Quick answerA sample ESX or XML roof file contains a sketch of the roof broken into faces, the pitch and area of each face, the eave, rake, ridge, hip, and valley lengths, and a summary block that Xactimate® or Symbility® reads to populate roofing line items. The ESX is built for Xactimate® import; the XML is built for Symbility® import. Neither file carries pricing on its own; the line items and unit costs come from the estimating platform's price list once the file is imported.

The two layers every roof file has

Strip away the file format and a roof measurement file has two layers. The first is a sketch layer: a set of roof faces (facets), each with an area, a pitch, and an orientation, connected by edges. The second is a measurement layer: the same roof expressed as totals, eave length, rake length, ridge length, hip length, valley length, plus a squares total with a waste table.

The ESX format packages both layers so Xactimate® can read the sketch directly into its own sketch tool and auto-populate roofing line items from the edge and area data. The XML format does the equivalent for Symbility®. A PDF carries the same numbers as a document, not as an importable sketch.

Sketch layer: faces, pitch, and the multiplier

Each face in the sketch carries a pitch expressed as rise over a 12 inch run, and that pitch drives a multiplier applied to the flat (footprint) area of the face to get true (sloped) area. The formula is: multiplier = square root of (rise squared plus run squared), divided by run. One roofing square equals 100 square feet. Area equals footprint multiplied by the multiplier, then divided by 100 for squares.

PitchMultiplier1,000 sq ft footprint -> true areaSquares (before waste)
4/121.0541,054 sq ft10.54
6/121.1181,118 sq ft11.18
8/121.2021,202 sq ft12.02
12/121.4141,414 sq ft14.14

Waste is added on top of these figures per the estimating platform's own waste calculation; the report's raw squares are pre-waste.

Measurement layer: what each length category drives

A sample file's summary page breaks total linear footage into categories. Each category exists because it maps to a specific trade line item once the file is imported, not because the report is trying to pad the page count.

Length categoryWhat it measuresTypical line item it feeds
EaveLower horizontal roof edgeDrip edge, gutter apron
RakeSloped roof edge at a gable endRake edge metal
RidgeHorizontal peak where two slopes meetRidge cap shingles or ridge vent
HipSloped peak where two slopes meet at an angleHip and ridge cap shingles
ValleyInside angle where two slopes meetValley metal or woven valley labor
Flashing lengthsStep flashing, wall flashing runsStep flashing, counterflashing line items

How the geometry becomes a line item

This is the part people mean when they ask what a sample file "hooks into." Xactimate® reads the ESX sketch and its face, edge, and area data, then lets the estimator apply those quantities to trade categories such as roofing, ridge cap, and drip edge from the price list already loaded in the estimate. Symbility® reads the XML equivalent and applies the same quantities to its own line item structure.

The file itself does not carry a price. It carries a quantity (area, squares, or linear feet) tied to a geometry category. The dollar amount is whatever unit cost is in the estimator's own price list at the time of import. Menus vary by version; verify the exact import path in your build against the vendor's own documentation before relying on a screenshot from an older release.

Reading the header and summary block

  • Property address and order or claim reference

    Confirms the file matches the risk before it goes anywhere near the estimate.

  • Total roof area and total squares, with and without waste

    This is the number the estimate's roofing line item quantity should match; a mismatch usually means the wrong waste percentage was applied downstream.

  • Predominant pitch and pitch breakdown by face

    Steep or cut-up sections may carry a different labor line item than the main slopes.

  • Facet count and total ridge/hip/valley/eave/rake lengths

    These feed the trim and flashing line items separately from the main roofing coverage line item.

  • Report or file date and format (ESX, XML, PDF)

    Confirms which application the file is built for before an import attempt fails on the wrong extension.

Opening one yourself

  1. Order a file for a real or test address

    Use a live order page such as Sketch My Roof roof measurement reports and pick the format the platform needs.

  2. Choose ESX, XML, or both

    Standard ESX is $19, Complex-roof ESX is $25, PDF-only is $25, and ESX plus PDF together is $29 on the sponsor's published menu; Symbility® XML is available with pricing shown on the order page.

  3. Open the delivered file in the target platform

    Import via the Sketch import option in Xactimate® or the equivalent import in Symbility®. Menus vary by version; verify the exact steps in your build against the vendor's help documentation.

  4. Compare the summary block to the imported sketch

    The squares, pitch, and length totals shown on the file's summary page should match what the platform displays once the sketch is in the estimate.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a sample ESX or XML file include pricing?
No. Both formats carry geometry and quantities, area, squares, and linear lengths by category. The dollar value comes from the price list already loaded in Xactimate® or Symbility® once the file is imported.
What is the difference between what the ESX and the XML contain?
Both carry the same two layers, a sketch of roof faces and a measurement summary. The ESX is packaged for Xactimate® import and the XML is packaged for Symbility® import; the underlying geometry categories, eave, rake, ridge, hip, and valley, are the same concept in either format.
Can I open an ESX file without Xactimate®?
The file is built to be read by Xactimate® through its Sketch import option. Opening it outside that platform will not give you an editable sketch; order the PDF or the ESX plus PDF format if you need a document version alongside the importable file.
Why do two files on the same roof show different squares?
Differences usually trace to whether waste has been added, how detached structures were included or excluded, or a difference in the predominant pitch used for the multiplier. Check the summary block's pre-waste and post-waste figures before assuming an error.
Does the file include photos of the roof?
That depends on the specific report format ordered; check the sponsor's facts page for what a given format includes before ordering, since the sketch and measurement layers are the core of every ESX and XML file regardless of format.

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