Danni James Exteriors Study Guide

About the specimens

Every document in this guide is a training recreation built on a fictional claim — the insured, address, policy number, and figures are invented. The structure, column layout, item codes, and math match what you'll see in the field, but do not treat any number here as a current price. Pull live pricing from your own price list.

Part I

Reading the Paperwork

The carrier isn't pricing your job. They're selecting from a catalog. Learn to read the catalog.

Chapter 1

What You're Actually Holding

Xactimate is estimating software made by Verisk. Almost every carrier uses it, so an adjuster's estimate isn't a hand-written guess — it's line items pulled from a regional database that updates monthly.

That single fact reframes the whole job. When something is missing from a scope, it usually isn't a refusal. It's an item nobody clicked. We're not arguing that they're cheap. We're showing them what belongs.

1.1 The price list code

MOSL8X_JUL26 │ │ │ └── published month/year │ │ └────── price list version │ └──────── market region (St. Louis) └────────── state (Missouri)

Check that date against today's. A scope priced on a list that's a year stale is a legitimate, non-adversarial repricing conversation.

1.2 The documents in a claim file

Document	What it is	Look for
Declarations page	Policy summary	Deductibles, endorsements, loss settlement basis
Xactimate estimate	Scope + money	All of Part I
Adjuster notes / report	Narrative	Causation words: wind, hail, wear, mechanical
Roof report	Measurements	Compare to our takeoff
Photo report	Adjuster's photos	What they didn't photograph
Loss statement	Money issued	Prior payments
Denial letter	Carrier position	The exact stated reason — that's what we rebut

1.3 Two fights

Scope: "You didn't include drip edge." "You paid a repair; this needs replacement."
Price: "Your mod-bit unit price is below market." "No waste was applied."

Run the scope fight first. Missing line items are objective and worth more. Price is subjective and slow.

Chapter 2

The Declarations Page

Read this before the estimate. It tells you what the homeowner is actually facing, and it's where the expensive surprises hide.

Specimen — Homeowners Declarations Page

MIDWEST MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY          HOMEOWNERS POLICY
                                              DECLARATIONS

NAMED INSURED    JOHN Q. SAMPLE
MAILING ADDRESS  4712 CHIPPEWA ST, SAINT LOUIS, MO 63116
POLICY NUMBER    HO-4471982-05
POLICY PERIOD    03/14/2025  to  03/14/2026   12:01 AM
AGENT            R. DELACROIX  ·  (314) 555-0148

SECTION I — PROPERTY COVERAGES                     LIMIT

  Coverage A   Dwelling                            $ 385,000
  Coverage B   Other Structures                    $  38,500   1
  Coverage C   Personal Property                   $ 269,500
  Coverage D   Loss of Use                         $  77,000

SECTION II — LIABILITY COVERAGES

  Coverage E   Personal Liability                  $ 300,000
  Coverage F   Medical Payments to Others          $   5,000

DEDUCTIBLES

  All Other Perils (AOP)                           $   2,500
  Windstorm or Hail  1% of Coverage A               $   3,850   2

LOSS SETTLEMENT PROVISIONS

  Coverage A Dwelling ............... REPLACEMENT COST        3
  Roof Surfacing .................... ACTUAL CASH VALUE       4
        (see endorsement HO-0498 Roof Surfaces Payment Schedule)

ENDORSEMENTS & FORMS ATTACHED

  HO-0003   Special Form Dwelling Policy
  HO-0490   Ordinance or Law Coverage — 10% of Coverage A     5
  HO-0498   Roof Surfaces Payment Schedule
  HO-0455   Windstorm or Hail Percentage Deductible
  MO-0121   Missouri Amendatory Endorsement

MORTGAGEE   GATEWAY LENDING LLC, ISAOA/ATIMA            6
              LOAN #  0094-887213

Page 1 of 2 — This declarations page replaces any previously issued.

Coverage B — Other Structures. The detached garage, shed, and fence come out of this bucket, not Coverage A. If a claim involves a detached structure, check this limit early.
Separate wind/hail deductible. This is the one that surprises people. A storm claim on this policy carries a $3,850 deductible, not $2,500. Percentage deductibles rise with the dwelling limit, and they're increasingly common in Missouri.
Replacement Cost settlement. Depreciation on covered items is generally recoverable once the work is done and invoiced.
Roof surfacing ACV endorsement. The most important line on the page. It carves the roof out of the RCV settlement, so depreciation on the roof is not recoverable. On an older roof that's a five-figure gap the homeowner needs to know about before they sign anything.
Ordinance or Law. Funds code-required upgrades — deck sheathing, ice & water, drip edge, ventilation minimums. Here it's 10% of Coverage A, roughly $38,500 available. Nothing gets paid from it unless you cite the code.
Mortgagee. They go on the claim check. Expect an endorsement process; tell the homeowner up front so the delay doesn't become our problem.

Never do this

Don't interpret coverage for the homeowner. Read the page with them, point at the line, and tell them to confirm it with their adjuster. We identify what's on the document; the carrier and the insured decide what it means.

Chapter 3

The Xactimate Header Page

Page one of every estimate. You should be able to strip it in under three minutes.

