Answers to the Common How-Do-I Questions.

How do I create my first measurement?

1. Click Measurements in the sidebar, then New Measurement.
2. Enter the measurement name and, if you like, assign a customer.
3. Choose a background — Satellite or Upload. One or the other is required; picking Satellite also asks for the property address.
4. On the next step, position and capture the satellite frame (or check your uploaded image), then click Start Measuring.

You'll land in the full-screen editor, where you draw roof planes, name each line, and set pitch. Your work is auto-saved — come back anytime from the Measurements page.

How do I set up my company profile?

Go to Settings → Company to add your company name, address, phone number, website, logo, and brand color. These appear on the PDF reports, material orders and estimates you send out. Your logo and brand color are part of the Pro plan — on Free, exports carry RoofStruct branding instead.

How do I get help if I’m stuck?

Use the Support & Help button in the bottom-right corner of any page, or open Support directly. Pick a category, describe what’s happening, and attach up to 3 images or PDFs (10 MB each). If it’s about one particular measurement or report order you can point the ticket at it, so we’re both looking at the same job. We usually reply within one business day — you’ll get an email, and the support button carries a dot until you’ve read the answer. Replies stay in the same thread, so you can just answer there.

What is the difference between Free and Pro plans?

The Free plan gives you unlimited measurements, satellite imagery, and the full PDF report — carrying RoofStruct branding rather than your own.

The Pro plan ($69 USD/mo or $52 USD/mo annual) unlocks:

• All export formats (PDF, CSV, JSON, XLSX, DXF)
• AI image enhancement (15 credits/month)
• Custom branding on exports and estimates
• Team collaboration (up to 5 members)
• Discounted report orders ($10 instead of $14 per residential report)
• Discounted ESX sketches ($24 instead of $29 per residential sketch)

Compare plans on the Billing page.

How do I draw roof facets on the canvas?

1. Open a measurement and click the Draw Roof tool in the left toolbar (or press P).
2. Click to place a point at each corner of the roof plane. Close the shape by clicking your first point again, or use the Close Shape button in the on-canvas hint.
3. Repeat for every roof plane. Where two planes share an edge, RoofStruct keeps it as one line so it is only measured once. Start on a corner or anywhere along a line you already drew: clicking another corner or line finishes the plane along the existing lines when they complete the shape, so a gap your planes already outline (like a hip end) takes just its two open corners.

Use Ctrl+Z to undo and Ctrl+Shift+Z to redo.

How do I calibrate the scale?

Satellite measurements calibrate themselves — the scale comes from the captured image, so there is no Calibrate tool on them and none is needed. For an uploaded photo or plan, use the Calibrate tool (or press R) to draw a line across a distance you already know, then type that real-world length in. Areas and lengths stay blank until an upload has been calibrated.

What are roof line types?

Every edge you draw starts unnamed. Naming your lines is what turns a drawing into measurements — the ridge, eave and valley footage in your report comes entirely from these labels:

• Ridge — The top horizontal edge where two slopes meet
• Eave — The bottom edge of the roof (gutter line)
• Valley — The inward angle where two slopes converge
• Hip — The outward angle where two slopes meet at a corner
• Rake — The sloped edge at a gable end
• Step flashing — Where a slope runs up alongside a wall
• Headwall flashing — Where a slope ends against a wall face
• Sidewall flashing — Where a wall runs along the side of a slope
• Transition — Where a slope changes pitch, like a porch roof continuing from a steeper main roof
• Parapet wall — Where a flat or low-slope roof ends against a raised wall around it
• Curb flashing — Around a raised curb, such as an HVAC unit or a curb-mounted skylight
• Unspecified — A line you want measured but not classified

Nothing is named automatically — the right panel tracks your progress as Edges labeled X of Y. Drip edge isn’t a line type: it’s added automatically along every eave and rake.

How do I assign pitch to a facet?

Select a roof plane and its row expands in the Layers list on the right, with a pitch box you type into — enter the rise, like 6 or 6:12. To set one pitch for the whole roof instead, open the Setup tab in that same panel and use the Pitch card. Pitch is what turns flat plan area into true, slope-adjusted area, so material quantities and edge lengths depend on it.

