# Aerial Roof Measuring Software



## CompleteW&D (May 28, 2011)

> How about you eagle eye guru's estimate the slope of the right hip and perimeter LF total?


I don't "eagle eye" anything. Since I'm not looking at software or some sketch up of a roof. I measure from the ground and figure the proper pitch and waste to get my field shingles. The only things I need to "guess" on are the length of valley's (which I can easily count shingles to get a pretty accurate measurement if I want to), and then the hips and ridges. 

A ridge on gable roofs is easy enough, but for me, the ridges a real cut up roof which are all different heights and lengths, are the ones that I find problematic.


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## TLP (Jun 17, 2013)

CompleteW&D said:


> I don't "eagle eye" anything. Since I'm not looking at software or some sketch up of a roof. I measure from the ground and figure the proper pitch and waste to get my field shingles. The only things I need to "guess" on are the length of valley's (which I can easily count shingles to get a pretty accurate measurement if I want to), and then the hips and ridges.
> 
> A ridge on gable roofs is easy enough, but for me, the ridges a real cut up roof which are all different heights and lengths, are the ones that I find problematic.


I was going to take a similar approach using goggle earth. It has a measure took that is pretty accurate. This 35' is the same I got using software program. I decided it was worth ten dollars to not have to do the trigonometry once I had the run and slope guessed. If I were going to go the manual labor route I'd use GE to get some of it done, vs a tape and walking the perimeter. 










The software I am using is much faster and accurate, once the roof sketch is done I can drag and drop line items to it, it does the math for me and generates a professional looking report fast. Can't do that in our heads and send it to goggle printer, well not yet I am sure the IT weenies are on it. :thumbup:










Other thing I can do fast is stack all projects in a gantt chart to see if I am over booking my subs, if Im hitting milestones I have scheduled and need to slide, get status, etc....helps when you have alot going on. 










Man vs machine, in this case machine clearly wins. :thumbsup:


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## CompleteW&D (May 28, 2011)

To each his own. I could see if you were doing tons of roofs where it might help. But, we don't do that many roofs. We're a roofer of opportunity I guess. We don't promote roofs, but will gladly do them when there is a need or when we are contacted to do one. Especially, if it's a previous window, door or siding customer.


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## jlsconstruction (Apr 26, 2011)

CompleteW&D said:


> To each his own. I could see if you were doing tons of roofs where it might help. But, we don't do that many roofs. We're a roofer of opportunity I guess. We don't promote roofs, but will gladly do them when there is a need or when we are contacted to do one. Especially, if it's a previous window, door or siding customer.


I'm the same way. I hate roofs, but like the money. We do about 10 a year, but this year I've found a good honest roofer so I'm just referring him and he throws me 5%.


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## BamBamm5144 (Jul 12, 2008)

I don't eyeball anything either but id need 5 bundles of cap for that house, even though I had no scale to go off so I can't be quite certain.

Considering I quote out a lot of roofs each week, I usually get ground measurements on a lot of them, as most are steep.

Length x width x pitch factor.

One bundle of cap isn't going to make a difference on a job.


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## BamBamm5144 (Jul 12, 2008)

P.S - there is also a free App called measure map that measures within feet. Then add in pitch factor and done! Take about a minute and do it right from your phone while sitting in the driveway.

Get out of truck, check layers and done.


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## TLP (Jun 17, 2013)

Yeah I work this software from my phone but I'm worse JLS off by miles, not feet. 

I did a little test I forgot to mention and dropped all my slopes by 1" on that last roof (5 vs 6) and I was off by a square in shingles, I didn't check the rest, but drip, guttering, apron, is all effected.

We're not building a roof empire either, I'll tell you why tomorrow and I am going to try and bang out a 20' 30' attached garage addition, two bids, one story and two, I'll share. Roofs are really an insult to this software capabilities, just child's play. So are garage additions but we'll have some more fun.  Tired just got back from the lake.


