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. That's why our relationships with insurance companies are strong.

What results have you achieved for contractors?

We have 4 contractors who, within 12 months of working with us, brought in an additional 6 figures of supplemental income that was previously left on the table.

What makes you different from other supplement companies?

Multi-state adjuster licenses across SC, NC, GA, TX, and AL. Next-day turnaround. 20+ years of independent adjuster experience across 50+ carriers. When we write a supplement, it's written in the language adjusters accept, with F9 notes, photo documentation, and code citations on every line item. No fluff. No kitchen-sink padding. Just defensible, verifiable line items.

I'm new to supplementing. What can you guarantee?

Send us an average of 2 insurance claims per week for one year, and we guarantee a minimum of six figures in additional profit margins. If we don't hit that goal, we'll write you a check for $5,000 at the end of 12 months. At our current rate, our fee is 15% of what we recover, which means for every dollar you pay us, you're getting more than 5x back. That's a 500%+ return on every supplemented claim.

How does a roofing supplement company work?

We review the carrier's original estimate, identify every line item that's missing, underpaid, or inconsistent with local codes and manufacturer standards, then write a supplemental Xactimate estimate. We submit it directly to the desk adjuster with documentation (photos, code citations, manufacturer specs) and follow up 2-3x per week until it's resolved. You get paid more without doing the paperwork.

What does a roofing supplement company charge?

We charge 15% of what we recover beyond the carrier's original payment. You pay nothing unless we get you more money. At that rate, for every dollar you pay us, you're getting more than 5x back, a 500%+ return.

How long does a roof supplement take?

Most residential supplements are written and submitted same-day or next-day. Larger supplement and retail jobs may take 1-3 extra days; large commercial projects take longer, and we'll always tell you the realistic timeline upfront. Carrier response typically takes 1-3 weeks depending on the carrier and complexity. We follow up every 2-3 days. Most supplements are resolved within 2-4 weeks from submission.

Is hiring a supplement company worth it?

At 15% contingency, yes. Almost always. 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. You pay the contingency only on what we actually recover, so the fee comes out of money you did not have before we wrote the file.

What is a roof supplement?

A roof supplement is a formal request to an insurance carrier to revise their original estimate upward, adding line items they missed (starter strip, ice & water shield, drip edge, high-profile ridge cap, steep slope charges, etc.) or correcting underpaid quantities. It's submitted as a Xactimate estimate with supporting documentation.

What line items do carriers most commonly miss?

Starter strip at eaves and rakes, ice & water shield, high-profile ridge cap, step flashing, drip edge replacement, dumpster/haul-away, steep slope labor surcharges, and renail sheathing when required by code. Individually they look small. On a full replacement they are the difference between an estimate that covers the job and one the contractor eats.

Do you work with all insurance carriers?

Yes. We've worked across 50+ carriers including State Farm, Allstate, USAA, Travelers, Nationwide, Farmers, Progressive, Liberty Mutual, and most regional carriers. Each carrier has different internal guidelines. We know them and write accordingly.

Can you help if a claim was denied?

Yes. Denials are often overturnable. We review the denial reason, build a documented rebuttal with code citations and photo evidence, and submit a formal supplement or re-inspection request. We've overturned denied roof claims and converted partial payments to full approvals.

What is Xactimate and why does it matter?

Xactimate is the industry-standard estimating software used by virtually every major insurance carrier. Supplements written in Xactimate are taken seriously by desk adjusters. We build every estimate natively in Xactimate. Not a spreadsheet, not a PDF, not a contractor invoice. That's why our supplements get approved.

Do you work with contractors outside your licensed states?

Yes. We serve roofing contractors nationwide. Our adjuster licenses (SC, NC, GA, TX, AL) allow us to operate as licensed IAs in those states, but we write supplements and estimates for contractors in all 50 states. The license is about our credentials, not our coverage area.

What is AccuLynx and can you work in it?