How is drip edge counted?

Drip edge is counted for you: every line you name eave or rake gets drip edge automatically — there is nothing to tick. It appears in your totals, the PDF and Excel reports, Cost & Takeoff and purchase orders. Measurements drawn before drip edge became automatic keep the drip edge they were saved with. Gutters are not measured.

How do I handle chimneys, skylights and areas to leave out?

Choose Obstructions & Exclusions in the toolbar (or press X) and trace the area: click each corner, then click your first point again to close it. As it closes you’re asked what it is:

• Exclusion — Anything out of scope: a section you aren’t touching, or one you can’t reach
• Chimney — Removes its area and adds flashing around its perimeter
• Skylight — Removes its area and adds flashing around its perimeter
• Curb — An HVAC or equipment curb: removes its area and counts curb flashing around its perimeter
• Solar Panel — Removes its area
• Other — Anything else that shouldn’t be counted

The right panel keeps a running Total excluded, and your report shows the cut-outs on every diagram plus gross and net area side by side — so a homeowner can see exactly what came off, and why.

Can I split a roof plane I’ve already drawn?

Yes, and it’s usually faster than tracing each plane on its own: outline the whole roof as one shape, then cut it up. With the Draw Roof tool active (P), click a point on the edge of an existing plane to start the cut, then click a point on a different edge to slice it in two. The hint bar above the canvas tells you which step you’re on, and Esc cancels. The two halves share an exact seam and keep the pitch and line names you had already set — only the new cut edge starts unnamed.

How do roof layers work?

Draw the highest roof as the Main roof, then add a layer for each lower roof that tucks under it — a porch, a wing or an attached garage. In the Layers tab, click Add layer on the Roof layers card: the new layer becomes active and the other layers show faded underneath, so you can trace against them without snapping to their lines. A new layer sits just below the main roof. On a phone or tablet, tap the layer name at the bottom of the drawing to switch layers. Every layer counts in your totals, reports and exports, as part of its building. Draw dormers and gables on the same layer as the slope they sit on, so the part of the slope they cover is taken out.

Can I measure on a phone or tablet?

Yes — the editor is built for touch. Tap to place each corner and tap your first point again to close the shape. Undo point and Cancel buttons sit on screen while you draw. Pinch to zoom, drag with two fingers to pan. When you drag a corner a magnifier appears above your finger so the point isn’t hidden underneath it, and you can reorder planes by dragging them in the list.

How does the satellite step work, and do I need to calibrate?

On a satellite measurement the second setup step opens Position Roof in Frame. Drag the map to centre the roof, use the zoom controls to frame it, then Confirm Location. You can still Re-position Map before you press Start Measuring. What you frame is what you measure, so frame the roof reasonably tight rather than capturing the whole street. The scale is worked out from that capture, which is why satellite measurements never ask you to calibrate — the reference tool only appears on uploaded images.

How do I order a professional roof report?

1. Go to Reports and click New Report Order.
2. Search for the property address on the map and confirm the pin location.
3. Choose the report type, assign a customer if you have one, and add anything that helps us — a reference number for your own records, the roof pitch if you already know it, and any special instructions.
4. Add CC recipients if someone else should get the delivery email, then review the summary and click Pay & Submit.

Our team prepares the report and delivers it straight to your account — within 4 hours, seven days a week (Eastern Time).

What report types are available and how much do they cost?

• Report Type
• Price
• Roof — Residential
• $14 USD · $10 with Pro
• Roof — Commercial
• $29 USD · $22 with Pro
• ESX Sketch — Residential (Xactimate® compatible)
• $29 USD · $24 with Pro
• ESX Sketch — Commercial
• $79 USD · $59 with Pro

What is an ESX sketch file?

An ESX sketch is a roof sketch drawn by a RoofStruct technician and delivered as a .ESX file — the format that imports straight into your Xactimate® estimate — together with a printable PDF reference. Residential sketches are $29 USD ($24 with Pro); commercial sketches are $79 USD ($59 with Pro). Sketch geometry only — roof outline, facets, pitches and edge lengths. No line items, pricing or supplement: those come from your own Xactimate® price list and macros when you open the file.