Specimen — Estimate Header

MIDWEST MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY
  Property Claims Unit · PO Box 4410 · Overland Park, KS 66204
  (800) 555-0190


  Insured:          SAMPLE, JOHN Q.
  Property:         4712 Chippewa St
                     Saint Louis, MO 63116

  Claim Number:     44-8827139-01        1
  Policy Number:    HO-4471982-05
  Type of Loss:     Wind / Hail                2

  Date of Loss:     04/28/2026   2:40 PM
  Date Received:    04/30/2026
  Date Inspected:   05/07/2026
  Date Entered:     05/08/2026

  Date Est. Completed: 05/09/2026

  Estimator:        T. HALVORSEN, Field Adjuster
  Business:         Midwest Mutual Claims
  Phone:            (816) 555-0233
  E-mail:           t.halvorsen@mwmutual-claims.com


  Price List:       MOSL8X_APR25                3
                     Restoration/Service/Remodel
  Estimate:         SAMPLE_JOHNQ_1

  This estimate reflects our inspection of the above property.
  Supplemental damages discovered during repair should be
  reported prior to commencement of that portion of work.  4

Claim number. Goes on every photo, letter, email, and invoice we send. Wrong claim number is the fastest way to have a supplement disappear.
Type of loss. This is the peril the carrier accepted. If it says Wind/Hail, causation is already conceded — a later "wear and tear" argument contradicts their own header.
Price list date. APR25 on an estimate written May 2026. That's a thirteen-month-old list on a current loss. First supplement: reprice to current.
The supplement invitation. Carriers print this on every estimate. It is written permission to come back with additional scope — quote it in your cover letter.

3.1 The three-minute strip

Insured, property address, claim number
Type of loss and date of loss
Price list code and date
Adjuster name, phone, email
Date inspected vs. date of loss (long gaps matter)
Total RCV from the summary page

Chapter 4

Anatomy of a Line Item

Specimen — One Line, Decoded

ITEM CODE   DESCRIPTION                          QUANTITY   UNIT PRICE   TAX      O&P      RCV        AGE/LIFE  COND  DEP%    DEPREC.      ACV
RFG 300     R&R Laminated comp. shingle rfg.     28.44 SQ     312.55   402.18   1,858.26  9,149.56   9/30 yrs  Avg   30.0   (2,744.87)  6,404.69
            w/ felt
   1          2   3                              4          5                                6                7          8

Item code. Category (RFG = roofing) plus selector (300 = laminated comp shingle). Our insurance-facing estimates carry these on every line — it's how the adjuster finds the same item in their software.
Activity. The first word or two. R&R means remove and replace. This is the highest-leverage thing on the line — see the table below.
Description. The catalog item.
Quantity + unit. SQ = 100 SF of roof. Check the unit against the quantity; unit errors are 100× errors.
Unit price. From the regional price list, not from the adjuster's judgment.
RCV. Full replacement value for this line, including tax and O&P.
Age / Life / Condition. 9 years old against a 30-year life. Verify the age — a wrong install date is a documentable correction.
Depreciation and ACV. Dollars withheld, and what gets paid today.

4.1 The activity prefix

Activity	Includes	Watch for
R&R	Tear-off + new material	The complete line
Remove	Tear-off only	Who's paying to put it back?
Replace	Install only	Where's the removal line?
D&R	Detach and reset existing	Is it actually reusable?
Repair	Spot fix	The repair-vs-replace fight
Detach	Removal, no reinstall	Orphan line — find the reset

Most common quiet underpayment

A Remove line with no matching install, or a Replace with no matching removal. Read them in pairs. Nobody spots this on the first pass, and once you've seen it once you'll never miss it again.

4.2 Units

Unit	Means	Unit	Means
SQ	100 SF of roof	EA	Each
SF	Square feet	HR	Hour
LF	Linear feet	DA	Day
SY	Square yards	WK / MO	Week / month

Chapter 5

Roof Scope

A complete roof scope on our sample claim. Study the shape of it — then study what's missing.

Specimen — Roof Scope Page

SAMPLE_JOHNQ_1                                          Page 2

ROOF — MAIN DWELLING
CODE        DESCRIPTION                              QTY   UNIT      UNIT $        RCV
RFG 300     R&R Laminated comp. shingle - w/ felt   28.44   SQ       312.55    8,889.12
RFG RMV2    Remove Additional layer of shingles     28.44   SQ        42.18    1,199.60
RFG HIGH    Addl charge - high roof (2 stories+)    12.50   SQ        22.40      280.00
RFG STEEP   Addl charge - steep roof 7/12 to 9/12    9.20   SQ        48.15      442.98
RFG DRIP    R&R Drip edge                          246.00   LF         3.02      742.92
RFG IWS     R&R Ice & water barrier               425.00   SF         2.18      926.50
RFG STRTR   R&R Asphalt starter - universal        156.00   LF         2.44      380.64
RFG RIDGC   R&R Ridge cap - Standard profile        92.00   LF         5.86      539.12
RFG VENTR   R&R Continuous ridge vent - shingle-over 42.00   LF         9.74      409.08
RFG VENT    R&R Roof vent - turtle type - metal       6.00   EA        68.20      409.20
RFG FLPIPE  R&R Flashing - pipe jack                  4.00   EA        52.36      209.44
RFG VALMTL  R&R Valley metal                         36.00   LF         8.92      321.12
RFG STEPF   R&R Step flashing                        28.00   LF        11.05      309.40
DMO DUMP    Dumpster load - approx. 20 yd              1.00   EA       585.00      585.00
                                ROOF SUBTOTAL                            15,644.12

GRAND TOTAL AREAS — ROOF

  Total Roof Area .............. 28.44 SQ   (2,844 SF)
  Total Ridge Length ........... 42.00 LF        1
  Total Hip Length ............. 50.00 LF
  Total Valley Length .......... 36.00 LF
  Total Rake Length ............ 90.00 LF        2
  Total Eave Length ............ 156.00 LF
  Predominant Pitch ............ 8/12            3

Ridge cap math check. Ridge cap is scoped at 92 LF against 42 LF ridge + 50 LF hip = 92 LF. That one reconciles. Always run it.
Drip edge math check. Scoped at 246 LF against 156 LF eave + 90 LF rake = 246 LF. Also reconciles. On most carrier estimates this comes back at 156 — eave only — and the missing 90 LF is your first supplement.
Pitch. 8/12 predominant, so the steep charge applies. It's scoped at 9.20 SQ, not the full 28.44 — meaning they only charged steep on part of the roof. Verify against the plane-by-plane pitches before you accept that.

Reading it right

This specimen is deliberately generous — it's what a complete roof scope looks like. Most of what you'll receive is missing four to eight of these lines. Learn the complete shape so the gaps jump out.