AccuLynx is a roofing-specific CRM used by many mid-to-large contractors to manage jobs, documents, and measurements. Yes. We can work directly inside your AccuLynx account using your existing templates and workflows. Most supplement companies can't do this. We can.

How do I send you a file?

Email us the carrier's estimate (PDF), your EagleView or measurement report, any photos of missed damage, and a brief note on anything specific about the claim. That's it. We handle the rest, same-day or next-day for most residential jobs.

17 Xactimate Line Items Every Roofing Supplement Should Account For

Xactimate carries over 10,000 line items. A residential roofing claim touches a few dozen of them, and the difference between a claim that pays the job and a claim that leaves money behind usually comes down to about seventeen.

Below is the full list, numbered, with the code, the unit it is measured in, and the reason it goes missing. These are the items we check on every roof before a supplement leaves our desk.

The 17 Line Items

Codes shown are Xactimate category and selector codes. Availability and pricing vary by price list and region, so always confirm against the current list for the loss location.

1.Tear-Off, Laminated Shingles
RFG/ARMV
Measured in: SQ
The removal half of a full replacement. It is nearly always on the carrier estimate, so the fight here is not inclusion, it is quantity and waste. Complex roofs with multiple facets, hips, and valleys generate more waste than the default factor a desk adjuster applies.
2.Additional Layer Removal
RFG/ADDRMV
Measured in: SQ
A second or third layer is a separate removal line, not something folded into the first. If the tear-off found two layers and the estimate shows one removal line, the labor for the extra layer is unpaid.
3.Starter Strip, Universal
RFG/ASTR-
Measured in: LF
Required by effectively every shingle manufacturer at eaves and rakes. It is one of the most commonly omitted items on residential claims. Universal starter is the correct default; peel and stick (RFG/ASTR) belongs on the estimate only when the carrier specifies it.
4.Drip Edge
RFG/DRIP
Measured in: LF
Code-required in most jurisdictions and measured around the full perimeter, eaves plus rakes. Commonly omitted outright or quantified at eaves only, which cuts the payable length roughly in half on a gabled roof.
5.Ice and Water Shield
RFG/IWS
Measured in: SF
Belongs in valleys, at eaves in cold climates, and sometimes at rakes. The code language is specific about coverage depth from the eave edge, so this is a measurement argument, not an opinion argument. Carriers tend to scope the minimum defensible square footage.
6.Underlayment, 15 lb Felt
RFG/FELT15
Measured in: SQ
Standard underlayment on the majority of residential re-roofs. Synthetic (RFG/FELTSU) is a different code at a different price and belongs on the estimate only when the scope or local code actually calls for it. Swapping one for the other without justification is how a supplement loses credibility.
7.Ridge Cap, Standard Profile
RFG/RIDGCS
Measured in: LF
The default ridge cap line. Measured in linear feet along ridges and hips. Frequently underquantified because hips get counted as field shingle rather than as cap.
8.Ridge Cap, High Profile
RFG/RIDGC+
Measured in: LF
A separate, higher-paying code from standard profile. If the roof being replaced had high-profile cap, the replacement has to match it. This is a one-line correction with a real dollar difference, and it is missed constantly.
9.Step Flashing
RFG/STEP
Measured in: LF
Required anywhere a sloped roof plane meets a vertical wall. Once the old covering comes off, the flashing is left full of fastener holes from the previous nail pattern, and the new covering hides them. Damaged flashing cannot be reused under code, which is the argument that gets this approved.
10.L Flashing
RFG/FLL
Measured in: LF
This is the code that matches the generic "Flashing" linear footage on an aerial measurement report. It is regularly mis-scoped as cap flashing, which is a different item entirely. Getting the code right matters more than getting the quantity high.
11.Counterflashing and Apron Flashing
RFG/FLCTR
Measured in: LF
Distinct from both step and L flashing. Where it exists, it is its own line. Lumping every flashing type into a single line item is the single fastest way to underpay a roof with any wall intersection.
12.Chimney Flashing
RFG/FLCH
Measured in: EA
Priced per chimney rather than by length. Often dropped from the estimate entirely on roofs where the adjuster scoped from the ground or from aerial imagery alone.
13.Pipe Jack Flashing
RFG/FLPIPE
Measured in: EA
One per roof penetration: plumbing vents, HVAC stacks, and similar. A typical house has four to six. Estimates routinely show one or two, so the count itself is the supplement.
14.Ridge Vent
RFG/VENTR
Measured in: LF
If the roof had continuous ridge ventilation, it has to be reinstalled to maintain the ventilation system the assembly was designed around. Mixing vent types or dropping the vent line changes the performance of the finished roof.
15.Steep Charge
RFG/STEEP
Measured in: SQ
A labor surcharge that starts above a 6/12 pitch and escalates in tiers (RFG/STEEP, RFG/STEEP>, RFG/STEEP>>). It is applied to the squares on the steep faces only, not to the whole roof. Carriers commonly price every roof at standard labor regardless of pitch.
16.High Roof Charge
RFG/HIGH
Measured in: SQ
Applies when the roof is above one story, which changes staging, ladder work, and material handling. Separate from steep charge, and both can legitimately apply to the same roof.
17.Haul Debris
DMO/PU
Measured in: EA / LOAD
Every tear-off produces debris that has to leave the property. Estimates often include a container that is undersized for the actual square count, or price the container without pricing the haul-off.

