Quick answerBring the original report, the current estimate, and the prior inspection photos, then re-verify pitch, footprint, and facet count against what is on the roof today. Reconcile any difference by tracing it to a specific line item (pitch multiplier, waste percentage, or a facet that was missed or added) rather than re-measuring the whole roof from scratch. If the field numbers do not match the original report within a reasonable tolerance, order a corrected report before revising the estimate.

Why a roof gets reinspected

Most reinspections trace back to one of a handful of triggers: a supplement request that changes scope, a homeowner or contractor dispute over what was or was not damaged, a quality-control pull on the file, or a carrier or IA firm requiring a second set of eyes before a large payment. Each trigger points to a different part of the file, so the first step is confirming which trigger applies before packing the truck.

A reinspection is not a fresh inspection. The point is to test specific claims already in the file (a pitch, a facet count, a damage boundary) against what is actually on the roof now, and to write down where the two agree and where they do not.

What to bring

  • The original measurement report (ESX, XML, or PDF) printed or loaded on a tablet

    You need the original facet layout, footprint, and pitch calls in hand to check against, not a memory of them.

  • The current estimate, whatever platform it was written in

    Xactimate® and Symbility® both carry the roof line items you are there to confirm; you need the exact quantities and waste percentage that were used, not what you assume they were.

  • Prior inspection photos, dated and labeled by elevation

    Damage that has since been tarped, patched, or weathered needs a before-and-after comparison, and the only reliable before is the photo set already in the file.

  • A pitch gauge or digital level

    Pitch drives the multiplier used to convert footprint to roof area; a pitch call that is off by even one increment changes total squares.

  • A tape measure or laser measure

    Spot-checking one or two eave lengths against the report's stated dimensions is the fastest way to catch a footprint error without re-measuring the whole roof.

  • A camera set to overwrite nothing

    New photos should be saved under a new file name and date, never replacing the original set, so the file preserves a clear before-and-after chain.

  • The claim number and a blank reconciliation note

    Every discrepancy found on site should be written down against the claim number immediately, not reconstructed later from memory.

The reinspection walk, step by step

  1. Confirm the trigger before you climb

    Reread the reason the reinspection was ordered (supplement, dispute, QC, or large-loss review) and identify the one or two specific items you are there to check. Do not try to re-verify the entire roof if only one facet or one line item is in question.

  2. Walk the perimeter and match the footprint

    Compare the ground footprint against the shape shown in the original report. Spot-check one or two eave and rake lengths with a tape measure against the report's stated dimensions.

  3. Re-verify pitch on the disputed slope

    Take a pitch reading on the slope in question with a pitch gauge or digital level. Compare it to the pitch used in the original report; a difference changes the area calculation, not just the appearance.

  4. Walk the facets against the report's facet count

    Count ridges, hips, valleys, and facets and match them to the report's facet layout. A missed or extra facet is the most common source of a squares discrepancy on cut-up roofs.

  5. Photograph the current condition by elevation

    Shoot each elevation and each disputed facet fresh, labeled with the date and elevation, and store it alongside (not over) the original photo set.

  6. Write the reconciliation note before leaving the site

    Note each item checked, what the original report or estimate said, what you found, and whether it matches, is within a reasonable field tolerance, or is a real discrepancy that needs a corrected report or a revised estimate.

Reconciling pitch calls: the math to check first

Roof area is footprint multiplied by a pitch multiplier: multiplier = square root of (rise squared plus run squared), divided by run. One roofing square equals 100 square feet. If the pitch you read in the field differs from the pitch used in the original report, the area used in the estimate is off by the ratio of the two multipliers, not by a flat percentage, so recalculate rather than estimate the difference.

Pitch (rise/12)Multiplier1,800 sq ft footprint = squares
4/121.05418.97
6/121.11820.12
8/121.20221.64
12/121.41425.45

Multipliers are derived from the formula above; recompute for any pitch not shown rather than estimating between rows.

Reconciling the estimate line by line

Once the field pitch, footprint, and facet count are confirmed or corrected, walk the estimate line items against the corrected roof data. In Xactimate®, the roof line items carry the quantities and waste percentage the original report or estimate supplied; check those against the field-verified area via the Sketch import option or the manual quantity entry, whichever the file used (menus vary by version; verify in your build). In Symbility®, confirm the same quantities against the sketch or imported roof data before revising the estimate.

If the field numbers match the original report within a reasonable tolerance, note that on the reconciliation record and close the reinspection with no change. If they do not match, do not hand-edit the estimate quantities from a field guess. Order a corrected measurement report so the estimate is rebuilt from a document, not from a field note that will not survive a later audit.

When to reorder a measurement report instead of adjusting by hand

A hand-adjusted quantity based on a field spot-check is defensible for a single line item under dispute. It is not a substitute for a corrected report when the footprint, facet count, or pitch on more than one slope is wrong, because the estimate's waste percentage and line items were built against the original geometry as a whole.

Sketch My Roof accepts revision requests from the original delivery email, and a corrected report can be ordered the same way as the first one, by property address, with the correction noted in the order instructions. Published formats and prices: Standard ESX $19, Complex-roof ESX $25, PDF-only $25, ESX + PDF $29, delivered the same calendar day for orders placed before the 6 PM Eastern cutoff. You can

order a roof report by address the same way for the corrected version.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the single most common reason a reinspection turns up a discrepancy?
A pitch call that does not match the field reading. Because area is footprint multiplied by the pitch multiplier, a one-increment pitch difference changes the total squares on the estimate even when the footprint and facet count are both correct.
Should I edit the estimate quantities on site during a reinspection?
Only for a single disputed line item you can verify directly with a tape measure or pitch gauge. If the footprint, pitch, or facet count is wrong on more than one slope, order a corrected measurement report and rebuild the estimate from it instead of hand-editing multiple quantities.
What should the reconciliation note include?
For each item checked: what the original report or estimate stated, what you found in the field, and whether it matches, falls within a reasonable field tolerance, or is a real discrepancy requiring a corrected report or revised estimate. Attach dated, elevation-labeled photos to support each entry.
Do I need to bring the original photos or just take new ones?
Bring the original set for comparison and take new photos in addition to them, saved under a new file name and date. Overwriting the original photo set removes the before-and-after record the reinspection is supposed to produce.

Sources