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## TLP (Jun 17, 2013)

I believe roofer’s that have high margins are in the nations disaster relief areas from insurance claims. We for example see margins as high as 60%, we average about $2,000 per roof as the paper contractor/GC. We do about 5 per week, that slows a little in the winter. I don’t think insurance co’s are sitting back doing nothing about this, as a matter of fact I know they aren’t. 

http://www.disastersafety.org/fortified/home/ There is a new 2010 program that is out to cut their cost down, and slowly they are succeeding by changing code law in some of the hurricane states listed on their website. The have university engineers doing wind test, etc, and they are educating the general public on how to make or retrofit their home not only to protect lives, but to also protect it from storm damage by use of better roof systems and structure. So in the near future (decade or so) I think they will reduce the need for roofing contractors nationally. The recent tragic events on Moore, OK, not far from me has them on even harder now, looking at tornado's. 

Also, in the long term future, the remote manufactured home will change to plastic, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdbJP8Gxqog&feature=youtu.be
I have recent design experience using this technology in aircraft and have put it on some in the sky today, it is moving quickly. This guy does make some strong points with regard to its ability to create complex curvatures, say for roofs, and to take down the wind loads we see from box and angled structures today. 

Here is a hot air defog duct I did on a jet fighter, it sees about 250F continuous and much more load from flight than a box house structure. 




























Can't afford this software yet, but hope to covert to it next year. I also helped design the plastic shell(skin) on the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner with this software, now they are doing the 737 wings, all airplanes will be alot of carbon fiber reinforced plastic(CFRP) soon (decade or so)

The machine is called “Fused Deposition Modeling” FDM a 3d printer that scans my 3d model, here is my local supplier’s. It is limited in size, 24 x 24 x 24 but we can bond parts. We use it mainly for HVAC, interior panels, in aircraft today, but the application is growing to higher loaded structures by adding carbon fillers, etc. Take not of new honeycomb core being developed that can provide walls and roofs on a house the strength they need. There is a lot to explain here I won’t go into depth, but trust me when I say this technology has already made it to the auto industry too, and will home and commercial construction in time. Its main problem today is limited material that can run through the machine and brittleness especially where it is fastened. 


















































Lots of addition benefits to plastics and this process, no machine operator, no corrosion, light weight, low cost, no tooling, etc…"Prototype" not any more a hand full of companies are keeping up with production demands in aircraft assy lines.

Scale this up and I can see tooling tracks and the computer numerical controlled machine going remote to construction sites in time. A home, even with category 5 wind load, does not see what aircraft do, so its just a matter of time before this technology reduces the need for contractors as we know them today. They won’t go away they will just be different, computers will change it. Initially I can see a huge market for plastic repair contractors, especially in earthquake areas if they try it there.


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## TLP (Jun 17, 2013)

Here is a fire restoration job we won start next week. This and bigger jobs is where the speed of the estimating software really pays off. Client was very impressed when we sat down and showed them the 3d model, it think it help them visualize what we are going to do and win the bid. 










What saves us alot of time is our initial contact with the customer. I have a phone app to the software that allows be to create the project and take photos(shown on left) to it on the fly. My phone has modile hot spot so I bring my labtop for a bigger screen to the job site. We use a laser measure, and I build the 3d sketch fast as anyone can draw it on paper at the job site from these dimensions. Then I go home and finish off the estimate on the desktop.

Be nice if we could shoot the laser dimension right into the computer model and not enter them manually, I'm sure the IT's are on it


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## TLP (Jun 17, 2013)

Here the customer wants an attached 24 X 30 garage added to the west side(left). Think my approach is going to be to scan and build the existing roof and walls. Next knock out the dormer, build the ridge run east/west like the east side(right) tie in valley lines like the east side, for water drain and guttering. I'll basically symmetry the east side roof over the center section to the west. It will also look good visually, then I'll sit down with the owner and show them a 3d model estimate. They also want one for a two story garage which will be interesting.


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## madrina (Feb 21, 2013)

Sketch up will correct and or determine the slope for you but you are supposed to verify at least one measurement.


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## Dallas-Roofing (May 12, 2013)

I use Eagle View for my roof reports whenever there is a situation that makes it tough for me to measure the roof. It is much cheaper for residential homes than a commercial property or apartment complex. Also remember that there are lot of Apartments that have the same building sizes so do not order the same building twice. If you purchase a bundle up front with eagle view they will give you a much better rate on individual measurements. 

