Material Order

Getting the Right Materials to the Job Site

A material order is the translation of the approved Xactimate estimate into an actual purchase from a supplier, and material order accuracy is the difference between a one-day install and a crew sitting idle waiting on a supply run. The material order specifies the exact products and quantities from the approved estimate - shingles, underlayment, flashing, ridge cap, starter strip, pipe jacks, nails, and every other component needed to complete the job. Common roofing suppliers include ABC Supply, SRS Distribution, and Beacon/QXO.

Order the wrong color, the wrong quantity, or the wrong product and the crew cannot start. Order materials beyond what the carrier approved and you are eating the cost difference.

Ordering From the Estimate

The Xactimate estimate is your bill of materials. Every line item on the approved scope corresponds to specific materials and quantities. Production orders generated directly from the Xactimate file help suppliers pull the exact materials listed on the claim, reducing errors and ensuring alignment with what the carrier agreed to pay for.

Estimate Line Item	Material Order
Architectural shingles (30 SQ)	30 squares + waste factor
Synthetic underlayment (30 SQ)	30 squares synthetic felt
Drip edge (220 LF)	220 linear feet drip edge
Starter strip (220 LF)	220 linear feet starter
Ridge cap (45 LF)	45 linear feet ridge cap
Pipe jacks (x4)	4 pipe jacks, sized to match existing

The waste factor matters. If the estimate includes a 10% waste factor on shingles, the material order should reflect that. Under-ordering by even one square can stall the job mid-installation.

What Happens When You Order Outside the Scope

If you order upgraded materials that were not on the approved estimate, the carrier will not cover the difference. Upgrading from 3-tab to architectural shingles, switching to a premium underlayment, or adding materials not in the scope creates a gap the homeowner has to pay out of pocket - or the contractor absorbs.

Before upgrading any material, get it added to the estimate through a supplement. If the homeowner wants an upgrade beyond what insurance covers, document the out-of-pocket cost in writing before ordering. No surprises.

Coordinating Delivery With Production

Material delivery timing should align with your crew schedule, not the other way around. The ideal sequence: materials arrive the day before the scheduled install, crew shows up the next morning, and everything is on-site and ready. Materials sitting on a driveway for a week invite theft, weather damage, and homeowner complaints.

For dry-in jobs where the emergency work happens before the full re-roof, make sure the dry-in materials (underlayment, ice and water shield) are ordered and delivered separately from the full roofing package. Waiting on a full material delivery before you can dry in an exposed deck defeats the purpose of the emergency response. Keep dry-in supplies on the truck or pre-staged at the supplier for same-day pickup.