Order one on its own from the ESX Sketches page, or tick the ESX add-on during a report checkout to get the report and the sketch in one payment — both are delivered together.

RoofStruct is an independent service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Verisk Analytics, Inc., the maker of Xactimate®. See our Terms of Service for details.

How do I track my order status?

Go to Reports to see every order and its current status. Click an order for its full timeline, and to download the report in any format once it has been delivered. You'll get an in-app notification and an email the moment it's ready — and any CC recipients you added are emailed too. If an order can't be completed, it is marked Refunded and the charge is returned.

What do I receive with my report?

A professional measurement report you can download as a PDF — the same full report on every plan — along with the complete measurement data as CSV, JSON, Excel, and DXF. Everything is generated on demand from the order page once your report is delivered, so you can re-download it any time.

Can I change the waste percentage on a delivered report?

Yes. A delivered order has a waste slider above the material quantities. Move it and the quantities recalculate on screen and in anything you download while it is set, so you can hand a homeowner a report at 10% and your crew one at 15% without ordering again. The Waste Scenario Comparison table underneath shows several levels side by side. The slider isn’t saved with the order — reopen it later and it is back to the waste the report was built with. Measurements never change, only the material quantities calculated from them.

What export formats are available?

• PDF — The full professional measurement report with diagrams and takeoffs
• CSV — Tabular measurements and materials for spreadsheets
• JSON — Raw measurement data snapshot for integrations
• XLSX — Multi-sheet Excel workbook (summary, per-structure, materials, waste and water flow)
• DXF — CAD vector geometry for AutoCAD and other CAD software

PDF is available on every plan — free reports carry RoofStruct branding instead of your own. CSV, JSON, XLSX and DXF require Pro.

How do I export a measurement?

From inside the editor, click Export in the top bar. From a measurement's detail page, open the Exports tab. Pick a format and the file is generated and downloaded to your device. Exports are also kept in the measurement's export history.

What is a material order?

A material order is a purchase order you build inside RoofStruct and send to your supplier. The line items — shingles, starter strip, ridge cap, underlayment, ice & water shield, drip edge, flashing, nails and sealant — are worked out from your measurements, so you don't have to retype anything. The supplier receives an email listing the order; the branded PDF and CSV are yours to download and share if you want to.

How do I create a material order?

1. Open a measurement, go to the Purchase Orders tab, and click Create Material Order.
2. Review the auto-filled line items and adjust quantities, unit costs, or product variants as needed. Drag rows to reorder.
3. Quantities already include a recommended waste percentage. To change it, click Recalculate, set a new waste %, and choose Update Quantities — custom items you added are left alone.
4. Pick a supplier and branch from your saved contacts.
5. Set delivery — date, time slot and address — and a point of contact with the phone or email the supplier should use to reach you.
6. Save the draft, then click Send Order to email it to the supplier.

Drafts auto-save as you work. You can find all orders for a measurement under its Purchase Orders tab, which is part of the Pro plan.

How does Smart Waste work?

Smart Waste reads your roof geometry — valleys count most, then the number of planes, hips and pitch — and recommends a waste percentage between 10% and 18%. The recommendation is applied automatically to the quantities when you create a material order, so there's nothing to click. To use a different figure, open the order and choose Recalculate, set your own waste % and confirm — line items you added yourself are left untouched.

How do I add and manage suppliers?

Open any measurement's Purchase Orders tab and switch to the Suppliers sub-tab. Click New Supplier to save a contact: company name, branches (each with phone, email, and your account number), and notes.

Saved suppliers appear in the supplier picker on every new order. If you delete a supplier later, historical orders still show the original name with a “(supplier deleted)” label so your records stay intact.

What are the order statuses?

• Draft — Saved but not yet sent. Fully editable, and the only status you can delete.
• Sent — Emailed to the supplier, with the line items listed in the message.
• Confirmed — You've marked the supplier as having acknowledged the order.
• Completed — Materials delivered. Marking it complete locks the order; duplicate it if you need another.
• Canceled — Order was canceled. If it had already been sent, the supplier is notified automatically — unless there is no email on file for them.

Can I edit an order after sending it?

