Symbility .XML roof sketches: the same geometry as an ESX, filed where your carrier works
A Symbility .XML roof sketch carries the same facets, pitches and edge lengths as an ESX. Here is when to pick it, what comes back, and the mistakes that cost a re-order.
If the carrier or the independent adjuster on your claim writes estimates in Symbility, order the roof sketch as a Symbility® .XML file instead of an .ESX. The geometry inside is the same: the roof outline, every facet, the pitches and the edge lengths, drawn by a technician and delivered with a printable PDF. Only the file format changes, and on a RoofStruct sketch order the price doesn't.
Which format you need is a question about the desk on the other end, not about the roof. So start there.
Which desk are you sending it to?
Before you order, ask one question on the first call with the adjuster or the carrier's desk: "What do you build the estimate in?" The answer picks the file.
| The other side works in | Order this file | What you do with it |
|---|---|---|
| Xactimate® | .ESX | Import it into your own Xactimate, online or desktop |
| Symbility® | .XML | Open it in the Symbility setup you or the desk use |
| Neither, or you just need numbers | No sketch; a PDF report | Read the measurements straight off the report |
If nobody can tell you, the job probably doesn't need a sketch at all. A roof measurement report with the PDF, the waste table and the takeoff covers retail work and most quotes. Our guide on how to order a roof measurement report walks through that path.
What comes back in the .XML
A sketch order returns two files: the sketch file in the format you picked, and a PDF reference of the same roof. With the Symbility pick, the sketch file is a .XML; with the Xactimate pick, it's an .ESX. Either way the sketch holds:
- the roof outline and every facet, split the way the roof actually breaks;
- the pitch of each facet;
- the length of every edge.
What it doesn't hold is just as important. There are no line items, no prices and no supplement in the file. Those come from the price list and the settings in the software you open it in. The sketch saves you the drawing; the estimate is still yours to write.
The format, in other words, is a delivery choice. It's the same idea we covered for Xactimate in what an ESX file is, pointed at a different program.
Ordering it, step by step
- Start a sketch order for the property: build it from a report you already have, or ask for the roof to be measured first.
- On the order, find the Format line and tap Change. Pick Symbility® .XML. The screen confirms it: same sketch, same price.
- Add Exterior Walls if the claim covers siding or wall damage. The walls are drawn in the same sketch file as the roof, not in a second file.
- Check out. Residential sketches are $29 ($24 on Pro) and commercial sketches $79 ($59 on Pro), whichever format you pick.
- The files are usually delivered within 4 hours (turnaround can vary with volume and complexity).
RoofStruct remembers the last format you picked, so a shop that files mostly in Symbility sets it once. That memory is also the first trap, covered below.
The ESX sketch page lists what each order includes and the add-on prices.
Check it before you build the estimate
The PDF that comes with the sketch is your cross-check. Open both and spend five minutes on four things:
- Facet count. Count the planes in the sketch and on the PDF diagram. They should match.
- Pitches. Spot-check the main roof and any porch or addition. A porch drawn at the main roof's pitch is the most common slip on any sketch, from any source.
- Total roof area. Compare the sketch's area with the PDF's. A gap usually means a facet didn't come across, or a section was left out.
- Line totals. Eaves, rakes, ridges, hips and valleys drive the starter, drip edge, ridge cap and valley metal. Compare them with the PDF before they turn into quantities.
If something doesn't match, raise it before you send the estimate, not after the desk comes back with questions.
Mistakes that cost a re-order
Ordering on habit. The remembered format is handy until the one Xactimate claim in a run of Symbility jobs. Glance at the Format line on every order; it takes a second.
Assuming the carrier's format. Two adjusters on the same carrier can work in different software, especially when an independent firm handles the file. Ask about this claim, not the carrier in general.
Treating the sketch as an estimate. Neither file carries prices. If you send the sketch and expect a number back, you'll wait for a number that was never coming.
Forgetting the walls. If the loss includes siding, order the walls on the same sketch. The walls are an add-on to a sketch order, never sold on their own, so decide before you pay.
Skipping the PDF. The .XML is for the software; the PDF is for people. Keep it in the claim file so anyone can check a number without opening Symbility.
FAQ
Is the .XML sketch different from the .ESX one?
The geometry is the same: outline, facets, pitches and edge lengths. Only the file format changes, so it opens in Symbility instead of Xactimate.
Does the Symbility format cost more?
No. The price is the same for either format: $29 residential ($24 on Pro) and $79 commercial ($59 on Pro). The Exterior Walls add-on is priced separately.
Do I need my own software licence?
Yes. The sketch opens in software you or the desk already use. For an .ESX that means your own Xactimate licence. RoofStruct is an independent service, not affiliated with Verisk or CoreLogic.
Can I get both an .ESX and an .XML for the same roof?
One order returns one sketch file plus the PDF. If two desks need two formats, that's two orders, so settle the format before you pay.
How do I import the .ESX version instead?
The steps for Xactimate online and desktop are in our guide on importing an ESX roof sketch into Xactimate.