How to order a roof measurement report: what to send, what comes back, how to check it
Order a roof measurement report the right way: the address or pin, property type, pitch and notes to send, what comes back in each file, and a quick check before you quote.
To order a roof measurement report, send the address or a pin on the right building, pick residential or commercial, say which structures to measure, add the pitch if you know it, and note anything the technician can't guess. You get back a PDF plus spreadsheet, data and CAD files. Check it for five minutes before a number goes on a quote.
The steps below use RoofStruct's order form because that's the one we run. The checklist works for any report you buy.
What to send
The form has two steps: location, then details. Every field you skip is a guess someone else makes for you.
The address or a pin. Search the address or click the map to place a pin, then "Confirm Location & Continue". On rural lots and new subdivisions the search can land on the neighbor's roof, so drag the pin onto the building you're quoting. A pin that doesn't match the address puts the order on hold.
Property Type. Residential is single-family homes and townhouses. Commercial is multi-unit, flat-roof and commercial structures.
What to Measure. Pick "Main Building Only" or "Main + Other Buildings" and tick the extras: detached garage, pool house, shed or workshop, barn. If you were about to type "exclude the detached garage" in the notes, this picker already does it.
Known Roof Pitch. Enter it if you've been up there or have the plans; otherwise pick "I don't know". A pitch you're sure of helps most on low-slope sections, where the image gives little to go on.
Notes for Our Team. Job-specific calls go here: "include the covered porch", "skip the attached carport", "rear addition is flat membrane". Short and specific.
The rest. A Project Name (it defaults to the address), a Reference Number for the claim, PO or job number, "Attach Photos or Plans" for anything that helps, and "Also Email the Report To" if the office or an adjuster needs a copy.
Then "Pay & Submit". A residential report is $14 and a commercial one $29, or $10 and $22 on Pro. A technician measures it from high-resolution satellite imagery, a second technician checks it, and it's usually delivered within 4 hours (turnaround can vary with volume and complexity). Already in the builder with a blurry image? The "Measure It for Me" button starts the same order. More on roof measurement reports.
What comes back
An email when it's ready, a report page in your dashboard, and five files. Set the waste slider on the report page first: downloads use your selected waste %.
The PDF, page by page:
- Cover: property photo, total true area, predominant pitch, order quantity.
- Roof Summary: area, perimeter, facets, pitch, edge totals, and a waste table with squares and bundles.
- Length Diagram: every edge length.
- Pitch & Direction Diagram: pitch and slope direction per facet.
- Area Diagram: area per facet.
- Aerial View: four side photos, when all four are available.
- Data pages: materials to order, area by pitch, flashing by type, penetrations, and a summary per building.
| File | What's in it | Who uses it |
|---|---|---|
| XLSX | Summary, materials, waste scenarios | The estimator building the bid |
| CSV | The full record: every facet and edge segment, plan and true | Whoever imports into an estimating sheet or CRM |
| JSON | The same full record, readable keys | Anyone feeding their own software |
| DXF | 2D plan drawing, lines layered by type, true lengths labeled | A drafter, solar or metal shop working in CAD |
A 5-minute check before you quote
1. One known length. Take a run you trust: an eave you taped, a wall from the plans. Tape says 32 ft, the Length Diagram says 32.4 ft: 0.4 ÷ 32 = 1.25%. Fine. If it says 38 ft, send a message.
2. A box estimate. A 48 × 28 ft house with a 1 ft overhang is 50 × 30 = 1,500 sq ft of plan area. A report plan area of 1,530 is in the neighborhood. 1,950 means something extra got measured, usually a garage or porch.
3. True ÷ plan = pitch factor. 1,677 ÷ 1,500 = 1.118, which is 6/12. If you know the roof is 8/12 (factor 1.202), true area should be near 1,803 sq ft, about 1.3 squares more before waste. Other factors: 4/12 is 1.054, 10/12 is 1.302.
4. Facet and edge count. Count the planes on a street photo or your site notes. A four-plane hip roof with zero hip length has a mislabeled edge. An L-shaped house with no valley footage is short on valley metal and ice and water.
5. Overlaps and structures. On the Area Diagram, no two facets should cover the same patch; a porch roof under the main eave counts once. Then confirm the garage is in or out as you ordered.
If something's wrong: correct or refund
The order terms say it plainly: "If the measurement is wrong, we correct it or refund it, your choice, within 30 days." Tell us from the order page or through Support in your dashboard, and say what's wrong. A correction arrives as an update to the same order.
If the team needs something before measuring, the order shows "Needs Info" and the window restarts once you reply. If the property isn't clearly visible in the satellite imagery, the order is refunded, not guessed. For what an overhead image can't show, see how accurate satellite roof measurements are.
Where you trip
- Trusting the search pin. Confirm it's on the right roof.
- Scope in the notes. Detached buildings go in "What to Measure".
- Downloading before setting waste. The files use the report page's waste %.
- Quoting before the check. The pitch-factor test is one division.
- Sitting on a problem. The window is 30 days.
FAQ
What do I need to order a roof measurement report?
The address or a pin, residential or commercial, and which structures to include. Pitch, notes, photos and a reference number are optional but cut down on questions.
How long does a roof measurement report take?
Usually within about 4 hours. If the team needs information from you, the window restarts once you reply.
What file formats come with the report?
PDF, XLSX, CSV, JSON and DXF, all included.
What if the measurement is wrong?
Report it from the order page or Support within 30 days and say what's off. You choose a correction or a refund.