Xactimate Line Item Cheat Sheet: Most Common Codes
Every estimate in Xactimate is built from line items. Each line item represents one specific action: removing shingles, replacing drip edge, installing underlayment, hauling debris. The line item code tells Xactimate what the action is, what material is involved, and how to price it.
If you're new to Xactimate, the database feels overwhelming. There are thousands of codes across dozens of trade groups. But in practice, most estimators use the same 30-50 line items on 90% of their claims. This guide covers the ones you'll reach for most often.
How Xactimate Codes Are Structured
Before diving into specific codes, understanding the structure saves you time searching. Xactimate organizes line items by category (also called selector codes or trade groups). Each category has a prefix that identifies the trade:
| Prefix | Trade/Category |
|---|---|
| RFG | Roofing |
| SDG | Siding |
| DRW | Drywall |
| FLR | Flooring |
| PLM | Plumbing |
| ELC | Electrical |
| PNT | Painting |
| WTR | Water mitigation |
| GNL | General / demolition |
| CLN | Cleaning |
After the prefix, the code includes descriptors for the specific action and material. For example, a roofing line item might break down as: RFG (roofing) + action type (remove and replace) + material (25-year architectural shingle).
You don't need to memorize codes. But understanding the structure means you can search intelligently. If you need a roofing line item, start your search in the RFG category. If you need drywall, start in DRW.
Most Common Roofing Line Items
Roofing is the highest-volume trade in insurance restoration. These are the line items you'll use on nearly every roof claim:
Tear-Off and Replacement
| Description | Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| R&R Composition shingles (25-yr/30-yr architectural) | SQ | The core line item for most roof replacements. "SQ" = 100 square feet. |
| Remove composition shingles - additional layer | SQ | Use when there's more than one layer of shingles to tear off. |
| R&R Synthetic underlayment | SQ | Underlayment beneath the shingles. Most modern jobs use synthetic, not felt. |
| R&R Felt underlayment (15 lb or 30 lb) | SQ | Older standard. Still used on some jobs. Check what's spec'd. |
| R&R Ice and water shield | SQ | Required along eaves, valleys, and penetrations in most building codes. |
Flashing and Trim
| Description | Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| R&R Drip edge (aluminum) | LF | Runs along the eaves and rakes. "LF" = linear feet. |
| R&R Step flashing | EA | Individual pieces where roof meets a wall. "EA" = each piece. |
| R&R Pipe jack/flashing | EA | Rubber boot around plumbing vents that penetrate the roof. |
| R&R Ridge vent | LF | Ventilation along the ridge of the roof. |
| R&R Hip and ridge cap shingles | LF | Cap shingles along hips and ridges. Often overlooked in initial scopes. |
| R&R Valley metal | LF | Metal flashing in roof valleys. Not all roofs have metal valleys. |
Additional Roofing Items
| Description | Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| R&R Starter strip | LF | First row of shingles along the eave. Provides wind resistance. |
| Roof debris haul-off | Load | Dumpster or truck load for removed materials. |
| Additional charge for steep roof (7/12 - 9/12 pitch) | SQ | Added to the base shingle line item for steep roofs. Pitch matters for pricing. |
| Additional charge for high roof (2+ stories) | SQ | Height charge for roofs above the first story. |
Most Common Siding Line Items
| Description | Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| R&R Vinyl siding | SF | "SF" = square feet. Most common residential siding type. |
| R&R Fiber cement siding (HardiePlank or similar) | SF | More expensive than vinyl. Common in newer construction. |
| R&R Wood siding (lap/clapboard) | SF | Older homes. Material matching can be an issue. |
| R&R House wrap / moisture barrier | SF | Behind the siding. Usually replaced when siding is removed. |
| R&R Soffit (vinyl or aluminum) | SF | Underside of the roof overhang. |
| R&R Fascia | LF | Board along the roof edge where gutters attach. |
Most Common Interior Line Items
| Description | Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| R&R Drywall (1/2" standard) | SF | Most common interior wall material. |
| Drywall - tape, mud, and finish | SF | Separate from R&R. Covers the finishing process. |