Chapter 6

Siding Scope

Specimen — Siding Scope Page

SAMPLE_JOHNQ_1                                          Page 3

EXTERIOR — SIDING & TRIM
CODE        DESCRIPTION                              QTY   UNIT      UNIT $        RCV
SDG VINYL   R&R Vinyl siding                        18.60   SQ       268.40    4,992.24
SDG START   R&R Vinyl siding - starter strip       148.00   LF         2.18      322.64
SDG CORNR   R&R Vinyl corner post                     8.00   EA        46.80      374.40
SDG JCHAN   R&R Vinyl siding - J channel            186.00   LF         3.14      584.04
SDG UTRIM   R&R Vinyl siding - utility trim          96.00   LF         2.86      274.56
SDG WRAP    R&R House wrap (weather barrier)      1,860.00   SF         0.62    1,153.20
SFG SOFFIT  R&R Vinyl soffit                       386.00   SF         6.42    2,478.12
SFG FASCIA  R&R Fascia - metal wrap - 6"           246.00   LF         6.18    1,520.28
SDG BLOCK   R&R Mounting block - siding              5.00   EA        38.44      192.20
                                SIDING SUBTOTAL                          11,891.68

GRAND TOTAL AREAS — EXTERIOR WALLS

  Total Wall Area (gross) ...... 1,860 SF
  Openings Deducted ............   112 SF        1
  Total Siding Area ............ 18.60 SQ
  Corner Posts ................. 8 EA  (4 outside / 4 inside)
  Soffit Area .................. 386 SF
  Eave + Rake Length ........... 246 LF

Openings deducted. They took out 112 SF. If our takeoff deducted nothing, we'll show a 1.12 SQ variance that isn't a real disagreement — it's two conventions colliding. Pick one convention, state it on our estimate, and reconcile against theirs before calling it a shortage.

What's usually missing

Carrier siding scopes are frequently a square count and nothing else. Starter strip, corner posts, J-channel, and utility trim get dropped — the same pattern as starter and drip edge on a roof. They're priced by the linear foot and by the each, so count them and supplement with quantities, not adjectives.

Chapter 7

Gutter Scope

Specimen — Gutter Scope Page

SAMPLE_JOHNQ_1                                          Page 4

EXTERIOR — GUTTERS & DOWNSPOUTS
CODE        DESCRIPTION                              QTY   UNIT      UNIT $        RCV
GUT 5AL     R&R Gutter - aluminum - up to 5"       186.00   LF         9.86    1,833.96
GUT DSPT    R&R Downspout - aluminum - up to 4"      84.00   LF         8.42      707.28
GUT GUARD   R&R Gutter guard / screen - aluminum    186.00   LF         6.24    1,160.64
                                GUTTER SUBTOTAL                           3,701.88

GENERAL
PMT PERMIT  Permit fee - roofing                     1.00   EA       285.00      285.00
RFG TARP    Temporary tarping - per SQ                4.00   SQ        82.40      329.60
                                GENERAL SUBTOTAL                            614.60

Gutter LF should equal eave LF. 186 LF gutter against 156 LF eave on the roof page — the extra 30 LF is the detached structure or a porch. If gutter LF is less than eave LF with no explanation, a run got missed.
Downspouts are counted separately and priced per LF, not per each. Measure the drop height plus the elbows and the kick-out at grade.
Temporary tarping already performed is reimbursable. If we tarped it the night of the storm, it goes on the estimate with a dated photo.

Chapter 8

Recap & Totals Page

The back of the estimate. Most people skip it. It's the fastest audit in the document.

Specimen — Recap by Category

SAMPLE_JOHNQ_1                                          Page 5

RECAP BY CATEGORY
                                            RCV        %
  RFG   Roofing                        15,059.12    47.3%
  SDG   Siding                          7,893.28    24.8%
  SFG   Soffit, Fascia & Trim           3,998.40    12.6%
  GUT   Gutters & Downspouts            3,701.88    11.6%
  DMO   General Demolition                585.00     1.8%
  GEN   General / Permits                 614.60     1.9%
        LINE ITEM TOTAL              31,852.28   100.0%   1

Use the percentages. If a full gutter replacement shows up at 1.5% of a $32k job, an entire trade got shorted and you found it in five seconds without reading a single line item.

Specimen — Summary / Totals Page

SAMPLE_JOHNQ_1                                          Page 6

SUMMARY

  Line Item Total                              31,852.28
  Material Sales Tax                            1,412.63    1
                                             ────────────
  Subtotal                                     33,264.91

  Overhead                       @ 10%          3,326.49    2
  Profit                         @ 10%          3,326.49
                                             ════════════
  Replacement Cost Value (RCV)                 39,917.89   3

  Less Depreciation                            (6,842.15)   4
                                             ════════════
  Actual Cash Value (ACV)                      33,075.74

  Less Deductible                              (2,500.00)   5
                                             ════════════
  Net Claim                                    30,575.74

  Total Recoverable Depreciation                6,842.15    6
                                             ════════════
  Net Claim If Depreciation Is Recovered       37,417.89

  T. HALVORSEN, Field Adjuster
  Midwest Mutual Claims  ·  (816) 555-0233

Material sales tax. Broken out because labor generally isn't taxed. A missing tax line on a material-heavy scope is real money.
O&P applied at 10/10. This job touches roofing, siding, soffit/fascia, gutters, and demo — five trades. Multi-trade coordination is the standard basis for O&P. When it's zeroed out on a scope like this, count the trades and ask in writing.
RCV sits below O&P, not above it. When your hand math doesn't match, this is usually why.
Depreciation. About 17% here. Check the age and life expectancy on the line items that drive it.
Deductible error. They applied $2,500 — the AOP deductible. Look back at the declarations page: this is a wind/hail loss, and the policy carries a 1% wind/hail deductible of $3,850. The homeowner's net check is $1,350 lower than this page says. Catch it before they budget around the wrong number.
Recoverable depreciation — but note the roof surfacing ACV endorsement on the dec page. The roof portion of that $6,842 may not be recoverable at all. Have them confirm with the adjuster.

