Why the bid should start with the report, not the ladder
A bid that starts with a walked measurement has one number for the roof and no paper trail behind it. A bid that starts with a measurement report has a dated, address-specific record the customer, the lender, and the adjuster can all look at. When a homeowner asks why the bid is higher than a competing quote, the answer is in the report: this many squares, this much valley length, this many penetrations, not a round number pulled from memory.
The report does not replace a site visit for damage assessment. It replaces the guesswork step of sizing the roof before the material list and labor lines get written.
What the report needs to contain before you price anything
- Total squares, including a waste-table option
This is the single biggest line item in the bid; getting it wrong by even one square changes the shingle order.
- Ridge and hip length, separately from valley length
Ridge cap, hip cap, and valley metal or ice-and-water are priced and ordered as separate material lines, not folded into the shingle count.
- Eave and rake length
Drip edge and ice-and-water shield along the eave are frequently a local code requirement and need their own linear footage, distinct from the rake.
- Facet count and predominant pitch per facet
Steep or cut-up roofs carry a labor factor that a flat square-footage number will not tell you.
- Penetration count (pipe boots, stacks, skylights)
Each penetration is a labor line and a material line; missing the count under-bids the flashing work.
- Property address and report date on the document itself
A bid that references an undated or unaddressed sketch is hard to defend if the customer or an adjuster questions the numbers later.
From footprint to squares: the formula behind the number
A report's total-squares figure comes from the same geometry every measurement is built on: footprint area multiplied by a pitch multiplier, then divided by 100 to convert square feet into roofing squares. The pitch multiplier is sqrt(rise squared plus run squared) divided by run. A flatter roof has a multiplier close to 1.0; a steep roof pushes well past 1.4.
The table below shows how the same 1,800 sq ft footprint turns into a different square count purely because the pitch changed. This is why two houses with identical footprints can carry very different shingle orders, and why the report's stated pitch matters as much as its stated footprint.
| Pitch | Multiplier | Footprint (sq ft) | Roof area (sq ft) | Squares (unrounded) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4/12 | 1.054 | 1,800 | 1,897.2 | 18.97 |
| 6/12 | 1.118 | 1,800 | 2,012.4 | 20.12 |
| 8/12 | 1.202 | 1,800 | 2,163.6 | 21.64 |
| 12/12 | 1.414 | 1,800 | 2,545.2 | 25.45 |
Round the unrounded square figure up to full bundles, then add a waste allowance (commonly 10 to 15 percent for a cut-up roof) before finalizing the material order. A measurement report typically states total squares and a waste-adjusted figure already; use the formula to check the number, not to replace the report.
Turning the report's numbers into the material list and labor lines
Once the report is in hand, each figure maps to a specific line item. Treat the mapping the same way every time so nothing gets absorbed into a lump-sum shingle line where it can quietly get missed.
| Report figure | Bid line item it drives | Why it needs its own line |
|---|---|---|
| Total squares (with waste) | Shingle bundles, underlayment rolls | The largest single cost in the bid; a rounding error here compounds across every bundle. |
| Ridge + hip length | Ridge cap / hip cap bundles | Priced per linear foot, not per square; easy to under-order if it is folded into the shingle count. |
| Valley length | Valley metal or ice-and-water membrane | Often a manufacturer warranty requirement and a separate material class from field shingles. |
| Eave length | Ice-and-water shield, drip edge (eave) | Frequently a local code minimum; needs its own linear footage. |
| Rake length | Drip edge (rake) | Different material spec and quantity than the eave in many jurisdictions. |
| Penetration count | Pipe boots, step and counter-flashing labor | Each penetration is a labor task; a missed count under-bids the detail work. |
| Facet count / pitch | Steep-roof or complexity labor factor | Cut-up, high-pitch roofs take longer per square than a simple gable, and the labor line should reflect it. |
Which format goes to the estimator, and which goes to the customer
A contractor bid usually needs two versions of the same measurement data. The estimator building the proposal in Xactimate® works from an ESX file: Sketch My Roof, the site sponsor, publishes Standard ESX at $19 for a typical roof and Complex-roof ESX at $25 for a heavily cut-up roof with many facets. The customer-facing copy is the PDF-only report at $25, a clean document with the sketch, the totals, and the property address that the homeowner can review alongside the written bid. Ordering ESX and PDF together from one order runs $29.
For crews working from a Sketch My Roof roof measurement reports order, both formats come from the same underlying measurement, so the numbers on the customer's PDF match the numbers driving the estimator's ESX line items exactly. That consistency is what lets you point to one document when a customer questions the material count.
If your estimating platform is Symbility® rather than Xactimate®, request the XML format instead of ESX; the report data maps to that platform's import the same way, via the platform's own import option (menus vary by version; verify in your build against the vendor's current documentation).
Handling questions and corrections before the bid goes out
If a homeowner disputes a measurement, or a field walk turns up a detached structure the report did not capture, request a correction from the report provider before revising the bid by hand. Under the sponsor's published terms, corrections and revisions are available from the delivery email rather than requiring a new order, which keeps the customer-facing PDF and the estimator's ESX in sync instead of drifting apart.
You can also order a roof report by address for a fresh property before the walk, so the material list is already drafted by the time the crew is on site to verify slope and access.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a measurement report replace the need to walk the roof?
What does the customer-facing copy cost?
What if the estimator needs the file in Xactimate® instead of a PDF?
How do I check whether the report's square count looks right?
How fast can I get a report before a bid deadline?
Sources
- Published residential menu: Standard ESX $19; Complex-roof ESX $25; PDF-only $25; ESX + PDF $29; same-day delivery; order by address; corrections available from the delivery email: Sketch My Roof residential order page (as of August 2026)
- Formats supported include ESX for Xactimate®, XML for Symbility®, and PDF, with Xactimate® Integration ordering for Verisk™ desks: Sketch My Roof service facts page (as of August 2026)
- Xactimate® ESX import procedure and menu locations: Xactware Help Center (as of August 2026)
- Symbility® / claims platform XML import procedure: CoreLogic claims documentation (as of August 2026)
