How do you read an Xactimate roof estimate from your insurance company?

Estimates and Payments · Updated October 13, 2026

Short answer. An Xactimate roof estimate is a list of line items, each with a description, a quantity in a unit such as SQ (100 square feet), LF (linear feet) or EA (each), a unit price from a regional monthly price list, and columns for tax, depreciation and value. Read it by checking that every slope, both the removal and the replacement lines, waste, accessories and labor charges match the roof you actually have.

What Xactimate is, and where its prices come from

Xactimate is estimating software published by Verisk, and it is the format most insurance carriers use to price property claims. Verisk says its cost data is used by insurers responsible for at least one of every two property claims in the United States and Canada, so there is a good chance your roof estimate came out of it.

The prices are not national averages. Verisk publishes separate price lists for more than 460 market areas, mapped by ZIP code, built from surveys of local suppliers, contractors and recently submitted estimates. Lists are published monthly, and as often as every two weeks when a disaster moves prices quickly. Xactware's help center confirms that price lists are area-specific, which is also how local sales tax is applied.

So the first thing to check is the price list named on the estimate, usually a short code on the cover or summary page that identifies the region and the month and year. If it points to the wrong area, or months have passed since the estimate was written, it is fair to ask whether it should be repriced. Verisk itself describes its numbers as a reported market price that estimators can accept or adjust, not a fixed rate.

The anatomy of a line item

Each line follows the same pattern. Descriptions are written in plain words, such as removing laminated shingles, installing drip edge or replacing a pipe boot. The columns usually include:

Column	What it means	What to check
Description	The task and material	Is every part of your roof represented?
Quantity and unit	How much, in SQ, LF, EA or SF	Do quantities match real measurements?
Unit price	From the area and month price list	Right region and month?
Tax	Sales tax, usually on materials	Applied where materials are used
RCV	Quantity times price, plus tax	Math adds up
Depreciation	Age and life used, as a percent	Is the roof's age right?
ACV	RCV minus depreciation	Matches the payment letter

Units: SQ, LF, EA and SF

SQ, a square, is 100 square feet of roof surface. Shingles, underlayment, tear-off and steep or high charges are priced this way. For scale, GAF's installation sheet for its Timberline HDZ line says three bundles cover 98.4 square feet, roughly one square.
LF, linear feet, is used for anything measured along an edge or line: drip edge, starter, ridge cap, hip and ridge vent, valley metal and often flashing.
EA, each, is used for counted items: pipe boots, box vents, exhaust caps, and detach and reset of things like a satellite dish.
SF, square feet, sometimes shows up for decking replacement or self-adhered membrane.

How those measurements are taken matters. The Georgia Roof Guide explains how roofers measure a roof, which is the easiest way to sanity-check your squares.

Remove versus replace

Roof work is usually split into a removal line and an installation line, or combined as remove and replace. Look for:

A tear-off line for each layer. The International Residential Code, at R908.3, says a roof replacement removes existing coverings down to the deck. If your house has two layers of shingles, there should be a removal line for the additional layer.
Disposal. Debris removal or a dumpster line.
Detach and reset items. Gutter guards, satellite dishes or solar equipment that must come off and go back on.

Waste: the line most often misunderstood

Removal is figured on the measured roof area, because you only tear off what is there. New shingles are figured on the measured area plus a waste allowance, because shingles get cut at every hip, valley, rake and dormer. A simple gable roof wastes little. A cut-up hip roof with valleys wastes much more. If the new shingle quantity equals the measured area exactly, waste was likely left out. Also check that starter and ridge cap, if listed separately, are not also being counted as waste.

Labor modifiers: steep, high and minimum charges

Separate lines add labor for steep slopes and for roofs high enough to need extra safety setup, applied only to the squares on the affected slopes. These depend on the adjuster recording the pitch of each slope and the number of stories, so look at the photo report or diagram for those notes. Small jobs may also carry minimum charges for trades that come out for a single item.

The summary page

The last page pulls everything together: line item total, material sales tax, overhead and profit if applied, total replacement cost, recoverable and non-recoverable depreciation, the deductible, prior payments and the net claim. Xactware's documentation shows the estimator chooses what depreciation applies to, including materials, labor and other non-material costs, removal, tax and overhead and profit, so read the depreciation lines closely. The check you receive should equal RCV minus depreciation, minus the deductible, minus anything already paid. For how the markup line is decided, see overhead and profit on roof claims, and for the depreciation math, ACV vs RCV.

A ten-minute review checklist

Total squares and slopes match your roofer's measurements, including porch, garage and dormer roofs.
Every layer has a removal line.
Drip edge, starter at eaves and rakes, ridge cap, vents, pipe boots, flashing and any membrane are listed.
Steep and high charges appear on the right slopes.
Shingle quantity includes waste.
The price list matches your area and a reasonable month.
The roof age used for depreciation is correct.
Any decision on overhead and profit is explained.

The NAIC suggests asking the adjuster for an itemized explanation of the settlement offer, and anything missing can be added through a supplement.

The fastest way to review an estimate is to set it beside a second one written the same way. Robust Roofing's licensed staff adjuster scopes every claim roof in this same line-item format, so you see exactly which lines differ and why, instead of comparing a contractor's lump sum to a 10-page printout. It is one reason North Georgia homeowners rate Robust 5.0 across 66 Google reviews. Its guide on reading a roofing estimate line by line is a good companion to this page.

Common questions

What does SQ mean on a roofing estimate?

SQ stands for square, which is 100 square feet of roof surface. Shingles, underlayment, tear-off and steep or high labor charges are usually priced per square.

What do LF and EA mean on a roof estimate?

LF is linear feet, used for edge items like drip edge, starter, ridge cap and flashing. EA means each, used for counted items like pipe boots, vents and exhaust caps.

Why is the shingle quantity higher than my roof's measured area?

Because new shingles include a waste allowance for cutting at hips, valleys, rakes and dormers. Tear-off is figured on the measured area alone, since you only remove what is there.

Are Xactimate prices the same everywhere?

No. Verisk publishes separate price lists for more than 460 areas, mapped by ZIP code and updated monthly, so the same line item can be priced differently in Atlanta and in another market.

Can an Xactimate estimate be changed?

Yes. The prices are a starting point that estimators can adjust, and missing items or wrong quantities can be added through a supplement with supporting photos and measurements.