Repair vs Replace: Documenting the Decision

Quick answerThe file needs a measured roof (total area, per-facet area, pitch, and facet count), a facet-by-facet damage record, and a written rationale that ties the two together, whether the outcome is a repair or a full replacement. Facet counts and measured slope areas do the heavy lifting: they show how much of the roof is affected and whether a repair can be matched and executed without disturbing undamaged planes. Build both a repair-scope version and a replacement-scope version of the estimate before you commit, so the file shows the decision was tested, not assumed.

Why this decision needs its own paper trail

A repair-vs-replace call is a judgment call built on facts that are checkable after the fact: roof area, facet count, slope-by-slope damage, and product availability. When the file only records the conclusion, a reinspection or appraisal has nothing to test. When the file records the measured inputs and the reasoning, the same reinspection either confirms the call or shows exactly where it needs to change.

This matters equally in both directions. A carrier that approves a repair without documenting facet-level findings invites a supplement for full replacement later. A carrier that approves full replacement without documenting why a repair would not hold invites a challenge on cost. The fix is the same file discipline either way.

What the file needs, regardless of which way it goes

Total roof area and per-facet area, from a measured source
Scope, waste factor, and material counts all trace back to area. If the area is disputed later, the whole estimate is exposed.
Facet count and a facet diagram or report page showing each plane labeled
Repair decisions live or die on how many facets are damaged versus undamaged, and whether a damaged facet can be isolated from the rest of the roof.
Pitch per facet or per roof section
Pitch changes the multiplier used to convert footprint to actual roof area, and steep or mixed-pitch roofs are read differently for repair feasibility.
Photos keyed to facet numbers, not just compass directions
A photo labeled to the report's facet ID lines up with the measured diagram; a photo labeled only "rear slope" does not survive a reinspection by someone else.
Product identification: manufacturer, line, and whether it is confirmed discontinued or unmatched
Repair feasibility usually turns on whether replacement shingles can be matched to what is already on the roof, not on damage severity alone.
A written rationale paragraph, dated and attributed to the writer
The measured facts support either outcome; the file needs a sentence that says which way the adjuster went and why, not just the numbers.
Both scope versions in Xactimate® or Symbility®, even if only one is submitted
Having a repair-scope estimate and a replacement-scope estimate built side by side shows the decision was tested against cost and scope, not picked first and justified after.

Roof area comes from a footprint multiplied by a pitch factor: area = footprint x multiplier, where multiplier = sqrt(rise^2 + run^2) / run. That multiplier is what turns a flat footprint into the actual sloped area a crew works on and a repair or tear-off has to cover.

Facet count and per-facet area answer a different question than total area: how much of the roof, and which planes, need to be touched. A roof with six facets and damage confirmed on two of them is a very different repair conversation than a roof with six facets and damage confirmed on five. The measured report gives you the facet total and the area of each one; the inspection gives you which facets carry damage. The file should show both, not just the aggregate square footage.

Pitch also affects the repair-versus-replace math directly. Steeper facets cost more per square to work and are harder to match seamlessly to an adjacent shallow section, which is one more reason to record pitch per facet rather than a single roof-average pitch.

Pitch	Multiplier (sqrt(rise^2+run^2)/run)	100 sq ft footprint becomes
4/12	1.054	105.4 sq ft
6/12	1.118	111.8 sq ft
8/12	1.202	120.2 sq ft
12/12	1.414	141.4 sq ft

Apply this per facet, not just to the whole roof footprint, when facets have different pitches. A measured report that lists pitch and area facet by facet lets you do this without remeasuring in the field.

Building the repair file

A repair file needs to answer three questions on paper: which facets are damaged, can the product be matched, and can a crew reach and replace those facets without disturbing the rest of the roof. Cite the facet count and per-facet area from the measured report, then map confirmed damage onto that same facet numbering so anyone reading the file later can see the overlap.

Note product line and confirm whether matching shingles are available. If matching is uncertain, say so in the file and note what would change the outcome (a manufacturer confirmation, a different lot, and so on). Build the repair scope in Xactimate® or Symbility® using the measured per-facet area so waste factor and material counts are not eyeballed from a total roof number.

Building the replacement file

A full-replacement file needs the same measured area and facet data, plus the reasoning for why a repair will not hold: damage spread across most or all facets, confirmed discontinued product, functional issues found across multiple planes, or a structural finding that affects the whole roof rather than one section. State the reasoning plainly rather than leaving replacement to be inferred from the estimate line total.

Use the full measured area, including all facets, for the replacement scope, and keep the facet-level detail in the file even though the outcome no longer needs facet-by-facet isolation. That detail is what shows the replacement decision was reached by ruling out repair, not by skipping the repair analysis altogether.

Writing the decision into the file: a workable sequence

Pull the measured report
Start from the ordered roof report so total area, facet count, and per-facet pitch are set before the inspection findings are added. This keeps the geometry consistent across the repair and replacement versions of the estimate.
Map inspection findings to facet numbers
Record confirmed damage against the facet IDs on the report, not against compass directions alone, so the damage map and the measured diagram are the same document.
Build both scope versions
In Xactimate® or Symbility®, build the repair-scope estimate and the replacement-scope estimate using the same measured areas. Menus vary by version; verify the sketch-import and facet-selection steps in your build before relying on them.
Write the rationale paragraph
State which outcome the file supports and why, referencing the facet count and area figures directly: for example, how many facets carry confirmed damage out of the total, and whether matching product is confirmed available.
File both versions and the rationale together
Keep the unused scope version in the file rather than deleting it. It is the record that the decision was tested against the alternative, which is what a reinspection or appraisal panel will look for first.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the measured report itself make the repair-or-replace call?

No. The measured report gives total area, facet count, and pitch. The call still depends on inspection findings, matched with those facets, plus product availability. The report is the geometry the decision is built on, not the decision.

How many damaged facets typically push a file toward replacement?

There is no fixed threshold to cite; it depends on roof layout, whether damaged facets can be isolated from undamaged ones, and whether product can be matched. Document facet count and damage location and let the rationale paragraph state the reasoning for this specific roof rather than relying on a rule of thumb.

Should I build the estimate I am not going to submit?

Yes, and keep it in the file. A repair-scope and a replacement-scope estimate built from the same measured areas show the decision was tested against the alternative, which holds up better under reinspection or appraisal than a single estimate with no comparison behind it.

Where does a measured roof report fit into this if I am ordering one for the file?

Order it by property address before the inspection findings are finalized, so the facet numbering and per-facet area are already set: see Sketch My Roof roof measurement reports for the residential order page and format options.

Sources

Standard ESX $19, Complex-roof ESX $25, PDF-only $25, ESX + PDF $29; order by address; same calendar day delivery before the 6 PM Eastern cutoff: Sketch My Roof residential order page (as of August 2026)
Measured roof report facet and area detail intended for adjuster use: Sketch My Roof: roof measurements for adjusters (as of August 2026)
Roof pitch multiplier formula: sqrt(rise^2 + run^2) / run, used to convert footprint to actual roof area per facet: Xactimate® official documentation (Xactware Help Center) (as of August 2026)
Estimating procedures for scope built in Symbility® follow CoreLogic's published claims documentation: Symbility® / CoreLogic claims documentation (as of August 2026)

Repair vs replace: documenting the decision