Total area, squares, and the pitch multiplier
Every report opens with a summary: total roof area in square feet, the same figure converted to squares (1 square equals 100 square feet), a predominant or overall pitch, and a facet count. The area figure is not the building's flat footprint. It is the footprint multiplied by a pitch multiplier that accounts for slope, because a sloped plane covers more surface than the flat area beneath it.
The formula is: pitch multiplier equals the square root of (rise squared plus run squared), divided by run. Area equals footprint multiplied by that multiplier. The table below gives the multiplier at four common pitches so you can check any report's math by hand.
| Pitch | Multiplier | 1,000 sq ft footprint becomes |
|---|---|---|
| 4/12 | 1.054 | 1,054 sq ft (10.54 squares) |
| 6/12 | 1.118 | 1,118 sq ft (11.18 squares) |
| 8/12 | 1.202 | 1,202 sq ft (12.02 squares) |
| 12/12 | 1.414 | 1,414 sq ft (14.14 squares) |
Facet-level detail: area and pitch per facet, not just per roof
Below the summary, a full report breaks the roof into individual facets, usually numbered to match a diagram key, each with its own area and its own pitch. A hip roof with a 6/12 field and a 12/12 dormer face needs both pitches identified separately, because the multiplier and the resulting square count are different for each plane.
This matters in Xactimate® because steep-slope and multi-story labor items are commonly written at a different rate than the field, and the estimate needs to know which squares those rates apply to. A single roof-wide pitch on the summary line is not enough to price a cut-up roof correctly.
Every report element and what it drives in the estimate
This is the working table. Read down the left column against a report you already have; the right column is what that number changes in the estimate.
| Report element | What it is | What it drives in the estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Total area / squares | Footprint x pitch multiplier, summed across all facets | Shingle, underlayment, and starter quantities |
| Facet count and per-facet area/pitch | Individual plane area and slope | Steep-slope and multi-story labor line items; per-facet waste |
| Ridge length | Horizontal peak where two facets meet at the top | Ridge cap quantity (linear feet) |
| Hip length | Sloped external corner where two facets meet | Hip and ridge cap quantity, often combined with ridge on the report |
| Valley length | Sloped internal corner where two facets meet | Valley metal or ice-and-water quantity |
| Eave length | Lower horizontal edge of a facet | Drip edge and starter course quantity |
| Rake length | Sloped edge of a facet at a gable end | Rake drip edge and trim quantity |
| Step flashing length | Roof-to-wall intersection along a sloped edge (dormers, chimneys) | Step flashing piece count / bundle quantity |
| Wall flashing length | Roof-to-wall intersection along a level run (parapets, sidewalls) | Counterflashing or wall flashing quantity |
| Waste table | Base squares recalculated at several waste percentages | Total material ordered once a waste rate is selected |
Waste tables: turning base squares into ordered material
The waste table is not a single number added at the end. It is base squares recalculated at a set of percentages, so the estimate can select the rate that matches the roof's cut complexity without a new order. The formula is: total squares equal base squares multiplied by (1 plus waste percentage).
Example: a report shows 22.36 base squares (a 2,000 sq ft footprint at 6/12 pitch, per the multiplier table above). The table below shows what that becomes at common waste rates.
| Waste rate | Total squares to order |
|---|---|
| 0% | 22.36 |
| 10% | 24.60 |
| 12% | 25.04 |
| 15% | 25.71 |
| 20% | 26.83 |
Waste rate selection is an estimating decision, not a report decision. The report should give you enough columns that you never need to reorder just to check a different rate.
Step flashing and wall flashing: the lines adjusters miss
Step flashing lengths apply where a sloped roof edge meets a vertical wall, most often at dormers, chimneys, and additions. Wall flashing lengths apply where a level roof edge meets a vertical wall, most often parapets and sidewalls. Both are reported as linear feet, separate from eave and rake, because they price as flashing line items, not trim.
When a claim needs a full facade or elevation take-off rather than roof-only flashing lengths, that is a separate report type. Published pricing for that product runs $45 to $65 by format, for roofs under 30 squares, with 48-hour turnaround.
How each line becomes an Xactimate® or Symbility® estimate item
An ESX file typically enters Xactimate® via the Sketch import option; menus vary by version, so verify the exact path in your build. Once imported, facet area and pitch populate the roof sketch and its associated line items, ridge/hip/valley lengths populate cap and flashing quantities, and the waste percentage sets the overwrite rate on the roofing category. XML files move into Symbility® through its own import routine, with the same caveat that menu paths vary by build.
Files that carry through the assignment side of a claim often surface again in XactAnalysis® for tracking, so the accuracy of the underlying roof data affects more than the first estimate draft. For the current, official steps in either platform, use the vendor's own documentation rather than a screenshot from an old version.
Reading a report before you import it
The published terms behind these figures, including format options and turnaround, are set out on the Sketch My Roof roof measurement reports facts page. If you need a report to check the anatomy above against a live file, you can order a roof report by address.
- Confirm the summary total equals the sum of the facet areas
Catches a unit or rounding error before it reaches the estimate.
- Confirm each facet lists its own pitch, not one roof-wide figure
Multi-pitch roofs need per-facet pitch for correct steep-slope pricing and waste.
- Confirm the waste table includes the percentage your estimate will actually use
Avoids a reorder just to add one missing column.
- Confirm step and wall flashing appear as their own lines, not folded into eave or rake totals
Keeps flashing quantities from washing out into trim line items.
- Confirm the property address on the report matches the loss address exactly
The single most common cause of a corrected reorder.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between footprint and total area on a roof measurement report?
Why does a report show waste at more than one percentage?
Are hip and ridge lengths reported separately?
Does a standard roof report include wall or parapet flashing?
How do ridge, hip, and valley lengths turn into material line items?
Sources
- Xactimate® import procedures and roofing line item structure: Xactware Help Center (as of August 2026)
- Symbility®/CoreLogic claims documentation for XML import and roofing categories: CoreLogic claims documentation (as of August 2026)
- Pitch multiplier formula and derived table (4/12 = 1.054, 6/12 = 1.118, 8/12 = 1.202, 12/12 = 1.414): Roof geometry reference, Xactware Help Center (as of August 2026)
- Published formats, terms, and pricing for roof measurement reports: Sketch My Roof service facts page (as of August 2026)
- Wall/elevation report pricing ($45 to $65 by format, under 30 squares, 48-hour turnaround): Sketch My Roof wall report order page (as of August 2026)
