5 Line Items Roofers Miss on Storm Claims (and How to Supplement Them)

The money is in the details

You sold the job and the adjuster's number looks close, until you notice half the materials on your truck aren't on the estimate. On storm claims, the gap between a first estimate and a complete one usually isn't the shingle line. It's the accessories, the labor adders and the work around the roof.

Here are five line items we regularly find missing from carrier estimates, and what it takes to get each one supplemented.

1. Starter course

Starter is one of the most common omissions, and one of the easiest to defend. Most shingle manufacturers call for a starter course at the eaves, and many laminated products also call for it along the rakes. Building codes based on the International Residential Code (IRC) require roof coverings to be installed according to the manufacturer's instructions, so the installation sheet is your supporting document.

How to supplement it: Pull the installation instructions for the exact shingle being installed and highlight the starter requirement. Measure eave length, plus rake length if the product calls for it. If the estimate assumes starter cut from field shingles but your product needs a purpose-made starter strip, say so in the line note.

2. Drip edge

Drip edge gets left off all the time, often because the old roof didn't have it. That doesn't matter for the new roof. In Indiana, the 2020 Indiana Residential Code (675 IAC 14-4.4, based on the 2018 IRC) includes Section R905.2.8.5, which says drip edge "shall be provided at eaves and rake edges of shingle roofs."

How to supplement it: Quantity is eave plus rake length in linear feet, taken from your measurement report. Cite the code section and edition, attach the code text, and include photos showing whether drip edge exists on the current roof. If the item is being added because of code rather than replaced like-for-like, it may fall under the policy's ordinance or law coverage, so flag it that way.

3. Ice and water barrier

Ice barrier is where you need to be precise. Under the Indiana code, Section R905.1.2 requires an ice barrier where Table R301.2(1) designates it. In Indiana, that table is set county by county. Where it applies, the barrier runs from the lowest roof edges to at least 24 inches inside the exterior wall line, and on slopes of 8:12 or steeper it must reach at least 36 inches measured along the slope. In counties the table doesn't designate, the barrier can still be required when the shingle manufacturer's written instructions call for it, for example in valleys or on low slopes.

How to supplement it: Confirm which county the property is in. Use the parcel record, not the mailing city. Then check that county's row in the table. Calculate square footage using the width measured along the slope, not the plan view. Add valley coverage if the manufacturer requires it, and attach the code section or manufacturer page you're relying on.

4. Steep and high charges

Steep and high charges are labor adders for harder, slower and more dangerous work, and they often get skipped or applied to the wrong number of squares. Xactimate has separate additional-charge lines for steep slopes (by pitch range) and for high roofs. The two are independent, so a two-story home with a steep main roof can call for both.

How to supplement it: Use your measurement report to break the roof into pitch bands. Apply steep charges only to the squares that are actually in each band, and check the line descriptions in the current price list for exactly where each band starts. Document height with elevation photos. Don't add waste to these lines. They're labor charges on installed squares.

5. Detach and reset

Anything attached to or sitting on the roof has to come off and go back: satellite dishes, gutters and guards, solar panels, antennas, snow guards and more. These lines are easy to miss because they aren't roofing materials, but the labor is real.

How to supplement it: Photograph every item on or attached to the roof before work starts and list it in your submission. Note why each one has to be detached, such as access, flashing or drip edge installation. Items that need a specialty contractor, like solar, often require a separate bid. Get it in writing and attach it.

How to make a supplement stick

Carriers respond to organized, specific requests. A strong supplement includes:

• An itemized list of each added or changed line, with quantity, unit and reason

• Photos labeled to match each line item

• Measurements from a reliable report

• Code citations with section number and edition, plus manufacturer instructions where they apply

• A neutral, professional tone that asks for a revised estimate

Show the item, show why it's needed, and show the math.

Let us write it for you

Aftermath Claims writes carrier-ready Xactimate estimates and supplements from your photos, measurements and the adjuster's report, with a 48-hour average turnaround. You sell the job. We build the file.

This post is general information for contractors and is not legal advice. Policy language, code adoption and local requirements vary. Always confirm against the policy and the code that applies at the property.

Send a File for Estimate at aftermath.claims/submit or call 833-4AM-ROOF.