Quick answerName every file with claim number, short property address, document-type code, and a version tag, in that order, so files sort chronologically and by type without opening them. Never overwrite a delivered roof report; save each revision as a new version and keep the original. Use a fixed folder structure inside every claim so a reviewer or IA firm can find the current estimate and current roof measurement report without asking.

Why a naming convention is worth enforcing

Most claim files degrade the same way. The first roof report comes in named the way the delivery email named it, a revision comes in a week later with a nearly identical filename, and by reinspection nobody is sure which ESX file matches the estimate that was actually submitted. On a reopened or litigated file, that ambiguity becomes a deposition question.

A naming convention fixes this without new software. It works because it is boring and consistent: the same six fields in the same order, every time, so a folder full of files sorts itself into a timeline whether you open it in Windows Explorer, a DMS, or a shared drive.

The naming convention

Use this pattern for every document that goes into the claim file: ClaimNumber_Address_DocType_Version_Date. Keep the address short (house number and street name only, no punctuation) and use the date the file was finalized, not the date it was opened, in YYYY-MM-DD order so it sorts correctly.

FieldFormatExample
Claim numberAs assigned by the carrier or IA firm24-0456781
Short addressHouse number + street, no comma123MainSt
Document type3-letter code, see table belowRPT
Versionv1, v2, v3... increment on every revisionv2
DateYYYY-MM-DD, date finalized2026-03-14
  • 24-0456781_123MainSt_RPT_v1_2026-03-01.pdf (original roof report PDF)
  • 24-0456781_123MainSt_RPT_v2_2026-03-14.esx (revised ESX after a facet correction)
  • 24-0456781_123MainSt_EST_v1_2026-03-15.esx (the estimate built from RPT v2)
  • 24-0456781_123MainSt_COR_2026-03-16.pdf (correspondence, no version needed)

Document-type codes

CodeDocumentNotes
RPTRoof measurement report (ESX, XML, or PDF)Version every time the measurements change
ESTEstimate (Xactimate®, Symbility®)Version whenever line items or totals change
PHOPhoto setOne dated folder per inspection, not per file
CORCorrespondenceDate-stamped, versioning not required
INVInvoices, payment recordsInclude check or EFT number in the file, not the filename
SUPSupplement request or responseVersion if the request is amended

Folder structure

Use the same top-level folders on every claim, in this order, so the structure is muscle memory rather than a lookup task.

  • 01_Claim Documents (declarations, assignment letter, policy excerpts)
  • 02_Correspondence (all COR files, chronological)
  • 03_Roof Reports (all RPT files, every version kept)
  • 04_Estimates (all EST files, every version kept)
  • 05_Photos (one dated subfolder per inspection)
  • 06_Supplements (SUP files)
  • 07_Invoices and Payments (INV files)
  • 08_Closeout (final signed estimate, final RPT, release, if applicable)

Versioning a revised roof report

Roof reports get revised more often than adjusters expect: a facet gets added after a supplement inspection, an address pin was off by one parcel, or the estimator needs a complex-roof file instead of a standard one. Handle the revision as a new version, never as an overwrite.

  1. Request the revision from the delivery email

    Reply to the original delivery email rather than placing a new order; this keeps the revision tied to the original order and avoids paying for a duplicate report. Sketch My Roof's published terms make corrections and revisions available from that delivery email at no extra order step.

  2. Save the revised file as the next version

    Increment the version field: v1 becomes v2. Keep v1 in the folder rather than deleting it. If a reviewer or the carrier later asks why the estimate changed, v1 and v2 sitting side by side answers the question without a phone call.

  3. Re-import into the estimating platform

    Bring the revised ESX into Xactimate® via the Sketch import option, or the revised XML into Symbility® the same way; menus vary by version, so verify the exact import path in your build. Do not manually edit line-item measurements to match a verbal correction; re-import the corrected file instead.

  4. Version the estimate that depends on it

    If the estimate changes because the report changed, the EST file gets its own new version number too, dated to when it was finalized, not when the RPT revision arrived.

  5. Log the revision in the claim notes

    One line is enough: what changed, which version numbers are involved, and why. This is the line a reopened file or an XactAnalysis® audit trail will ask for.

Closeout checklist

  • Only the highest version number of each document type is referenced in the final estimate

    Prevents a supplement or reinspection from being built off a superseded roof report.

  • Every superseded version is still in the folder, not deleted

    A deleted prior version looks like a cover-up on a reopened or litigated file, even when the correction was routine.

  • Filenames use the claim number, not a nickname or internal file number only

    IA firms and carrier desk staff search by claim number first; a file named only by address or by the adjuster's initials will not surface in that search.

  • Photos are in dated subfolders, not loose in the top-level Photos folder

    Undated, unsorted photo dumps are the single biggest time cost in a file audit.

  • The Closeout folder has the final signed estimate and the final roof report version, copied in, not just referenced

    If the working folders are ever reorganized or archived, the Closeout folder has to stand alone as the record.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a good claim file naming convention for adjusters?
Use a fixed field order: claim number, short property address, a 3-letter document-type code, a version number, and the date finalized. Applied consistently, files sort into a readable timeline in any file browser without opening a single one.
Should I overwrite a roof report file when it gets revised?
No. Save the revision as the next version number (v1, v2, v3) and keep every prior version in the folder. Request the revision from the original delivery email; Sketch My Roof's published terms make corrections and revisions available that way at no extra order step.
Does the estimate file need its own version number too?
Yes, whenever it changes because a roof report revision changed a measurement or line item. Version the estimate separately from the report so the two histories can be checked against each other.
How should photos be organized inside a claim folder?
In one dated subfolder per inspection under a single top-level Photos folder, not as loose files mixed with reports and correspondence. This is the fastest fix for the most common file-audit finding.
Where do supplements fit in the folder structure?
In their own top-level Supplements folder, versioned like the estimate if the request is amended, so a reviewer can trace which supplement matches which estimate version without cross-referencing dates by hand.

Sources

  • Corrections and revisions to a delivered roof report are available from the delivery email; ordering is by property address with no subscription and no minimum: Sketch My Roof roof measurement service facts (as of August 2026)
  • Reports are delivered as ESX for Xactimate®, XML for Symbility®, and PDF, with Xactimate® Integration ordering available for Verisk™ desks: Sketch My Roof residential order page (as of August 2026)
  • Importing an ESX file into Xactimate® is done through an import option in the estimating platform; exact menu paths vary by version: Xactimate® official help center (as of August 2026)
  • Symbility® claims documentation covers XML import and estimate handling procedures referenced for versioning workflow: CoreLogic / Symbility® claims documentation (as of August 2026)