Items 18 and Beyond: The Adjacent Trades

The seventeen above are roofing scope. A storm rarely stops at the roof. Gutters and gutter guard (SFG/GUTA), fascia (SFG/FACV for vinyl, SFG/FACM6 for metal), and detach and reset work for satellite dishes and solar attachments all belong on the same claim when the same event damaged them. They are not part of the counted seventeen because they are not roofing line items, but leaving them off is the same mistake in a different category.

Why Carriers Leave These Out

It is not usually intentional. Desk adjusters carry dozens of claims at once and work from templates. The same estimate structure gets applied to a simple 10-square ranch in Ohio and a 25-square cut-up hip roof in Georgia. Items get missed, quantities get estimated low, and waste factors default to the smallest number that can be defended.

That is a volume problem on their side that turns into a revenue problem on yours.

How a Supplement Fixes It

A supplement is a formal request asking the carrier to revise the estimate to include what the original scope missed. Built correctly, with the right codes, accurate quantities, and documentation attached to each line, carriers approve them. The revised estimate goes up and the contractor gets paid for the work actually being performed.

The three things that decide approval, in order: the correct code (not a close-enough substitute), a quantity traceable to a measurement report, and a written justification tied to manufacturer specification or building code. Get those three right and most line items on this list are routine approvals rather than arguments.

You Do Not Have to Track All of This

That is the point of outsourcing the estimate. We know which of these apply to each claim type, how to quantify them from the measurement report, and how to document them so the carrier can approve them without a phone call. You run the install. We handle the estimate.

Stop leaving line items on the table.

Send us your next claim. We will show you exactly what the carrier missed.

Get Started

17 Xactimate Line Items Every Roofing Supplement Should Account For

The 17 Line Items

1.Tear-Off, Laminated Shingles

2.Additional Layer Removal

3.Starter Strip, Universal

4.Drip Edge

5.Ice and Water Shield

6.Underlayment, 15 lb Felt

7.Ridge Cap, Standard Profile

8.Ridge Cap, High Profile

9.Step Flashing

10.L Flashing

11.Counterflashing and Apron Flashing

12.Chimney Flashing

13.Pipe Jack Flashing

14.Ridge Vent

15.Steep Charge

16.High Roof Charge

17.Haul Debris

Items 18 and Beyond: The Adjacent Trades

Why Carriers Leave These Out

How a Supplement Fixes It

You Do Not Have to Track All of This

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