What is a roofing supplement company?

A roofing supplement company reviews insurance carrier estimates, identifies missing or underpaid line items, writes a supplemental Xactimate estimate, and submits it to the carrier for additional payment. The Estimate Company is run by licensed independent adjusters who know exactly what carriers look for.

How does Xactimate supplementing work for roofing contractors?

Xactimate supplementing starts when a roofing contractor sends us the carrier's initial estimate. We review every line item against current price lists and manufacturer requirements, identify underpaid or missing items, write an updated Xactimate estimate with F9 notes and photo documentation, and submit it to the insurance carrier. We follow up 2-3 times per week until the supplement is approved.

What states do you write roofing supplements in?

The Estimate Company holds active insurance adjuster licenses in South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Texas, and Alabama. We write Xactimate supplements and insurance estimates for roofing contractors across all 50 states.

How fast is your Xactimate turnaround?

We submit supplements to the desk adjuster within 24 hours of receiving the file — every time. Most other supplement companies take 5-7 business days. Our next-day turnaround is standard, not a premium.

What is your fee for roofing supplement services?

We charge 15% of the supplemental recovery — the difference we recover beyond the carrier's initial payout. You pay nothing unless we recover more for you. For contractors sending 2+ claims per week, we guarantee a minimum of six figures in additional margins over 12 months, or we write you a $5,000 check.

Why did you start The Estimate Company?

Seven years ago, we saw a shift coming to the industry where contractors were going to have the opportunity to capture more business through insurance repair relationships. We also saw a clear gap between what insurance companies were paying and what they should be paying. Legitimate items are left off estimates constantly — code upgrades, missing line items, manufacturer standards. We built a due-diligence process to comb through every estimate and include every line item that's warranted. Nothing more, nothing less.

← Blog

Retail Estimate vs Insurance Estimate: What's the Difference?

By Kyle Hamrick · March 22, 2026

Roofing contractors deal with two fundamentally different types of estimates: retail estimates for homeowners paying out of pocket, and insurance estimates written in Xactimate for insurance claims. The formats are different, the pricing logic is different, and the audience is different. Here's what contractors need to understand about both.

What Is a Retail Roofing Estimate?

A retail estimate is what a contractor presents to a homeowner who is paying out of pocket — no insurance involved. It's typically a contractor-formatted document that outlines the scope of work, materials, labor, and total price. Retail estimates are priced at market rate — whatever the contractor charges to do the work profitably.

Retail estimates are used for:

Cash-pay roof replacements
Non-insured damage repairs
Homeowner-funded improvements not related to insurance claims
Supplement comparison — to show what a contractor actually charges vs. what the carrier is offering

What Is an Insurance Estimate?

An insurance estimate is written in Xactimate (or Symbility) — the specific estimating software used by insurance carriers. Insurance estimates follow a strict line-item format, use carrier-standardized pricing by region, and are structured to be read by insurance claims departments.

Insurance estimates are the only format that moves an insurance claim forward. A contractor bid — even a detailed, professional one — does not serve as an insurance estimate in the eyes of most carriers. The carrier will compare your work against their Xactimate scope, not your proposal.

Key Differences

Audience

Homeowner — straightforward, easy to read

Carrier claims department — technical, structured

Format

Contractor template — flexible

Xactimate line-item format — standardized

Pricing basis

Market rate — what you charge

Xactimate regional pricing database

Purpose

Win the job

Get the full claim approved

Who writes it

Contractor or estimator

Licensed adjuster or supplement writer

Header

Retail

Insurance

When You Need Both

Many roofing jobs involve both types of estimates. Insurance claims often need an insurance-format Xactimate estimate for the carrier AND a retail estimate that shows what the contractor actually charges. This is particularly useful when the contractor's market pricing exceeds the carrier's Xactimate allowance — the retail estimate documents the gap.

We Write Both

The Estimate Company writes both insurance estimates (Xactimate supplements) and professional retail estimates. For contractors using AccuLynx, we can build retail estimates directly inside your CRM using your own templates — so salesman can present professionally-formatted proposals from day one.

Need retail or insurance estimates written?

We write both. Xactimate supplements and professional retail estimates — in your format, in your system.

Retail Estimates AccuLynx Service