Training Session: Easy Google Maps for Xactimate Roof Sketching
Today’s training is all about using Google Maps for creating roof sketches in Xactimate. This is a great skill for roofers and independent adjusters, especially if you don’t get detailed reports from your company.
Even if you have Eagleviews or Hover reports, knowing how to sketch a roof is crucial. Let’s break it down step by step.
Starting a New Project:
- Open Xactimate and begin a new project.
- Name your project, like “John Doe Roof.”
- Skip the claim info – it’s not needed for roof estimates or sketches.
Sketching the Roof:
- Go to the Estimate section and click on Sketch.
- Change the main level’s name to ‘Roof.’
- Choose the roof shape and adjust it as needed.
Estimate Items:
- Learn about the Estimate Items section. Xactimate fills this in based on your sketch.
- Add anything manually here if needed.
Using Google Maps:
- Open Google Maps and put in the address.
- Switch to Aerial View, then Layers, and pick Satellite View.
- Zoom in on the house to start your sketch.
Sketching Process:
- Identify the roof type (like hip or gable).
- Use the Measure Distance tool for roof dimensions.
- Bring these measurements into Xactimate by tweaking your sketch.
Making a Detailed Roof Sketch:
- Use your sketch to estimate each roof section.
- Change flat areas in Xactimate to ‘Flat’ type.
- Match the slopes and details to the real roof.
Estimating in Xactimate:
- Put your square footage in the Calculator.
- Select the right roofing material, such as three-tab shingles.
- Xactimate will create an estimate from your sketch.
Finalizing Your Estimate:
- Check over your items and totals.
- Understand what the plus sign means – it’s for replacements.
- For our example, the cost for three-tab shingles with felt is around $87,000.
Continued Learning: Remember, this is just a basic overview. We’ll cover more complex roof estimating in future sessions.
Thanks for joining today’s Xactimate Roof Sketch training. Have a great, productive day!