced line items that the carrier, the contractor, and the file can all reference the same way.

  • Supplement request and approval records

    Records the specific trigger for each added or changed line item, such as code requirement, concealed damage found during tear-off, or a price update, so a later reviewer sees why the number changed rather than just that it changed.

  • Correspondence log (calls, emails, portal messages)

    Creates a dated record of what was said and agreed to by each party, which matters if a coverage or scope disagreement surfaces after the file is otherwise closed.

  • Closing documents (signed proof of loss, final invoice, completion certificate, release)

    Shows the amount paid matches the amount owed for the work actually performed, and gives the file a defined end point instead of leaving it open by omission.

Where the measurement report and sketch fit in the sequence

The measurement report and the sketch usually go into the file before the estimate is finalized, because the estimate is built from the measured footprint and facet layout rather than the other way around. A report ordered by property address returns a measured footprint, pitch, and facet count as ESX for Xactimate®, XML for Symbility®, or PDF for the file record. Xactimate® reads the ESX directly; the import steps vary by build, so verify the exact menu path in your version's help documentation before relying on it for a live claim.

For adjusters working from Sketch My Roof roof measurement reports, the published residential menu runs Standard ESX $19, Complex-roof ESX $25, PDF-only report $25, and ESX + PDF $29, with Symbility® XML available on the order page. Orders placed before the 6 PM Eastern cutoff deliver the same calendar day, which keeps the measurement step from holding up the rest of the file.

Formats by what the file needs

File needsFormat to pull into the claimPublished price
A working file to build the estimate in Xactimate®Standard ESX$19
A cut-up roof with many facets for Xactimate®Complex-roof ESX$25
A document exhibit for the file or the policyholderPDF-only$25
Both the working file and the exhibit from one orderESX + PDF$29
A working file for Symbility®XMLSee order page

Prices are the sponsor's published rates as of the date in the sources; the order page is authoritative for current terms.

Supplements and correspondence: keeping the record straight

A supplement record is only useful to a later reader if it names the trigger, not just the new total. Write the reason the line was added, whether that is a measurement correction, concealed damage found during tear-off, a code requirement, or a price list update, and attach whatever photo or document supports that reason. Xactimate® and Symbility® each have documented procedures for adding supplement items to an existing estimate; the menu path varies by version, so confirm the current steps in the vendor's own help documentation rather than relying on a remembered click path.

The correspondence log does not need to be a separate system if the claim platform already timestamps calls and messages, but it does need to be complete: every substantive conversation about scope, coverage, or timeline belongs in it, dated, with who said what. A gap in the log reads, to a later reviewer, as a gap in the agreement.

Closing the file

A file is closed when the paid amount, the performed work, and the supporting documents all match. That means the signed proof of loss, the final contractor invoice, a completion certificate or photos of the finished roof, and any required release are all in the file together, not scattered across the claim system and an email inbox. If a revision to the measurement report is needed at closing, request it from the original delivery email rather than re-ordering a new report, which keeps the file's version history clean.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does every roof claim need all ten items in this checklist?
Not every loss will generate all ten, for example a small claim may not need a supplement. The practice is to include each item when it applies and to document why an item is absent when it does not, rather than leaving a silent gap.
Where does the measurement report go if the file already has field measurements?
Both can sit in the file. The measurement report gives a reviewer a source document with a measured footprint and facet count; field notes describe what was observed on site. Neither replaces the other.
What is the difference between the sketch and the measurement report?
The measurement report states the footprint, pitch, and facet dimensions used to price the estimate. The sketch or diagram shows the roof's shape, facet layout, and where damage was marked, so a reviewer can see the roof without visiting it.
Should correspondence about scope disagreements go in the claim file or stay in email?
It belongs in the claim file. Email threads get lost when staff changes or accounts are closed; a dated entry in the file's correspondence log survives both.

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