Devin Mahdi
Dallas Texas Roofing


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## Bwsimmons (Jul 23, 2014)

*I ordered from Jason at Roofscope.com*

Hello,

I used www.Roofscope.com to do 8 condo complexes last week. They have a nice product. The guy I talked with was Jason Price. His email is [email protected] or 303-647-5076. They are based out of Denver, Co. I put down a deposit and they added money and put my logo of my company on the report.

Bill


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## roofermann (Jun 8, 2013)

TLP said:


> Hi, new here. I searched around a little on the site could not find much current. I’ve been playing around with taking roof measurements using photos from goggle and bling. Goggle earth has a measure tool that works fairly decent(+/_ 6”) as long as the measurement is parallel to the ground. I also have software that models roofs in 3d named xactimate V28, and estimates roof cost with current cost data in my area. So I can take rake measure, or run, put them into the software along with a guesstimate of the pitch and it will calculate the true run liner distance as if I went up on the roof and took a measurement. I tried one roof SF home and was off by a square.
> 
> Xactimate has a feature named “Aerial Sketch” I tried once on a large apartment complex, but the software could not determine a scale. It wanted me to give it some known liner distance I didn't have, so I paid Eagleview to do it, little under $500 and still don’t know if we got the job. Eagleview does produce a nice report, and links with xactimate and acculinks for aerial roof estimates. From what I read about Eagleview, some wiz IT guru wrote software that can accurately measure slope, squares, etc. Anyone know how to do this without getting on the roof? I just been eye balling it pitch and using goggle earth measure tool, not going too well so far.
> 
> ...


Software is a tool, not a godsend. It WILL NOT tell you how many layers or what shape the decking is in. Have fun eating the labor and tip fee on a "surprise!" 4-5 layer with lot's of bad wood.:thumbsup:


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## Mr Latone (Jan 8, 2011)

roofermann said:


> Software is a tool, not a godsend. It WILL NOT tell you how many layers or what shape the decking is in. Have fun eating the labor and tip fee on a "surprise!" 4-5 layer with lot's of bad wood.:thumbsup:


Not to pick on your quote over the others who have cast this thread's topic aside, more the sentiment behind it.

I don't see the OP suggesting field verification as being excluded by aerial reports.

When it comes down to tear off, additional layers and disposal come down to a simple multiplier anyway. The difference between a plywood T.O. or a T&G T.O. or a cedar T.O. comes down to squares x some unit cost.

I ordered an EV report a couple weeks ago for a roof that I had already been on because the report helped. I have already worked with the customer on another project and I'm confident the work will be contracted, and the report will still save me time and money.

To the point.....Of course you don't need a report for an up and over roof. Of course you should rely on field verification of number of layers and substrate.

EV (or other such SW) isn't going to be cost effective every time for everyone. But it certainly can be a huge time saver and an asset to use as one feels it worthy.

The 14 page report was easily worth the < $50 for me on this one


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## bg2982 (Feb 19, 2015)

I prefer to use http://www.aerialprecisionreports.com instead of eagleview. Their reports always are accurate enough to provide an estimate.


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## Martin_Kr (May 18, 2016)

TLP said:


> It takes alot of trig by hand using goggle earth, or software. I have software now that does what Eagle View does. I just did my first one and went up on the roof. It checked out within +/- 3-6" and to the Eagle View report I had. So now I can do them as accurate as EV for a fraction of the cost. It also estimates all the shingles, flashing, guttering, siding etc.
> 
> Here is the roof...
> 
> ...


@TLP Thats so good. I like your version, but i dont have a co much skills in this program. Can you send or reply some "manual" or tips for measuring of buinding. All the process, if you know what I mean. It is possible?

Absolutely Iam interested in, how to detect the height of the roof. That I want to get to set the pitch, when I'm not physical on the roof or I cant climb on the roof to check the picht.

Thank you very much....:thumbsup:


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## glynch (Jul 16, 2016)

*Hover3D*

FYI - if you are looking for a solution for roofing (and siding) measurements, check out Hover (https://hover.to/)....it's working great for us so far.


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## contractorcandy (Jul 20, 2016)

Check out a company called Scope Technology. In Denver. They have roof scope. Siding scope. Paint scope. Gutter scope. Concrete scope. Includes a web based estimating software. U can also send blueprints to the engineers and they will line them out also.


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