Train on this

Point 5 is the whole reason we read the declarations page first. The estimate is internally consistent and still produces a wrong number for the homeowner, because the deductible came from the wrong line of the policy. Nobody catches that by reading the estimate alone.

Chapter 9

The Money Math

9.1 The four numbers

Term	Meaning
RCV	Full cost to replace new, today. The value of the job.
Depreciation	Value withheld for age and wear.
ACV	RCV minus depreciation. The first check.
Net claim	ACV minus deductible. What lands in the mailbox.

9.2 Recoverable vs. non-recoverable

Recoverable depreciation is released after the work is completed and invoiced — the homeowner isn't losing it, they're being paid in two installments. Non-recoverable is gone permanently. Which applies depends on the policy, and on endorsements like the roof surfacing schedule in Chapter 2.

Kitchen table script

"The carrier's estimate shows the full replacement value here, and this amount is held back until the work is finished. Once we complete the job and submit the final invoice, that's typically released. Your policy language controls exactly how it works, so let's look at your declarations page together and you can confirm it with your adjuster."

9.3 Depreciation audit

Is the age right? A roof replaced four years ago depreciated at eighteen is a documentable correction — get the permit record or prior invoice.
Is the life right? A 30-year architectural shingle depreciated against a 20-year life is over-depreciated.
Is the condition rating fair? "Poor" on a roof that was sound before the storm is worth challenging with pre-loss photos.

9.4 O&P

Overhead and profit — customarily 10% and 10% — compensates a general contractor for coordinating trades, not for doing the work, which is already in the unit price. The industry rule of thumb is that it applies where a job involves three or more trades with genuine coordination complexity. Carrier practice and state rules vary. Count the trades, document them, ask in writing, and don't turn it into a philosophical argument.

Chapter 10

Scope Audit & Supplements

10.1 The audit sequence

Always in this order. Don't jump to line items.

Structures — house, detached garage, shed, porch, fence. All scoped?
Elevations and slopes — every one, or just the obvious ones?
Measurements — their SQ and LF against our takeoff.
Activity types — repair where replacement is warranted? Orphan Remove/Replace lines?
Line-item completeness — the checklist below.
Pricing — only now.

10.2 Roof omissions checklist

Starter course (not cut from field shingle)
Ridge cap as a separate item
Drip edge — eave and rake
Ice & water at eaves, valleys, and every penetration
Underlayment, correct quantity
Valley metal
Step and counter flashing at walls and chimneys
Pipe jacks — count them off the photos
Ventilation, removed and replaced
Waste factor
Second-layer tear-off, priced per layer
Steep charge, by pitch tier
High roof charge, two stories and up
Detach & reset — satellite, solar, gutters, HVAC
Debris removal sized to the job
Permit fees
Temporary tarping already performed
Code upgrade items (cite the code, use Ordinance & Law)
Detached structures
Matching / uniform appearance where a partial repair mismatches

For low-slope, add: ply count, primer, cant strips, edge metal and coping, roll-goods waste, and parapet turn-up area (Chapter 19).

10.3 Repair vs. replace

The largest-dollar fight in the business. Build the case from evidence, not adjectives:

Physical condition — brittleness, inability to lift and reseal without fracturing adjacent shingles
Manufacturer specifications the repair would violate
Local building code — what's required when a percentage of a roof is disturbed
Matching — discontinued or unavailable material
Photos — lettered exhibits, dated

10.4 Writing the supplement

Format it so the adjuster can act in five minutes.

#	Item / code	Qty	Unit	Reason
1	RFG DRIP — rake	90.00	LF	Code-required at rakes; scope covers eave only
2	RFG IWS — penetrations	48.00	SF	10 penetrations, Exhibits C–L; not in scope
3	SDG CORNR	8.00	EA	Required to terminate panel ends; omitted

Then numbered photo exhibits, code citations, manufacturer specs, and a one-paragraph cover. Tone: we're correcting an incomplete scope, not accusing anyone.

10.5 The five-minute triage

Price list date current? (30 sec)
All structures and slopes in the area headers? (60 sec)
SQ and LF match our takeoff? (60 sec)
R&R vs. Repair on the primary system? (30 sec)
Run the omissions checklist. (2 min)

Part II

Roofing Systems

What the components are, how they go on, and why. Format: what it is, how, why, field check.

Chapter 11

Shingles

11.1 Architectural vs. 3-tab

3-tab: one flat layer cut into three tabs. Thin, shorter life, lower wind rating. Architectural (laminated): two layers fused for a thicker, shadowed look, better wind ratings, longer warranty coverage. We sell architectural. A carrier scoping 3-tab on a house that had architectural is a like-kind-and-quality correction — objective and easy.

11.2 GAF Timberline HDZ

What: GAF's flagship laminated shingle, and a "Lifetime" shingle — the entry requirement for every enhanced GAF warranty.
How: LayerLock technology with a wide StrikeZone nailing area — a visibly marked strip, far more forgiving than the narrow nail line on older shingles.
Why: most wind-loss shingles weren't defective. They were nailed high, above the zone, so the nail held nothing. The wide zone kills that failure mode and is what makes HDZ eligible for WindProven wind coverage.
Field check: lift a shingle and look at where the nails landed. High nails tell you the whole story of that roof.

11.3 Nailing, exposure, offset

Nails: four per shingle standard, six in high wind. Driven flush — not overdriven (cuts the mat), not underdriven (holds the next course off the deck).
Exposure: printed on the wrapper. Drift is how a crew "gains" squares and loses coverage.
Offset: staggered so joints don't line up. Racking straight up creates a vertical water path.