You can still edit the order in RoofStruct, but the email the supplier already received was written from the order as it stood at that moment — your edits won't reach them on their own. If anything material changes (quantities, delivery date, address), resend the order so the supplier gets the updated copy. Completed and canceled orders are locked and can't be edited at all.

What is in the material order PDF?

The PDF carries your company branding (logo, name, address, contact details), the full line-item list with quantities and unit costs, the delivery date, time slot and address, your point of contact, and any notes you added. It is yours to download — Download PDF opens your browser's print dialog, where you can save it as a file or print it. The CSV is a separate download with the same line items.

How do I create a digital estimate?

1. Open a measurement, go to the Estimate tab, and click Create Estimate. You'll need measurement data first — the button stays disabled until the roof is drawn.
2. The builder opens as a full-page workspace with your sections listed down the left. Each one can be shown, hidden or reordered, and your measurement data is already loaded.
3. In Estimate Details, set up the three pricing tiers: name, price per square, included features and warranty text. The middle tier is marked Recommended by default.
4. Pick a waste factor (5%, 10%, 12%, 15% or 20%) — this adjusts the squares used in the tier prices.
5. Add anything extra under Project Extras & Add-ons — dumpster, permits, upgrades — and set sales tax, a discount or a deposit if you need them.
6. Fill in the narrative sections — Introduction, Inspection & Findings, Warranty, Terms. Each offers a starting template you can rewrite in your own words.
7. Click Send Estimate, pick the customer, set an optional expiry date, and send. The homeowner gets a branded email with a unique link.

The builder auto-saves every couple of seconds while you work.

How do pricing tiers work?

Each estimate carries three tiers — named Good, Better and Best by default, though you can rename them per estimate or set your own defaults in Settings. Each has its own price per square, features and warranty text. A tier's subtotal is price per square × waste-adjusted squares, plus your add-ons; any discount, sales tax and deposit are then applied on top to reach the total the homeowner sees. They compare all three side by side and pick one when they sign — most choose the middle, Recommended tier.

What does the homeowner see?

A branded page (your logo and brand color if you're on Pro) with whichever sections you chose to include — typically a cover with an aerial photo of the property, your introduction, any inspection findings, all three tiers with features and disclaimers, your add-ons, warranty and terms, and an Accept & Sign section where they type their name, pick a tier and sign. They can download a PDF copy too. The signature timestamp and device details are recorded for your records.

How do I track estimate status and signatures?

The Estimate tab in each measurement lists every estimate with its own reference (like EST-XXXXX), how many times it has been opened, the tier the homeowner chose, and one of these statuses:

• Draft — Not yet sent. Fully editable.
• Sent — Email delivered to the homeowner.
• Viewed — Homeowner opened the link at least once.
• Signed — Homeowner signed and selected a tier. You'll get an in-app notification with their signature and tier choice.
• Declined — Homeowner declined the estimate.
• Expired — Valid-until date passed without a signature, or you withdrew it.

Can I edit an estimate after sending it?

No — once sent, the version the homeowner sees is locked so the price and terms can't change underneath them. You have three options from the estimate's menu: Resend the same estimate, Withdraw it (which expires the link so they can no longer open or sign it), or create a new estimate for the same measurement. The builder shows a banner when a sent estimate already exists, so you don't try to edit a locked one by mistake.

How do I delete a draft estimate?

In the measurement's Estimates tab, open the row's action menu (three-dot button) and choose Delete. Only drafts can be deleted — sent estimates are kept as a permanent record.

How does custom branding on estimates work?

Pro accounts can add a company logo and brand color in Settings → Company. Once set, the logo and color appear on the homeowner estimate page header and on the email the homeowner receives. Free accounts use the default RoofStruct branding.

Can I set defaults so I’m not rebuilding every estimate?

Yes — Settings → Estimate Defaults is the starting point for every new estimate: a display name, price per square, feature list and warranty text for each of your three tiers (Good / Better / Best). New estimates open pre-filled with those values, and you can still change anything on the job itself. The same page carries the switch for automatic reminders, which nudges homeowners who haven’t signed and warns them before an estimate expires. Only workspace owners and admins can edit these, and Estimate Defaults is part of the Pro plan.

