Quick answerA stated accuracy claim on a roof measurement report describes how closely the reported geometry (pitch, facets, total area) matches the roof at the time the report was produced, and it is defined in the provider's published terms, not printed as a single percentage on every file. Verify it by checking the pitch used, the facet-level breakdown, and the total area against a footprint calculation before you build the estimate. If a figure is wrong, request a correction under the provider's revision terms rather than reordering from scratch.

What a stated accuracy claim actually covers

A roof measurement report is a snapshot of geometry: footprint, pitch per facet, ridges, valleys, hips, eaves, and the total measured area those produce. When a provider states its report is accurate, that claim is about how the reported geometry compares to the roof as it exists, not a guarantee that nothing has changed since the report was built, and not a statement about storm damage, decking condition, or code compliance.

Two reports built from the same address on different dates can differ slightly if the roof itself changed, or if one report used a different pitch reading on a facet. Neither difference means one report is "wrong" in a legal sense; it means the accuracy claim applies to the geometry as captured, on that date.

Xactimate® and Symbility® both treat the imported roof data as a starting point for the estimate, not a substitute for the adjuster's judgment about what is claim-related. The report's job is to get the geometry right; the estimate's job is to decide what to do with it.

Where the accuracy claim actually lives

  • Published terms on the provider's order or facts page

    This is where turnaround, format, and revision policy are stated in writing. A verbal or sales-page claim that is not on the order terms is not something you can point to later.

  • Pitch shown per facet, not just an overall average

    A single blended pitch across a cut-up roof hides the facets that actually drive waste and material quantities.

  • Facet count and total measured area, both stated

    Total area alone does not let you sanity-check the report; facet count lets you compare against a field walk facet by facet.

  • Date the report was produced

    Accuracy is a claim about the roof as of that date. A report ordered before a storm event does not speak to post-storm conditions.

  • Correction or revision policy stated on the order page

    If the policy is not published, you have no defined path to fix a figure that does not match the field.

The math behind the total area figure

Every roof measurement report is built from the same underlying formula, and you can reconstruct it yourself as a check. The pitch multiplier is sqrt(rise^2 + run^2) / run, and area equals the flat footprint multiplied by that factor. One roofing square is 100 square feet.

Use this to sanity-check a report: measure or confirm the footprint, apply the stated pitch, and see whether the result lands close to the report's total area. A large gap on a simple gable roof is worth a question; on a complex hip-and-valley roof, facet-by-facet pitch differences will explain most of the spread.

PitchMultiplier (sqrt(rise²+run²)/run)Area from a 1,000 sq ft footprintSquares
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 factor is added on top of the measured area in the estimate; it is not part of the report's stated accuracy and should never be blended into the reported total.

Verifying a report against the field

  1. Confirm the pitch per facet

    Compare the report's per-facet pitch against a field reading on at least the main slopes. A one-step difference (say 5/12 read as 6/12) changes total area more than most adjusters expect.

  2. Count facets against the field walk

    Match the report's facet count to what you saw on site, including dormers, bay windows, and any additions. A missed facet undercounts area; an extra facet from a shadow or overhang read as a break overcounts it.

  3. Recompute total area from the footprint

    Apply the pitch multiplier table above to the footprint area and compare to the report's stated total. Expect close agreement on simple roofs and more variance on cut-up roofs where pitch varies by facet.

  4. Separate waste factor from measured area

    The report states measured area. Waste factor is an estimating decision layered on top in Xactimate® or Symbility®, not a property of the report itself.

  5. Document any discrepancy before you build the estimate

    If a figure does not reconcile, note the specific facet and measurement in the claim file, then request a correction under the provider's revision policy rather than adjusting the number yourself in the estimate.

How corrections work

Sketch My Roof, the site sponsor, publishes its revision terms on the order page: corrections and revisions are available from the delivery email, there is no subscription and no minimum order, and reports are ordered by address with no site visit required. If a measurement needs to be corrected after delivery, the revision path starts from that delivery email rather than a new order.

The published format lineup is ESX for Xactimate®, XML for Symbility®, and PDF for the file exhibit, with Xactimate® Integration ordering available for Verisk™ desks. Confirm the current price and format list on the order page before you order, since the published menu is the authoritative figure: Standard ESX $19, Complex-roof ESX $25, PDF-only $25, ESX + PDF $29.

You can order a roof report by address and treat the delivery email as the record of both the report and the path to any correction.

Reading the figures once they are imported

Once the ESX or XML file is imported, the roof facets and their pitch and area populate the estimate through the Sketch import option; menus vary by version, so verify the exact path in your build against Xactimate®'s official help documentation or the Symbility® / CoreLogic claims documentation before relying on a specific click path.

The imported figures carry the same accuracy claim as the source report. If you correct a figure after import, correct it at the report level through the provider's revision process so the claim file and the estimate stay consistent, rather than hand-editing only the estimate.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a stated accuracy claim mean the report is guaranteed to match every field measurement?
No. It means the reported geometry, pitch, facets, and total area reflect the roof as captured on the report's production date, under the provider's published terms. It is not a warranty against site conditions that changed afterward or against a field reading taken with different tools.
How do I check a report's total area without a site visit?
Confirm the footprint and the stated pitch per facet, then apply the pitch multiplier (sqrt(rise squared plus run squared) divided by run) to the footprint area. The result should land close to the report's stated total; a large gap points to a facet or pitch that needs a second look.
What is the difference between waste factor and the report's measured area?
The report states measured area, the roof as it is. Waste factor is a percentage added on top during estimating in Xactimate® or Symbility® to account for cuts and offcuts. Confusing the two overstates or understates the material quantity in the estimate.
What do I do if a figure on the report does not match the field?
Document the specific facet and measurement in the claim file, then request a correction through the provider's revision policy, typically starting from the delivery email, rather than editing the number directly in the estimate.
Is a PDF report held to a different accuracy standard than an ESX file?
No. Both formats are generated from the same underlying measurement data; the format only changes which application reads the file (Xactimate® reads ESX, Symbility® reads XML, the claim file reads PDF). The accuracy claim applies to the underlying geometry, not the file type.

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