11.4 What failure looks like

You see	It means
Bruises, soft dark spots, circular granule loss	Hail
Creased shingles, lifted or missing tabs	Wind
Curling, cupping, brittle edges	Age or heat — check ventilation
Uniform granules in the gutters	End of life
Cracks when lifted	Brittle — repair is not physically possible

That last row is the repair-vs-replace argument, and it's documentable with photos.

Chapter 12

Underlayment & Leak Barrier

12.1 Synthetic underlayment

What: woven polymer sheet replacing #15/#30 felt.
How: rolled horizontally from the eave up, lapped on the printed lines, fastened with cap nails or plastic cap staples — not bare staples.
Why: felt tears, wrinkles when wet, and telegraphs through the shingles. Synthetic is stronger, safer to walk, and carries a UV rating so it can sit if weather stalls the job.
Field check: cap nails in a visible grid; laps shingled downhill, never uphill.

12.2 Ice & water shield (leak barrier)

What: self-adhering rubberized asphalt membrane that bonds to the deck.
How: deck clean and dry, peel, position, press. It self-seals around every nail driven through it.
Why: it's the only component that seals around fasteners. Regular underlayment has a hole wherever a nail goes through.

12.3 Where it goes — the full list

Memorize this. It's the most under-scoped item on carrier estimates.

Eaves — from the edge past the interior face of the exterior wall (check local code for the distance)
All valleys, full width, both sides
Around every penetration — pipe jacks, vents, chimneys, skylights, satellite and solar mounts
Sidewalls and headwalls
Low-slope transitions
Rakes, in high-wind areas

Estimating: carriers typically list eaves only. Count the penetrations off the photo report and supplement the rest.

Chapter 13

Edges, Starter & Ridge

13.1 Starter strip

What: purpose-made strip with a factory adhesive bead positioned at the eave edge, run along eaves and rakes before the first course.
Why: the adhesive grabs the bottom edge of the first course. That edge is where wind gets its grip — every blow-off starts at an unsealed edge.
Why not cut up a shingle: on a laminated shingle the adhesive is in the wrong place and the second layer is in the way. It puts glue where it does nothing, and it disqualifies the roof from GAF warranty coverage.

13.2 Ridge cap

What: thicker pre-formed caps designed to bend over ridges and hips without cracking.
Why: a field shingle cut into caps cracks at the fold, especially cold, and the exposed nails leak. Purpose-made cap is a warranty component.
Quantity: ridge LF + hip LF.

13.3 Valleys & flashings

Valley metal — open or closed detail; leak barrier underneath either way.
Step flashing — individual L-pieces woven into each course at a wall. Continuous flashing at a sidewall is wrong.
Counter flashing — laps over the step flashing, usually let into masonry at a chimney.
Pipe jacks — rubber collars dry-rot long before shingles fail. Replace every time; never reuse.

Field check: the top three leak sources are penetrations, valleys, and wall transitions. Photograph all three on every inspection whether they look damaged or not.

Chapter 14

Ventilation

14.1 The rule

Air in low, out high. It needs both. Sizing uses NFA — net free area in square inches, published on every vent product, measured against attic floor area (commonly 1 SF of NFA per 150 SF of attic, or per 300 SF when the system is balanced — confirm which applies locally).

Field rule: intake must equal or slightly exceed exhaust. Never the reverse.

14.2 Vented soffit (intake)

Perforated panel in the underside of the eave. The critical detail is that the attic side has to be open — baffles hold insulation back. Field check: is the soffit perforated? Then, from inside the attic, can you see daylight at the eaves? If not, the intake is blocked even though the soffit is vented.

14.3 Ridge vent (exhaust)

Continuous vent along the peak under the ridge cap. The crew cuts a slot through the deck along the ridge, the vent lays over it, cap goes on top. Field check: a ridge vent installed with no slot cut looks perfect from the ground and vents nothing. Look for a continuous line of daylight at the peak from inside.

14.4 750 box vents (exhaust)

The standard static square/slant-back roof louver — what everyone calls a "750." Hole cut through the deck, flange laid over, shingled in on the sides and top, open at the bottom, leak barrier around the opening. They're the go-to where a continuous ridge isn't practical — hips, short ridges, cut-up roofs. Each contributes a set NFA, so the count is a calculation. Pull the NFA from the current data sheet rather than assuming; it varies by model.

Estimating: count them on the aerial or photo report. They're removed during tear-off and have to be replaced — a line item, and often missing.

14.5 What ruins a vent system

Mixing exhaust types. Ridge vent plus gable vents or a power fan short-circuits the system.
Blocked or painted-over soffits
No slot cut under the ridge vent
Exhaust exceeding intake

Chapter 15

Low-Slope: TPO & Torch-Down

15.1 TPO

Thermoplastic Polyolefin — a single-ply white membrane, typically 45, 60, or 80 mil, over insulation or a coverboard. The defining feature: seams are heat-welded, not glued. A properly welded seam is stronger than the membrane itself.

Factor	Mechanically fastened	Fully adhered
How	Screws + plates inside the seam, next sheet laps over and welds	Bonding adhesive to substrate and membrane back, then welded seams
Cost	Lower	Higher
Wind uplift	Good	Better
Deck penetrations	Many	Few
Appearance	Fastener rows telegraph; membrane flutters	Smooth and flat
Cold weather	Tolerant	Restricted
Use when	Budget-driven, large simple fields	High wind, odd shapes, concrete decks, visible roofs

Field check: probe seams with a screwdriver tip. A cold weld separates — that's a workmanship defect, not storm damage. Know the difference before you write it up.

15.2 Modified bitumen / torch-down

Mod-bit is a multi-ply system, which matters when arguing scope because carriers routinely pay for one ply.

Base sheet: bottom layer, mechanically fastened or adhered to the deck. Smooth.
Cap sheet: top layer, granulated for UV protection. Adhered to the base.
Two-ply is the standard. Single-ply mod-bit is not a full system.

Application methods: torch-applied (open flame melts the asphalt as the sheet rolls out — fast, strong, needs fire watch), self-adhered (peel and stick, safer, temperature sensitive), or cold-applied adhesive.