How do I add and manage customers?

Go to Customers and click Add Customer. Enter their first and last name, and optionally an email, phone number, address and notes. You can also create a customer inline while starting a new measurement, estimate or report order.

Can I import customers from a spreadsheet?

Yes. On the Customers page, click Import. A four-step wizard walks you through it: upload your file, map your columns to first name, last name, email, phone, address and notes, review what will be created, then import. A template is available to download, and the review step flags duplicates, rows without a name and invalid emails before anything is saved.

How do I link a customer to a measurement?

When you create a measurement, pick a customer in the setup step. For one that already exists, open it and use the customer card at the top to assign or change who it belongs to. A customer is also attached automatically when you send an estimate or place a report order for them. Once linked, their page shows every measurement, estimate, order and message in one timeline.

What can I see on a customer’s page?

Opening a customer pulls everything about them onto one page: their measurements, estimates and report orders, plus a Recent Activity feed — estimates sent, viewed, signed or declined, order status changes, files uploaded, notes added. A notes card holds anything you want kept on file. Back on the Customers list you can tick several at once to archive, restore or delete them, and Export saves the list as a CSV — free on every plan, and it exports everyone, not just the rows currently on screen. Archiving keeps a customer searchable under the Archived tab. Deleting also removes their measurements, estimates and material orders.

How do I manage my subscription?

Open Settings → Subscription to see your current plan, usage, payment method and purchase history. To compare plans or change one, use the Billing page — Free, Pro and Enterprise are laid out side by side, monthly or annual. Only the workspace owner can change the subscription or payment method. Billing runs through LemonSqueezy and you can update or cancel at any time. Note that RoofStruct always charges in USD, whichever currency you use on your estimates.

What are AI enhancement credits?

AI enhancement credits let you sharpen the clarity and contrast of a photo or plan you have uploaded — useful when the image is dark, hazy or low contrast. It is not available for satellite imagery, which is already optimised. Every account starts with 10 credits, Pro adds 15 per month, and more can be bought at any time.

How do I purchase additional credits?

Open Settings → Billing and use Top up to buy AI enhancement credits in packs of 100, 250 or 500. You can also top up straight from the AI enhancement panel in the editor when you run low. Purchased AI credits don't expire and stay with you if your plan ends.

How do I invite team members?

Go to Settings → Team, enter their email address, choose Member or Admin, and click Invite. They receive an email invitation, and you can copy the invite link, resend it or revoke it from the same page. Team access is part of the Pro plan, which covers up to 5 people — on Free the workspace is yours alone.

What are the different roles?

• Owner — Full access, and the only role that can manage the subscription, payment method or delete the account
• Admin — Everything a member can do, plus company settings, branding, and inviting or removing team members
• Member — Create and edit measurements, customers, estimates and report orders, and run exports — but not workspace settings or billing

Can I switch between workspaces?

Yes, when you belong to more than one. A workspace switcher appears at the top of the sidebar as soon as you've been invited to a second workspace — you can't create extra ones yourself. Each workspace keeps its own measurements, customers and orders. Your subscription, credits and purchase history stay with you personally rather than with a workspace, so joining a paid workspace gives you its features without a second subscription.

How do I change my password?

Go to Settings → Security. Enter your current password, then your new one twice — it needs at least 8 characters. If you signed up with Google or Microsoft you won't have a current password to enter; you'll see Set Password instead, which adds email-and-password sign-in alongside the provider you already use. Forgotten it entirely? Sign out and use the forgot-password link on the sign-in page.

How do I update my profile?

Go to Settings → Profile to update your name, phone number, and avatar. Your email address is shown there but can't be changed — contact support if you need it moved. Measurement unit, currency, region and language live under Settings → Localization.

How do I change units, currency or language?

They live together in Settings → Localization. Measurement Units switches imperial and metric, Region sets how dates and numbers are formatted, and Language changes the app for you. Two of the settings are about your customers rather than you: Customer email language controls the language of estimate emails and the page a homeowner opens, and Currency controls how prices appear on the estimates you send. Currency doesn’t change what you pay us — subscriptions, credits and report orders are always handled in USD.