17 Roofing Line Items Carriers Almost Always Miss (and How to Get Them Paid)
By Kyle Hamrick, Founder
After thousands of supplements, the same line items keep disappearing from carrier estimates. Some are intentional. Carriers know contractors often won't fight them. Others are genuine adjusting oversights from people working too fast under too much claim volume. Either way, these are your dollars.
Here are the 17 items we see missed most consistently, with real explanations for why each one disappears and how to get it paid.
1. Starter Strip
Carriers routinely price starter as cut shingles from the main shingle bundle rather than a dedicated starter strip product. The actual cost difference is $0.80-$1.40/LF. On a typical home, that's $150-$300 in missed billing for one line item.
2. High-Profile Ridge Cap
When architectural (dimensional) shingles are installed, the code-compliant and manufacturer-required ridge cap is a hip-and-ridge product, not 3-tab cut-downs. Carriers routinely price the cheaper option, so the ridge line has to be corrected to the product the code and the manufacturer actually require.
3. Ice & Water Shield: Full Perimeter
Most carriers include minimal ice and water shield at valleys only. Current IRC code and many local amendments require ice and water at full eave and rake perimeters in applicable climate zones, so the code-required scope has to be measured against what the carrier actually wrote.
4. Step Flashing
Hail impact, wind uplift, and age all compromise step flashing at wall intersections and chimney bases. Carriers frequently scope partial step flashing or omit it entirely. Full replacement of step flashing at every wall intersection is the proper scope on most full re-roof jobs.
5. Steep Slope Charge
Pitches above 7:12 require additional labor for safety and installation efficiency. The surcharge brackets go to 12:12 and above. Carriers often use the wrong bracket or omit the surcharge entirely on complex multi-pitch roofs.
6. Renailing Sheathing
Many jurisdictions require renailing or re-securing the roof deck when shingles are removed during a replacement. This is a code upgrade trigger, and it's a real labor cost. Carriers almost never include it in initial estimates because it requires code knowledge to identify.
7. Cap Flashing
Cap flashing at chimneys, curbs, and penetrations is frequently listed as 'repair' when full replacement is the correct scope. If the flashing was penetrated by debris or has been in place through multiple storm events, replacement (not repair) is warranted.
8. Satellite Dish Detach and Reset
Dish removal is required to perform the roof work, and precise reinstallation is required so the homeowner doesn't lose signal. This is a legitimate detach-and-reset line item with real labor value. Carriers skip it on most claims.
9. Power Vent R&R
Power attic vents require removal and replacement, not just disconnection. The unit must be tested for function post-install. Many carriers list them as 'included' in the general roof scope, which isn't accurate estimating.
10. Drip Edge
Drip edge replacement is required by code when a full roof replacement is performed in most jurisdictions. Despite this, it disappears from carrier estimates with remarkable consistency. Current Xactimate pricing puts drip edge at $1.50-$2.50/LF, significant on a full perimeter.
11. Pipe Jacks and Boots
Rubber pipe boots crack and deteriorate with age and hail impact. On a full re-roof, replacement is warranted, not just reinstallation of old boots. Carriers often list pipe jacks as included in general labor. They're not. Each one is a separate R&R line item.
12. Continuous Ridge Vent
When a ridge vent is in place, full replacement on re-roof is the proper scope. Carriers frequently price ridge vent at a reduced rate or list it as 'included.' Current Xactimate pricing for continuous ridge vent is $4.50-$7.00/LF installed.
13. Waste Factor Correction
Many carrier estimates use a standard 10% waste factor regardless of roof geometry. Complex roofs with multiple valleys, hips, and dormers may carry materially more legitimate waste, so the waste factor has to be corrected to the actual geometry rather than left at the default.
14. Dumpster Upgrade
Carriers often include a basic haul-off allowance that doesn't reflect the actual dumpster cost for a full roof replacement. Price the disposal against a real quote for the job, and where the carrier allowance falls short of it, the difference is a valid supplement item.
15. Haul-Off / Debris Removal
Separate from the dumpster cost, labor for debris removal from the roof surface and around the perimeter is often underpriced. On large roofs, this is significant. Current Xactimate haul-off pricing should reflect actual market rates by zone.
16. OSB / Sheathing Replacement
Carriers frequently cap OSB replacement at 10% or less, regardless of what inspection reveals. When photos and inspection document soft spots, rotted sections, or hail-damaged sheathing across a larger percentage of the deck, the supplement should match what's actually there.
17. Gutters and Fascia
On full replacement claims, gutters and fascia are frequently scoped for repair when replacement is warranted. Gutters bent, dented, or separated by hail don't repair well. They need replacement. Per-LF carrier pricing should also be checked against current market rates.
What This Adds Up To
On a typical full-replacement hail job, 8-12 of these items are probably missing from the carrier's initial estimate. What that is worth on any given claim depends entirely on the scope, the carrier, and what the original estimate left out. On claims where the roof is already approved for full replacement, our own closed files show a median recovery of about $4,000, with half landing between roughly $1,800 and $9,500. Claims that start denied or repair-only run far higher.
Find out what's missing from your claims
Send us a carrier estimate. We'll audit it and show you every missed line item, with next-day turnaround.
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