SBS vs. APP: SBS is rubberized — flexible, better in cold, handles movement. APP is plastic-modified and heat-resistant. SBS is the common spec in our market.

15.3 The three that get dropped

Primer — on masonry, concrete, and metal before the membrane. Without it there's no bond. It's a line item.
Cant strips — angled fillers at every vertical transition, turning a 90° break into two 45s so the membrane doesn't crack.
Parapet turn-up — membrane runs up the wall and terminates under the coping. See Chapter 19 for the math.

Chapter 16

The GAF Warranty

Verify before quoting

Warranty terms and product eligibility change. Confirm everything here against GAF's current documents at gaf.com/warranty before it goes in front of a homeowner or into a contract. As one example of how fast it moves: as of April 1, 2026 GAF removed Timberline NS and Royal Sovereign from eligibility for the top two tiers.

16.1 The five accessory categories

The whole structure is built on counting qualifying accessories. Five categories:

Roof deck protection — underlayment (FeltBuster, Tiger Paw, Deck-Armor)
Leak barrier — ice & water (WeatherWatch, StormGuard)
Starter strip shingles — (Pro-Start, WeatherBlocker, StarterMatch)
Ridge cap shingles — (Seal-A-Ridge, TimberTex, Ridglass)
Attic ventilation — (Cobra ridge vent, Master Flow)

The connection

Those five are the exact items carriers leave off estimates. The warranty requirement list and the supplement checklist are the same list — because they're the parts that do the work. One list, two conversations.

16.2 The 3 / 4 / 5 rule

3 accessories + any GAF Lifetime Shingle → Lifetime Roofing System. Upgrades coverage from shingles-only to the whole system.
4 accessories + Timberline with LayerLock → eligible for WindProven, a 15-year wind warranty with no maximum wind speed. The required four: starter strips, deck protection, ridge cap, and either leak barrier or ventilation. Four is also the Silver Pledge threshold.
5 accessories → the requirement level for Golden Pledge.

One caveat on "Lifetime": it means as long as the original owner (or eligible second owner) of a single-family detached residence owns the property. On a rental, a duplex, or a commercial building it doesn't apply. Nobody on this team says "lifetime warranty" to a duplex owner.

16.3 The tiers

Tier	Contractor required	Accessories	Workmanship
Shingle & Accessory	None	—	None
System Plus	GAF Certified	3	Minimal
Silver Pledge	Certified Plus or Master Elite	4	~10 years
Golden Pledge	Master Elite only	5	~25 years

The single most important idea here: the base warranty covers material defects only. Most roofs don't fail because a shingle was defective — they fail because of installation. Workmanship coverage starts at Silver Pledge. That's the real product difference and the honest reason to pursue certification.

16.4 What voids it

Mixing manufacturers — non-GAF starter, underlayment, or cap on a system-warranty roof
Nailing outside the zone, wrong count, over- or under-driven
Wrong exposure or improper offset
Inadequate attic ventilation
Installing over an existing layer where tear-off is required
Failing to register the warranty

For the crew: you can install every correct product and still void the warranty with the nail gun set at the wrong pressure.

16.5 Selling it honestly

Never promise a tier we can't register. If we're not Master Elite, we don't say Golden Pledge.
Lead with workmanship, not years. "Twenty-five years" is noise. "This tier covers installation mistakes, the base one doesn't" is a real distinction.
Point at the components. "These five items are what GAF requires for full system coverage — and they're exactly what your insurance estimate left off. Let's get them on there."

Part III

Measurement & Anatomy

Turning a building into squares, and knowing the name of every part you're pointing at.

Chapter 17

Measuring Into Squares

Everything is priced by the square. One square is 100 square feet of roof surface — not 100 square feet of ground under the roof.

Fig. 17.1 — Pitch
The bottom line is what an aerial footprint shows. The sloped line is what you buy shingles for. The steeper the roof, the further apart those numbers get.

17.1 Slope factor table

Pitch	Factor	Pitch	Factor
1/12	1.003	7/12	1.158
2/12	1.014	8/12	1.202
3/12	1.031	9/12	1.250
4/12	1.054	10/12	1.302
5/12	1.083	11/12	1.357
6/12	1.118	12/12	1.414

// for any pitch not on the table slope factor = √( 1 + (rise ÷ 12)² ) // 8/12 → √(1 + 0.4444) = √1.4444 = 1.202

17.2 The five-step takeoff

Measure the footprint of each roof section
Get the pitch of each section — a house can have three
Multiply footprint × slope factor
Divide by 100 = squares
Add waste, round up to the full square

// simple gable Footprint 40′ × 30′ = 1,200 SF Pitch 6/12 → factor × 1.118 ───────── Roof surface = 1,341.6 SF ÷ 100 = 13.42 SQ + 10% waste = 14.76 SQ ───────── ORDER 15 SQ

// two pitches Main 52′ × 28′ @ 7/12 1,456 SF × 1.158 = 1,686.0 SF Porch 24′ × 10′ @ 3/12 240 SF × 1.031 = 247.4 SF ───────── Total = 1,933.4 SF ÷ 100 = 19.33 SQ + 15% (cut-up, 2 valleys) = 22.23 SQ ───────── ORDER 23 SQ

The rule

Footprint measurement → apply the slope factor. Rake measurement → don't. Rake length is the slope dimension. Multiplying an on-slope measurement by the pitch factor inflates the job 10–40%, and it's the most common takeoff error there is.

17.3 Waste

Roof	Waste	Why
Simple gable	10%	Starter and ridge cuts
Hip	15%	Angled cuts both sides of every hip
Cut-up, valleys, dormers	15–18%	Valley cuts waste half a shingle each
Roll goods (mod-bit, TPO)	10%+	Side and end laps

Waste is the material that ends up in the dumpster as offcuts. A carrier estimate with zero waste is under-scoped on its face.

