Quick answerTear-off of multiple layers of felt or shingles in Xactimate® is entered as additional removal line item quantity, not as a re-measured area. A measurement report gives you the surface area and pitch of the roof plane as it exists today; it cannot tell you how many layers are underneath that surface, because that is a subsurface fact, not a surface one. You confirm layer count in the field (photos of an exposed edge or a core cut), then apply that measured area to each layer's tear-off line.

What the question is really asking

When adjusters ask how to "tear off multiple layers of felt in Xactimate®", they are really asking two separate things: how do I confirm there are multiple layers, and how do I get that fact into the estimate once a measurement report has already given me the area. Those are different tools solving different problems, and mixing them up is where estimates go wrong.

The measurement report answers the geometry question: how many squares, at what pitch, on how many facets. It does not and cannot answer the layer question, because layer count is not visible from the surface the report is built from. That has to come from the field.

What a measurement report can and cannot tell you

A roof measurement report is a surface deliverable. It reports footprint area, facet count, pitch per facet, ridge, hip, valley, rake, and eave lengths, and total measured area in squares. Every one of those figures describes the plane you can see from above.

It cannot tell you what is underneath that plane: the number of existing shingle or felt layers, the decking material or condition, whether there is synthetic underlayment or organic felt, or whether ice-and-water shield is present at the eaves. Those are subsurface facts and no measurement deliverable, regardless of provider or format, reports them. That is also why a report cannot substitute for a code-compliance or two-layer determination; it establishes the area those determinations get applied to.

The Sketch My Roof roof measurement reports, for example, publish exactly this scope on the order page: measured area, pitch, and facet data, delivered as ESX, XML, or PDF. Layer count is outside that scope by design, the same as it would be for any measurement deliverable built from a rooftop plane.

Documenting layers in the field

  • Photograph an exposed edge or existing tear-off

    A rake edge, a repaired section, or a satellite-dish mount often already exposes a cut edge showing each layer. This is the fastest confirmation without cutting anything.

  • Take a core cut if no exposed edge exists

    A small cut through the field of the roof, photographed with a scale reference, is the most defensible way to state layer count in the file when it is contested.

  • Note the material of each layer separately

    Two layers of the same three-tab shingle removes differently, and is scoped differently, than a shingle-over-wood-shake or shingle-over-felt combination.

  • Photograph the deck condition where exposed

    Deck condition drives replacement decisions independent of layer count; documenting both in one photo set keeps the file consistent.

  • State the layer finding as a fact in the estimate notes

    Write it as an observed fact tied to a photo number, not as an assumption, so the basis for the tear-off line items is traceable later.

How tear-off quantity is derived from measured area

The formula does not change because there are multiple layers: area equals footprint times the pitch multiplier, where the multiplier is the square root of rise squared plus run squared, divided by run. A 4/12 pitch multiplies flat footprint by 1.054, a 6/12 by 1.118, an 8/12 by 1.202, and a 12/12 by 1.414. One roofing square is 100 square feet.

That measured area is the quantity you carry into tear-off. If a roof has two layers of shingles over the same footprint, the removal scope covers the same measured area twice, once per layer, not double the footprint. The table below shows the same 1,500 square foot footprint measured at four common pitches, so you can see how area changes with slope alone, independent of layer count.

PitchMultiplierMeasured area (1,500 sq ft footprint)Squares
4/121.0541,581 sq ft15.81
6/121.1181,677 sq ft16.77
8/121.2021,803 sq ft18.03
12/121.4142,121 sq ft21.21

Multiplier = sqrt(rise squared + run squared) / run. Squares = area / 100. Layer count does not enter this formula; it is applied afterward, per layer, to the same measured area.

Entering multiple layers in Xactimate® and Symbility®

  1. Import the measured area

    Bring the roof geometry in via the Sketch import option in Xactimate®, or the equivalent import in Symbility®. This establishes the facet areas, pitches, and total squares for the roof.

  2. Select the base tear-off line item

    Choose the tear-off/removal line item matching the top layer's material (shingle, felt, or other), scoped to the full measured area.

  3. Add a second layer line item for each additional layer

    For a second layer of felt or shingle, add the corresponding additional-layer removal line item at the same measured quantity; do not re-enter a different area. Repeat for a third layer if documented.

  4. Attach the field documentation to the line items

    Reference the photo or core-cut documentation supporting the layer count directly in the estimate notes for those line items, so the basis is visible on review.

  5. Verify against your build

    Menus and item categories vary by Xactimate® and Symbility® version and by regional price list; confirm the exact line item names and category placement in your build against the vendor's official documentation before finalizing.

When layer count is disputed

If a carrier or contractor disputes the layer count, the file needs to stand on the field documentation, not on the measurement report. Re-state the finding with the supporting photo reference, and if the dispute persists, a core cut with a scale reference photographed in place is usually the cleanest way to close it out.

If you still need the measured area for the estimate and have not yet ordered it, you can order a roof report by address and receive the ESX, XML, or PDF the same calendar day, then apply the layer documentation on top of it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a roof measurement report tell me how many layers of shingles or felt are on the roof?
No. The report covers surface geometry: measured area, pitch, and facet data. Layer count is a subsurface fact confirmed in the field, typically from an exposed edge or a core cut, and documented separately.
Does the measured area change if there are two layers instead of one?
No. The measured area reflects the footprint and pitch of the roof plane as it exists now. Each additional layer adds a separate tear-off line item at that same measured quantity; it does not change the area figure itself.
How do I add a second-layer tear-off item in Xactimate®?
Select the additional-layer removal line item for the material involved and apply it at the same measured quantity as the base tear-off line. Menu names and categories vary by version, so verify the exact item against your build and the vendor's official documentation.
Is a core cut always necessary to confirm layer count?
Not always. An exposed rake edge, a prior repair, or an existing roof penetration often shows the layers without cutting anything new. A core cut is the fallback when no exposed edge is available or the count is disputed.
Does Symbility® handle multiple-layer tear-off differently than Xactimate®?
The concept is the same in both: the measured area comes from the imported roof geometry, and each additional layer is a separate removal line item at that quantity. Exact menu paths differ by platform and version; confirm in the vendor's official documentation for your build.

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