This guide covers why each item can be missed and what documents it. It's about the scope of the work you perform. Whether an item is covered is the carrier's decision.
Why items go missing on a first scope
A first estimate can be written from a single inspection, sometimes before the full measurement report is in, and before tear-off.
Edge and intersection items are hard to quantify from the ground. Some get treated as part of the shingle line instead of as items of their own. Conditions under the old roof only show once it's off. That's why each line needs its own support.
Drip edge at eaves and rakes, unit: LF
- Why it gets missed
- An older roof may not have had drip edge, so nothing is there to replace. Or the eaves get counted and the rakes don't.
- What supports it
- 2021 IRC R905.2.8.5, where adopted locally, requires drip edge at the eaves and rake edges of shingle roofs, and sets laps, fastening and underlayment order. States and cities can amend this section, for example to tie it to the manufacturer's instructions, so cite the version adopted where the house is. Also cite the shingle manufacturer's instructions.
- Document it with
- Eave and rake lengths from the measurement report, kept as separate figures. Close-ups of both edges showing what's there now.
Starter course, unit: LF
- Why it gets missed
- It gets assumed into the shingle waste, or treated as field shingles cut down.
- What supports it
- 2021 IRC R905.1, where adopted locally, requires roof coverings to be applied per the manufacturer's installation instructions, and the shingle manufacturer's instructions set out the starter course where the product calls for one. Some product lines call for starter along the rakes as well as the eaves. Check the instructions for the shingle and starter you're installing.
- Document it with
- Eave length (and rake length, where the instructions call for it), and the starter product named in your notes.
- Check
- How waste and starter interact in your estimating setup, so starter isn't counted twice. A double-counted item can cost the whole file credibility.
Ice and water barrier, unit: SF / SQ
- Why it gets missed
- Whether the eaves need it depends on the jurisdiction. Valleys depend on the manufacturer. And the quantity can be figured at one course when the overhang calls for more.
- What supports it
- 2021 IRC R905.1.2, where adopted locally: in areas the jurisdiction designates as having a history of ice forming along the eaves, an ice barrier (a self-adhering membrane or two cemented layers of underlayment) runs from the lowest roof edges to a point at least 24 inches inside the exterior wall line. Some jurisdictions don't require it at all. For valleys and low-slope areas, cite the manufacturer's instructions.
- Document it with
- The local designation (or a note from the building department), and a photo of the overhang depth with a tape at the soffit. Where an ice barrier is required, the overhang sets how far up the slope it has to run. Add valley lengths from the measurement report.
Ridge cap, unit: LF
- Why it gets missed
- It gets folded into the field shingle count, or written as shingles cut from the field when the shingle line calls for its own hip and ridge product.
- What supports it
- The manufacturer's instructions. Some shingle lines name compatible hip and ridge products, and those products carry their own installation instructions (exposure, fastening, order of hips and ridge). R905.1 ties installation to those instructions where adopted.
- Document it with
- Ridge and hip lengths from the measurement report, photos of the ridge and hips, and the ridge vent type if there is one.
Step and counter flashing, unit: LF
- Why it gets missed
- Wall flashing sits under siding or behind counter flashing, so it looks fine from the ground and gets marked as reuse. The siding or stucco work needed to replace it isn't considered.
- What supports it
- 2021 IRC R903.2.1, where adopted locally, calls for flashing at wall and roof intersections, at changes in roof slope or direction, and around roof openings. R905.2.8.3, where adopted, covers base flashing against a vertical sidewall: continuous or step flashing, with the vertical leg continuous under the siding where there is siding. Where the shingle manufacturer's flashing details call for step flashing, cite them too.
- Document it with
- Wall flashing lengths from the measurement report, and photos of every roof-to-wall line, chimney side and headwall, including the wall finish above it. The finish decides whether siding must be detached to replace the flashing. Reuse depends on condition and the manufacturer's instructions, so photograph the existing flashing close up.
Pipe jacks and vent flashing, unit: EA
- Why it gets missed
- Penetrations are small in the photos, get counted from the ground, or get marked as reuse without their type or condition noted.
- What supports it
- R903.2.1 (flashing around roof openings, where adopted), and the manufacturer's instructions for the roof system and the flashing product.
- Document it with
- One close-up per penetration showing type and condition (lead, neoprene boot, pipe size), plus a count that matches the photos. Do the same for box vents, exhaust caps and turbines.