| R&R Interior paint (2 coats) | SF | Standard repaint after drywall repair. |
| R&R Baseboard (paint grade) | LF | Trim along the base of walls. |
| R&R Carpet (standard grade) | SF | Common in water damage claims. |
| R&R Carpet pad | SF | Usually replaced with the carpet. Often missed in initial scopes. |
| R&R Laminate flooring | SF | Common in water damage and fire claims. |
Most Common Water Mitigation Line Items
| Description | Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Water extraction (per SF) | SF | Removing standing water. Usually the first line item on a water claim. |
| Dehumidifier setup and monitoring | EA/Day | Priced per unit per day of operation. |
| Air mover setup and monitoring | EA/Day | Fans for drying. Also per unit per day. |
| Moisture readings/monitoring | EA | Daily moisture readings to document drying progress. |
| Apply antimicrobial treatment | SF | Prevents mold growth after water damage. |
| Contents manipulation (move out/move back) | varies | Moving furniture and belongings to access damaged areas. |
General / Commonly Missed Items
These items show up across trade groups and are frequently missed in initial adjuster scopes. They're prime supplement territory:
| Description | Category | Why it's missed |
|---|---|---|
| Overhead and Profit (O&P) | General | Carriers often exclude O&P on initial scopes. If 3+ trades are involved, O&P applies under the three-trade rule. |
| Permit and code upgrade | General | Building permits and code-required upgrades are covered by most policies but rarely included in the initial scope. |
| Temporary protection/tarping | General | Emergency tarping before permanent repairs. Often done before the adjuster arrives and forgotten in the scope. |
| Debris removal and haul-off | General | Dumpster, truck loads, or disposal fees. Adjusters sometimes under-scope the quantity. |
| Additional labor for limited access | Various | Tight spaces, elevated areas, or difficult access points add labor time that standard line items don't account for. |
Tips for Finding Line Items Faster
The Xactimate database is massive. Here's how experienced estimators navigate it efficiently:
1. Search by Description, Not Code
Unless you've memorized the code, searching by description is faster. Type "shingle" and you'll see every shingle-related line item. Type "drip edge" and all drip edge options appear. The search function is forgiving with partial terms.
2. Build Macros for Your Common Jobs
Macros are the biggest time saver in Xactimate. If every roof replacement includes the same 15 line items, save them as a macro. One click adds all 15 items. You adjust quantities for the specific job, but you never search for the same line items twice.
Build separate macros for each job type: standard roof replacement, siding repair, interior water damage, kitchen fire, and so on. After a month of building macros, your estimating time drops by half or more.
3. Use the Category Browser
If you know the trade but not the specific item, browse the category tree. Expand "Roofing" and you'll see subcategories for shingles, metal, tile, flat roofing, and more. This is faster than searching when you're not sure of the exact terminology.
4. Check Units Before Adding
Nothing wastes more time than adding a line item with the wrong unit and having to redo it. Before you add an item, verify whether it's measured in SF (square feet), LF (linear feet), SQ (squares), or EA (each). A single line item priced per square foot vs. per square is a 100x difference.
5. Keep a Personal Cheat Sheet
Every experienced estimator has a personal reference - either a printed sheet or a note on their phone - with their most-used codes. As you work, track the codes you use repeatedly. After a few months, you'll have your own shortlist that covers 90% of your estimates.
When the Database Doesn't Have What You Need
Sometimes the repair or material you need isn't in Xactimate's database. You have two options:
Custom line items. Create a line item with your own description, unit, and price. Carriers will scrutinize these more than standard items, so include documentation justifying the price (supplier quotes, invoices, etc.).
Similar item with adjustment. Find the closest matching standard line item and add a note explaining the difference. This is sometimes easier to get approved than a fully custom item because the base pricing comes from the Xactimate database.
