The Xactimate line items most worth checking against on a roofing claim are starter strip, drip edge, ice-and-water shield at valleys and eaves, ridge cap, step and counter flashing, pipe-jack boots, kick-out flashing, roof-to-wall flashing, detach-and-reset of satellite dishes and gutters, steep- and high-roof charges, and code-required upgrades like drip edge and underlayment per IRC R905. Each item needs a photo, a quantity tied to the measurement report, and a code or manufacturer citation to survive desk review.
- →First-pass estimates often price shingles and little else — the money is in the accessories
- →Every supplement line needs three things: photo, measured quantity, citation
- →IRC R905 and manufacturer install instructions are your citation backbone
- →Steep/high charges and detach-and-resets are legitimate scope, not padding
- →RoofGenius flags candidate missing items from the estimate PDF automatically
How to use this checklist
This is a check-against list, not a bill-everything list. Pull the carrier's estimate, walk each category below, and ask one question per item: is it in scope, and if it's needed, is it priced? Only supplement what's real — items you can photograph, measure, and cite. Estimates that overreach get clawed back and cost you credibility with the desk.
The supplement checklist by category
Starter, edge, and underlayment
- Starter strip at eaves and rakes — manufacturer instructions require it; check linear feet against the eave+rake totals
- Drip edge at eaves and rakes — required by IRC R905.2.8.5 in adopted editions; check LF against the measurement report
- Ice-and-water shield at valleys, eaves (where code requires), and penetrations — check valley LF and climate-zone eave requirements
- Underlayment — felt or synthetic; verify squares match the measured roof area, not just the shingle squares
- Valley metal or woven valley material where applicable
Flashing and penetrations
- Step flashing at every sidewall — count the courses from photos
- Counter flashing and chimney cricket where required by dimension
- Kick-out flashing at roof-to-wall terminations — commonly omitted, commonly the leak source
- Pipe-jack boots — one per penetration; check the count against roof photos
- Roof-to-wall flashing on split-level transitions
- Skylight reflashing or replacement when the unit is disturbed
Ridge, vents, and finishing
- Ridge cap shingles — check LF against measured ridge and hip totals
- Ridge vent — LF, plus end caps and connectors
- Box vents, turbines, or power vents — count and type
- Paint/stain of flashings and stacks where matching is required
Labor conditions and detach-and-reset
- Steep-roof charge for pitches at or above the threshold in the estimate's own pricing logic
- High-roof charge for two-story-plus access
- Detach and reset satellite dishes, gutters, and downspouts where removal is necessary to roof correctly
- Tear-off of additional layers discovered at removal — document layer count with photos at the edge
- Debris haul and dump fees where local disposal costs apply
- Permit fees where the jurisdiction requires them
The citation backbone
A supplement line without a citation is a negotiation; with one, it's documentation. Anchor each category to (1) the adopted IRC section — R905.2.8.5 for drip edge is the classic example, (2) the shingle manufacturer's published installation instructions, which most warranties require to be followed, and (3) the measurement report quantities so the desk can verify LF and squares against an independent source. RoofGenius supplement letters assemble these citations per line item automatically.
Documentation rules that survive desk review
- Photograph every item before tear-off and again during — condition and cause
- Tie every quantity to the measurement report, never a rounded guess
- One line item, one photo, one citation — bundle nothing
- Write in estimate language: match the carrier's own category and unit conventions
- Keep the letter short: item, quantity, citation, photo reference. Argument goes in a follow-up call, not the PDF
Run the checklist automatically
Upload the carrier's estimate PDF and RoofGenius flags candidate missing items against your measurement report, drafts the supplement letter with citations, and keeps every claim in one workspace. See how AI supplements work or pick a plan.