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.

Xactimate Line Items Explained for Roofing Contractors

Xactimate has over 10,000 line items. Most roofing contractors only ever see a fraction of them — the ones carriers choose to include on their estimates. That gap is where your money goes.

Here's a plain-English breakdown of the line items that matter most on residential roofing claims — what they are, what they pay, and why carriers routinely leave them off.

The Line Items That Matter Most

Architectural Shingles (R&R)

RFG/ARMV>

The main tear-off and replace line item. Waste factor is critical — carriers often use 8–10%, but complex roofs with multiple facets, hips, and valleys can justify 15%+.

Starter Strip

RFG/ASTR

Required by virtually every shingle manufacturer at eaves and rakes. Carriers almost never include it. One of the most commonly missed items on every single claim.

Drip Edge (R&R)

RFG/DRIP

Code-required in most states. Frequently omitted or underquantified. Measured in LF around the perimeter.

Ice & Water Shield

RFG/IWS

Required at valleys, eaves (in cold climates), and sometimes rakes. Carriers measure conservatively — we measure accurately.

High-Profile Ridge Cap

RFG/RIDGC+

Standard ridge cap and high-profile ridge cap are different line items. If the original roof had high-profile, the replacement must match. Big pay difference.

Step Flashing

RFG/STEP

Required wherever a roof meets a wall or chimney. Commonly missed or lumped into a single flashing line item that underpays.

Steep Charge

RFG/STEEP

Labor surcharge for roof pitches above 6/12. Carriers apply standard labor rates to all roofs regardless of pitch — this corrects that.

Renail Roof Sheathing

RFG/RENAIL

Many building codes require renailing the sheathing to current nailing pattern standards when a full re-roof is done. Carriers never include this.

Pipe Jack Flashing

RFG/FLPIPE

Each roof penetration (plumbing vent, HVAC stack) needs a pipe jack. Carriers often include 1–2 on a roof with 4–6 penetrations.

Satellite Dish R&R

RFG/DISHRS

Dish must be removed before roofing and reinstalled after. Carriers regularly omit this entirely.

Dumpster / Haul-Off

DMO/DUMP

Debris removal is required on every tear-off. Carriers often include a small dumpster when a larger one is needed, or omit haul-off entirely.

Gutters

SFG/GUTA

If gutters are damaged in the same storm event, they belong on the same estimate. Frequently handled as a separate item or omitted.

Why Carriers Leave These Out

It's not always intentional. Desk adjusters are working dozens of claims at a time. They apply templates. They use the same estimate structure for a simple 10-square ranch in Ohio as they do for a complex 25-square hip roof in Georgia. Items get missed. Quantities get underestimated. Waste factors get defaulted to the lowest defensible number.

That's not fraud — it's a volume problem on their end that becomes a revenue problem on yours.

What a Supplement Does

A supplement is a formal request to the carrier asking them to revise the estimate to include what was missed. When it's built correctly — with accurate line items, proper quantities, and supporting documentation — carriers approve them. The revised estimate goes up. The contractor gets paid for the actual scope of work.

This isn't arguing with the carrier. It's speaking their language and giving them what they need to approve the additional scope.

You Don't Have to Know All of This

That's the point of outsourcing. We know which line items apply to every claim type, how to quantify them accurately, and how to document them so carriers approve them. You focus on the install. We handle the estimate.

Stop leaving line items on the table.

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

Get Started