17.4 Squares aren't the whole takeoff

Measurement	What it buys
Roof area (SQ)	Field shingles, underlayment
Eave LF	Drip edge, starter, ice & water, gutter
Rake LF	Drip edge, starter
Ridge LF	Ridge cap, ridge vent
Hip LF	Ridge cap
Valley LF	Valley metal, ice & water
Penetration count	Pipe jacks, leak barrier patches, vents
Wall / step LF	Step and counter flashing

That table is also your supplement checklist — every row is a line item that gets omitted, and every one is defensible with a number instead of an opinion.

17.5 The six takeoff errors

Applying the slope factor to a rake measurement
Measuring the walls instead of the roof — you lose every overhang
One pitch on a house that has three
Missing planes you can't see from the street
Forgetting parapet turn-up on a flat roof
Rounding down

Chapter 18

Pitched Roof Anatomy

You can't write a scope with words you don't own.

Fig. 18.1 — Gable roof
Red edges are the three you name constantly. Measure eave and rake in linear feet — that's your drip edge and your starter.

Fig. 18.2 — Hip roof, plan view
The view an aerial report gives you. Hips fold down; valleys fold in and collect. Both need a linear-foot number.

Term	What it is	Why it matters
Ridge	Horizontal top edge	Ridge cap + ridge vent, by LF
Hip	Sloped external corner	Ridge cap by LF; drives waste up
Valley	Sloped internal corner	Valley metal + leak barrier; top leak source
Eave	Low horizontal edge	Drip edge, starter, ice & water, gutter
Rake	Sloped edge at a gable end	Drip edge, starter; wind entry point
Gable end	Triangular wall under a rake	Gets sided — Ch. 22 math
Fascia	Board at the eave	Rots first when drip edge is missing
Soffit	Underside of the overhang	Ventilation intake
Overhang	Roof past the wall	Why footprint ≠ roof area
Field	Open plane between edges	Where the squares are

Chapter 19

Flat Roof Anatomy

Fig. 19.1 — Flat roof at a parapet
The red line is one continuous membrane. It does not stop at the wall — it climbs it and terminates under the coping.

Term	What it is
Parapet wall	Wall extending above the roof deck around the perimeter
Coping	Cap on top of the parapet — metal, stone, or tile
Turn-up (base flashing)	Membrane running up the parapet, terminating under the coping
Cant strip	45° filler so the membrane bends twice instead of cracking once
Termination bar	Metal bar fastening and sealing the top of the turn-up
Counter flashing	Metal lapping over the turn-up, often let into masonry
Scupper	Opening through the parapet draining water out through the wall
Roof drain	Interior drain piped down through the building
Ponding	Water standing more than ~48 hrs — a drainage defect
Curb	Raised frame around a rooftop unit; flashed like a mini parapet

19.1 The math nobody does

An aerial gives you the footprint. It cannot see vertical surface. The turn-up is real membrane, real labor, and real square footage — invisible to a plan-view takeoff.

// 42′ × 28′ flat roof, parapet all four sides, 18″ turn-up Field 42 × 28 = 1,176 SF Parapet perim (42 + 28) × 2 = 140 LF Turn-up 140 LF × 1.5 FT = 210 SF ───────── Membrane area = 1,386 SF ÷ 100 = 13.86 SQ + 10% roll waste = 15.25 SQ ───────── ORDER 16 SQ // the turn-up alone was 2.1 SQ — 18% over the footprint

Standing DJE practice

Every flat-roof takeoff includes parapet turn-up. Measure parapet height from the roof surface to the underside of the coping, run the perimeter, add it. When a carrier's number is close to the bare footprint, that's your first supplement — and it's arithmetic, not argument.

Also count separately: cant strip LF (equals parapet perimeter), primer, coping removal and reset or replacement, scupper and drain count, and second-layer tear-off.

Chapter 20

Drip Edge

A bent piece of metal that costs a few hundred dollars and prevents several thousand in rot. Missing from more carrier scopes than any other single item.

20.1 The five things it does

Throws water into the gutter. Without it, surface tension pulls water backward around the shingle edge and down the fascia.
Protects the deck edge. Exposed end grain is the most rot-prone inch of the roof.
Stiffens the shingle edge. The first course has something rigid to lie against instead of cantilevering into space.
Blocks wind-driven rain and pests. Closes the gap between deck and fascia.
Satisfies code. Required at eaves and rakes in most jurisdictions.

20.2 Types

Type	Profile	Where
Type C	Simple L-bend, hemmed edge	Traditional; eaves and rakes
Type D	T-shape with a kick-out	Better water throw; preferred at eaves
Type F	Extended face flange	Rakes and over existing roofing

20.3 Install order — not optional

AT THE EAVE: deck → DRIP EDGE → ice & water / underlayment → shingles AT THE RAKE: deck → ice & water / underlayment → DRIP EDGE → shingles

Why it flips. At the eave, water running on top of the underlayment must exit over the metal into the gutter, so the underlayment laps over the drip edge. At the rake, wind drives water sideways under the shingle edge, so the metal goes over the underlayment to keep it out.

Lap sections about 2″ in the direction of flow, fasten the top flange only, and run the full perimeter.

Estimating

Quantity = total eave LF + total rake LF. On a hip roof there are no rakes, so it's the full eave perimeter. Carriers routinely scope eave-only on a gable roof — roughly half the real quantity.

Part IV

Siding

Vinyl fails for one reason more than all others combined: somebody nailed it tight.

Chapter 21

Vinyl Components & Install

Fig. 21.1 — Vinyl components
Red items are the ones most often missing from a carrier estimate. They're priced by the linear foot and the each, not by the square.

