Xactimate Basics Every Roofing Sales Rep Should Know

Your production manager knows Xactimate. Your estimator knows Xactimate. But your sales rep is out on the roof meeting the adjuster and stumbling over terminology, and you are losing supplements because of it.

Every roofing sales rep on an insurance-heavy team should know the basics of Xactimate. Not how to write an estimate from scratch. How to read one, question it, and negotiate with an adjuster on the ridge.

What Xactimate Actually Is

Xactimate is the estimating software owned by Verisk. It is used by carriers, adjusters, and restoration contractors to price repair scopes using a shared pricing database. The database is localized: Xactimate pricing in Dallas is different from Seattle, updated monthly.

The core concept: every item in a repair has a line item code, a unit of measure, a quantity, and a unit price. Roof replacement is not "roof replacement." It is 42 line items broken down into labor, materials, and equipment.

Pricing

Xactimate runs roughly $59 per month for the cloud version, called Xactimate Online. Desktop is more expensive and being phased out. Training is separate: Level 1 certification is $195, Level 2 is $395, Level 3 is $595. You do not need Level 3 to sell. You need to understand the scope.

Terminology Every Rep Should Know

• Scope of Loss: The adjuster''s estimate of what the carrier will pay for. This is your target.
• ACV (Actual Cash Value): Replacement cost minus depreciation. The first check the carrier sends.
• RCV (Replacement Cost Value): Full replacement cost. The second check, released after work is complete and depreciation is recovered.
• Depreciation: The chunk the carrier withholds until work is done. Roof shingles depreciate at roughly 4 percent per year of age.
• O and P (Overhead and Profit): 10 and 10. Contractor overhead at 10 percent plus profit at 10 percent, applied to the scope. Usually granted when 3+ trades are involved.
• Supplement: Line items you add to the scope that the adjuster missed. This is where sales reps make or lose money.
• Waste: Material waste factor. Default is 10 percent for shingles. On cut-up roofs you can justify 15 to 20 percent.
• Line Item: A single scope entry with a code, quantity, unit, and price.

Reading a Scope Like a Rep

When the adjuster emails you their scope, open it and look for:

1. Squares count: Does it match the measurement report? If the adjuster is light by 2 squares, that is $600 to $1,200 you need to supplement.
2. Tear off: Single layer or double? If they paid for single and you find a second layer, that is a supplement.
3. Ice and water shield: Code requirements vary. If your local code requires ice and water 24 inches past the exterior wall and the adjuster only has it at eaves, supplement.
4. Ridge vent: If it is on the roof, it needs to be on the scope. Adjusters miss this constantly.
5. Drip edge: Required by code almost everywhere. If missing, supplement.
6. Starter course: Separate line item. Often missing from quick scopes.
7. Step flashing, counter flashing, pipe jacks, B-vent: Each is a line item. Count chimneys, pipes, and vents and cross-reference.
8. Detach and reset gutters: If the gutters need to come off for the roof, this is a line item. Not a courtesy.

Supplement Strategy

The best reps run a supplement checklist on every claim. Typical categories:

• Code upgrades: ice and water, synthetic underlayment where required, drip edge
• Missed flashings and vents
• Waste factor adjustments on cut-up roofs
• Detach and reset gutters, solar, satellite dishes
• Paint and touch-up for soffit and fascia damage
• Additional layers discovered after tear-off

A well-written supplement on an average claim adds $800 to $2,500. Over 100 claims a year that is $80,000 to $250,000 you are leaving on the table if you do not supplement.

Line Item Codes: The Top 20

You do not need to memorize codes. But recognizing them speeds up the conversation with adjusters:

CodeDescription RFG 300Laminated shingles (asphalt) RFG RIDGCRidge cap shingles RFG IWSIce and water shield RFG VALMSValley metal, open RFG DRIPDrip edge RFG VENTAAttic vent, turbine RFG VENTRRidge vent RFG FLPJPipe jack flashing RFG TO SGLTear off, single layer RFG TO DBLTear off, double layer

How RoofKnockers Helps

RoofKnockers lets you attach the Xactimate scope PDF to the job, map line items to your internal production checklist, and flag supplements for the office team. No more PDFs living in email threads. Check pricing for the plans that include supplement tracking.

Training Your Team

You do not need to send every rep to Level 1 certification. A 4-hour internal training covering:

• How to open and read an Xactimate PDF
• The top 20 line items
• How to spot missing scope
• How to write a supplement request email

will get 80 percent of the value. Send your top 3 reps to Level 1 and let them cascade the knowledge.

Related Reading

• Symbility vs Xactimate
• EagleView vs Hover vs Roofr

FAQ

Q: Do I need Xactimate or can I use a different estimating tool for my internal numbers?

A: For internal quotes, any tool works. But to match the scope and negotiate supplements, you need to speak Xactimate. Many contractors use a CRM like RoofKnockers for sales and Xactimate for insurance supplements.

Q: How long does it take to get comfortable reading Xactimate scopes?

A: Two weeks with real scopes in front of you. Do not try to learn from a manual. Open 10 scopes, compare them to the measurement reports, and the patterns emerge fast.

Q: Can the homeowner see the scope?

A: Yes. And increasingly, carriers email it directly to them. Your job is to be the one who explains it and advocates for the right scope.