You got your insurance estimate. The check arrived. But something doesn't add up — the numbers are lower than your actual job cost. That's not a coincidence. Insurance adjusters routinely miss specific, recoverable line items on nearly every roofing claim.
Here are the 15 most commonly missed Xactimate line items — and what you're leaving behind if you don't supplement for them.
📈 The Total Opportunity: When all 15 of these items are properly documented and submitted, most residential roofing claims yield an additional $4,000–$6,000 above the original adjuster estimate.
The single highest-dollar missed item on most claims. O&P — typically 10% overhead and 10% profit on labor and materials — is owed on any claim requiring contractor coordination. Insurance carriers resist it, but it's a legitimate and standard component of contractor pricing. Always supplement for O&P on every claim.
OHP (Overhead) + PROFITIRC Section R905.2.8.5 requires drip edge on all eaves and rakes. Despite this being a code requirement nationwide, adjusters skip it constantly — especially on older homes where the original drip edge was never replaced. This is an easy, clear-cut supplement that carriers almost always approve.
RFG DRPEAdjusters often include only the minimum required ice and water shield — 2 feet from the eave — but local codes frequently require more. Texas and many other states require full valley coverage, which adds significant square footage. Always document local code requirements.
RFG I&WSBuilding permits are a required cost on virtually every roofing job — and a direct, documented expense. Most initial estimates leave permits off entirely. They're easy to supplement with the actual permit receipt as documentation.
PERMITMany jurisdictions now require replacing damaged or substandard decking rather than re-nailing it. In Texas, Tarrant County and many North Texas municipalities require decking that meets current code thickness. This is a high-dollar item that adjusters routinely exclude or underpay.
RFG SHTHNInitial estimates frequently price ridge cap using standard 3-tab shingles rather than proper ridge cap product. High-profile ridge cap — the current standard for architectural shingles — costs more and must be specifically called out in the supplement.
RFG RCHPMost adjusters include minimal flashing replacement — one or two boots at best. A complete re-roof requires replacing all penetration flashings, pipe boots, step flashing, and counter flashing. Document every penetration during your inspection and supplement accordingly.
RFG FLSH + RFG PBOTMStarter strip is a separate product from standard shingles and is required by all major manufacturers for warranty compliance. Adjusters frequently omit it entirely or include it as regular shingle material. Document it as a separate line item.
RFG STRTModern building codes require specific net-free ventilation ratios. Many older homes have inadequate ventilation that must be upgraded when the roof is replaced. This includes adding ridge vents, box vents, or soffit vents to meet code — and it's fully supplementable as a code upgrade item.
RFG VENT + RFG RDGVRoofs over 6/12 pitch require significant additional labor for safety and access. Adjusters frequently use standard pitch labor without applying the correct steep slope factor. Every roof over 6/12 should have a pitch premium supplement if it wasn't included.
RFG STEEPTwo-story and three-story homes require additional labor for material handling and safety setup. If the original estimate didn't apply story height premiums, it's missing a legitimate cost that every insurance carrier should cover.
RFG 2STORY / RFG 3STORYWhen a second or third layer of shingles must be removed, disposal costs increase significantly. Many estimates only account for single-layer tear-off. Document the actual number of layers and supplement for the true disposal cost — including haul fees, dump fees, and labor for each additional layer.
RFG TEAR + DUMPSTERReplacing a roof properly requires removing and resetting gutters. Adjusters frequently leave this off entirely, even when gutters must be removed to complete the drip edge and eave work. Always supplement for gutter remove/reset when applicable.
GUT R&RAny penetrations, equipment curbs, satellite dishes, or HVAC units on the roof require flashing removal, reinstallation, and sealing. These are routinely omitted from initial estimates and add up quickly on commercial or complex residential claims.
RFG FLSH + CURBOn actual cash value (ACV) policies with a recoverable depreciation clause, the withheld depreciation becomes recoverable once the work is completed. Many contractors — and even some homeowners — don't know to request this. Submit a signed certificate of completion and request the depreciation release on every applicable policy.
DEPRECIATION RELEASE (Certificate of Completion)Look at that list. Even if only 8 of 15 items were missed on a given claim — which is conservative — you're looking at $3,000 to $6,000 in legitimate, documentable money that simply wasn't included in the initial estimate.
Multiply that by how many insurance claims you're working this storm season. That's real money. And it's money the policy should be paying.
🌟 Pro Tip: The best time to identify all 15 of these items is during your initial inspection. Document everything with photos, measurements, and notes — before the job starts. A supplement written from post-installation photos is harder to document than one built from inspection data.
Our Xactimate Level 2 certified team reviews every claim for all 15 of these line items — and many more. 24-hour turnaround. No upfront fees. You only pay when we recover money.
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