Steep and high-roof charges, unit: SQ
- Why it gets missed
- Pitch gets judged from the ground or from one facet, two-story eaves aren't noted, or the charge is applied to one phase of the work but not the other.
- What supports it
- These aren't code items. They're price-list labor adjustments for slope and height. Confirm the pitch bands, height thresholds, and how tear-off and installation are split in your platform's current price list, not from memory.
- Document it with
- Pitch by facet from the measurement report, a pitch gauge photo on each steep slope, and the squares on those facets only. For height, add elevation photos showing story count and eave height, plus access notes.
Waste, unit: %
- Why it gets missed
- A flat percentage gets applied whatever the roof's shape, when hips, valleys, dormers and short runs all add cutting.
- What supports it
- The roof's geometry. Some measurement reports include a waste table based on that geometry, and sketch-based estimates can calculate waste from the roof as drawn.
- Document it with
- The report's waste table or your sketch, the facet count, and hip and valley lengths. Say in your notes which waste figure you used and why. Apply waste to the field shingles in line with your platform's method, and keep starter and ridge cap as their own lines.
Detach and reset: gutters and roof-mounted items, unit: LF / EA
- Why it gets missed
- These items aren't roofing, so they sit outside a roof-only first scope even when the roof work can't be done without them.
- Gutters (LF)
- Where gutters are fastened through or tight against the eave edge, replacing the drip edge can mean detaching and resetting them. Photograph the hanger type and how the gutter meets the edge, and take the length from the eave measurement.
- Satellite dishes and antennas (EA)
- If one is mounted on a slope being replaced, it has to come off and go back. Photograph the mount and its location on the slope.
- Solar
- Usually needs a qualified solar contractor. Document it as that trade, and only if it's in your scope.
Before an item goes on the estimate
Checklist / Before an item goes on5 items
- It's work your company will actually perform
- The quantity comes from the measurement report or a measured sketch
- At least one photo shows the location and the current condition
- The citation is the code edition adopted locally, or the manufacturer's instructions for the product you're installing
- It isn't already counted in another line (waste, starter, ridge)
| Line item | Unit | Code reference (2021 IRC, where adopted locally) | Measurement | Photos |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drip edge | LF | R905.2.8.5 | Eaves + rakes | Both edges |
| Starter | LF | R905.1 → manufacturer | Eaves (+ rakes if specified) | Edge detail |
| Ice and water barrier | SF / SQ | R905.1.2 (where designated); manufacturer for valleys | Eaves, overhang depth, valleys | Soffit with tape, valleys |
| Ridge cap | LF | R905.1 → manufacturer | Ridges + hips | Ridge, hips, vent |
| Step / counter flashing | LF | R903.2.1, R905.2.8.3 | Wall flashing | Every wall line, wall finish |
| Pipe jacks / vent flashing | EA | R903.2.1 | Count | One per penetration |
| Steep / high charges | SQ | None (price-list item) | Pitch by facet, squares per facet | Pitch gauge, elevations |
| Waste | % | None | Report waste table or sketch | Overview of every slope |
| Detach and reset | LF / EA | None | Eave length, count | Hangers, mounts |
To gather all of this in one pass on the roof, use the file checklist.
Scope, not coverage
A code section or manufacturer instruction shows what the work requires. It doesn't decide what a policy pays for: that decision belongs to the carrier, and coverage questions go to the carrier, a licensed public adjuster or an attorney. Keep the file to the work you perform, documented so a reviewer can check every line without calling you.
Need the estimate itself written first? Xactimate and Symbility estimates.
Sources
- International Code Council, 2021 International Residential Code, Chapter 9 (Roof Assemblies): R903.2.1 Locations (flashing); R905.1 Roof covering application; R905.1.2 Ice barriers; R905.2.8.3 Sidewall flashing; R905.2.8.5 Drip edge. Check the edition and amendments adopted in your jurisdiction. codes.iccsafe.org (opens in a new tab)
- Owens Corning, DecoRidge hip and ridge shingle installation instructions, an example of a separate hip and ridge instruction sheet. owenscorning.com (opens in a new tab)
- The manufacturer's installation instructions for each shingle, starter, hip and ridge, underlayment and flashing product installed.
- Your estimating platform's current price list, for steep and high-roof charge definitions.
These guides document the scope of work a contractor performs. They aren't coverage or legal advice.