Using Line Items for Better Supplements
Understanding line items is the foundation of writing effective supplements. When you review an adjuster's scope of work and notice missing items, you're comparing their line item list against what the job actually requires.
Common supplement scenarios:
- Missing line items: The adjuster scoped shingle replacement but forgot starter strip, hip/ridge caps, or pipe jack flashing
- Wrong quantities: The Sketch measurements don't match the actual roof, so square footage is off
- Missing trades: Water damage claim scopes drywall repair but forgets paint, texture matching, or baseboard replacement
- No O&P: Three or more trades are involved but Overhead and Profit isn't included
Each of these is a line item correction. The better you know the code database, the faster you spot what's missing.
Getting Line Items Without Full Xactimate
If you receive a PDF estimate from an adjuster and need to review the line items, you don't necessarily need a full Xactimate subscription just to see what's on the estimate. CapOut converts PDF estimates and sends them directly to your Xactimate account in seconds. From there, you can review the scope, identify what's missing, and decide whether a supplement is warranted. CapOut also shows you a profit breakdown by trade from the same upload, so you see the financial picture before you start the supplement conversation.
If a line item gets denied, CapOut's AI Claim Assistant writes documented, cited responses pulling from adjuster emails, manufacturer specs, and building codes. That institutional knowledge helps you fight denials with evidence instead of guesswork.
CapOut is free to start with 300 tokens and no credit card required. If you're a contractor who reviews estimates more than you write them, it's a practical complement to your Xactimate subscription.
Related Guides
About the author
Matt Fruge
Founder & CEO, CapOut
Matt Fruge is the founder of CapOut, the PDF-to-ESX conversion platform for insurance restoration professionals. With deep experience in insurance claims technology, Matt built CapOut to eliminate the hours contractors spend manually re-keying estimates into Xactimate.
Frequently asked questions
Each Xactimate line item has a code that identifies the trade category, the action, and the material. For example, a roofing code starts with 'RFG' and includes suffixes that specify the exact action (remove, replace, install) and material type. The code system follows a logical structure: category prefix + action + material. Once you understand the pattern, finding items gets much faster.
The most frequently used roofing codes cover shingle removal and replacement (R&R), underlayment, drip edge, ridge vent, flashing, and pipe jacks. You'll also regularly use codes for ice and water shield, starter strip, and hip and ridge cap shingles. The exact code depends on your region's pricing database version, so always search by description if the code doesn't pull up.
Yes. If a specific repair or material isn't in the Xactimate database, you can create a custom line item with your own pricing. Custom items are useful for specialty materials, non-standard repairs, or regional products that Xactimate's database doesn't cover. However, carriers scrutinize custom line items more than standard ones, so use them sparingly and document why the standard database doesn't cover the item.
R&R (Remove and Replace) means you're taking out the damaged item and installing a new one. The line item includes both the removal labor and the replacement material and labor. 'Remove only' means you're taking something out but not putting anything back. Use 'Remove only' when the item won't be replaced (like removing debris) and R&R when you're replacing it with new material.
Use the search function and type a description of what you're looking for. Xactimate's search is flexible - you can search by material name, action type, or trade category. You can also browse by category (roofing, siding, plumbing, etc.) to find items within a specific trade group. If you're still stuck, check the Xactimate help documentation or ask in an industry forum. The code database is large, and even experienced estimators discover new line items regularly.
Macros are saved groups of line items that you use together frequently. If every roof replacement includes the same 15 line items (tear-off, underlayment, shingles, drip edge, flashing, etc.), you save those as a macro and add all 15 items in one click. Macros don't change the line items themselves - they just save you from searching for and adding each one individually. Building good macros is the single biggest time saver in Xactimate.
Yes. Xactimate pricing databases update monthly with current labor and material costs for each region. Prices reflect actual market conditions, which means they change as material costs and labor rates fluctuate. Always make sure your pricing database is current before writing an estimate. Using an outdated database means your prices won't match what carriers are using, which creates supplement issues.
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