Component	Job	Bought by
Weather-resistive barrier	House wrap. This — not the siding — is the water barrier.	SF
Fanfold insulation	Flat backing board, small R-value, evens the wall	SF
Starter strip	Locks the first course, sets the angle for everything above	LF
Siding panel	The field	SQ (box = 2 SQ)
Outside corner post	Receives panel ends at external corners	EA × height
Inside corner post	Same at internal corners	EA × height
J-channel	Receives cut ends at windows, doors, roof lines	LF
Utility / undersill trim	Holds top-course and under-window cuts that have no nail hem left	LF
Soffit panel	Encloses the overhang; vented for intake	SF
F-channel	Receives the soffit at the wall	LF
Fascia cap / trim coil	Wraps the fascia in aluminum	LF
Mounting blocks	Flat pads for lights, hose bibs, dryer vents, receptacles	EA
Head flashing	Metal above window and door openings	LF

21.1 The seven install rules

Vinyl hangs — it does not fasten. Nail in the center of the slot, leave about 1/32″ between the head and the panel. If you can't slide the panel side to side after nailing, it's wrong.
Leave room to move. About 1/4″ where a panel enters trim, closer to 3/8″ in cold weather. A 12′ panel moves visibly between January and July.
Lock, then nail. Push up until the course below locks, then fasten. Don't stretch upward while nailing.
Fasten every 16″ into solid backing, hitting studs where possible.
Stagger the seams. Overlap about an inch, keep vertical joints at least three courses apart. Aligned seams read as a stripe from the street.
Start dead level. Snap a line for the starter. Every error there multiplies up the wall.
Don't caulk panels to trim. J-channel and corner posts are drainage paths, not seals. Caulking traps water behind the wall.

Failure signatures

Wavy or oil-canned walls = nailed too tight. Panels off in wind = not locked, or nailed through the face. Water behind the siding = missing or reverse-lapped house wrap, or caulked trim. All three are workmanship, not storm damage — know the difference before writing a claim.

Chapter 22

Measuring Siding

Same square: 1 SQ = 100 SF. Vinyl ships two squares to a box. The work is in the shapes.

Fig. 22.1 — Gable end takeoff
Two shapes, two formulas. The gable height is vertical — it is not the rake length. Use the rake as the height and the number comes out high.

22.1 Gable height without a ladder

You rarely get to measure the peak. Derive it from pitch — the gable is the pitch triangle scaled up.

gable height (FT) = (rise ÷ 12) × (base ÷ 2) // 30′ wide gable at 6/12 (6 ÷ 12) × (30 ÷ 2) = 0.5 × 15 = 7.5 FT

22.2 Worked example — full gable-end elevation

WALL 30′ × 9′ = 270.0 SF GABLE ½ × 30′ × 7.5′ = 112.5 SF ────────── Gross wall area = 382.5 SF ÷ 100 = 3.83 SQ + 10% waste = 4.21 SQ ────────── SIDING 4.21 SQ → ~2.1 boxes // trim, same wall Starter strip 30 LF (base of wall) Corner posts 2 EA × 9′ = 18 LF J-channel both rakes = 34 LF Utility trim top course = 30 LF

Note how much of that wall is not siding squares. On a cut-up elevation the trim can be a third of the material cost, all priced by the linear foot.

22.3 Other shapes

Shape	Formula	Where
Rectangle	b × h	Standard wall
Gable triangle	½ × b × h	Above the eave line
Trapezoid	((h₁ + h₂) ÷ 2) × b	Shed roof, saltbox, sloped grade
Dutch / clipped gable	trapezoid, not triangle	Gable with the peak cut off
Dormer cheek	½ × b × h, each side	Sides of a gable dormer
Soffit	overhang width × eave LF	Underside of every overhang

22.4 Openings

Whether to deduct is a convention, not physics — and both sides of an estimate have to use the same one.

Common field practice: don't deduct small openings. Cuts around a window generate as much waste as the opening saves.
Larger openings — garage doors, picture windows, sliders — get deducted, sometimes at half area.
In Xactimate, wall area comes off the sketch with openings deducted automatically. Deduct nothing on our side while they deduct everything, and you'll argue about a variance that's really two conventions colliding.

Rule

Pick one convention, state it on the estimate, use it every time. Consistency is what makes the number defensible.

22.5 Siding takeoff checklist

Every elevation measured separately
Gable areas calculated, pitch confirmed for each
Dormer cheeks and returns included
Trapezoids where grade slopes or roof lines cut across
Starter strip LF = base of every wall
Outside and inside corner posts counted × wall height
J-channel around every window, door, and roof line
Utility trim under sills and at every top course
Soffit SF and F-channel LF
Fascia LF
Mounting blocks counted
House wrap SF
Waste added, rounded up to full boxes

Reference

Quick Card

The money

RCV → Depreciation → ACV → Deductible → Net Claim ACV check first · work completed · final invoice · recoverable depreciation released · the deductible is always the homeowner's

Activities

R&R both · Remove tear-off only · Replace install only · D&R reuse · Repair patch

Units

SQ = 100 SF · LF · SF · EA · HR

Audit order

Structures → Slopes → Measurements → Activities → Line items → Price

Top 8 missing roof items

starter · ridge cap · drip edge · ice & water · valley metal · steep/high charge · second-layer tear-off · waste factor

Top 4 missing siding items

starter strip · corner posts · J-channel · utility trim

Measurement

roof SQ = (footprint SF × slope factor) ÷ 100 gable ht = (rise ÷ 12) × (base ÷ 2) gable area = ½ × base × height turn-up SF = parapet perimeter LF × turn-up height FT // rake measurements are already on the slope — don't multiply

GAF accessories — the five

deck protection · leak barrier · starter strip · ridge cap · ventilation
3 = Lifetime System · 4 = WindProven / Silver Pledge · 5 = Golden Pledge
Workmanship coverage starts at Silver Pledge.

Two fights

Scope first, price second. Scope is objective and worth more.

Danni James Exteriors Study Guide · Parts I–IV, Chapters 1–22
All documents shown are training recreations on a fictional claim. Slope factors are geometric constants.
Prices, price list versions, waste conventions, code requirements, and GAF warranty terms change — verify against current sources before relying on any of them.
Internal use only.