No longer do I drive for miles and waste gas to see a roof that you can not climb on because of the 12/12 pitch. I go online now and before the day is over I have a full report of how much ridge cap I need and step flashing, Starter and valley. It only cost $23.00 and it has always been dead on. If the roof is cut up you pay a little more ,the price goes by how many sections there are. I do not want to sound like I am trying to sell something but you have to try this you will love it if you are a roofing contractor like me. The website is http://www.geoestimator.com/ I steered away from doing this for awhile because all of the prices I got were 75.00 or more to all roofers check this out. You never have to leave the office!
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I am a Virginia Beach roofing contractor serving all hampton roads and the seven cities. Norfolk, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Virginia Beach, Hampton and newport news, Virginia. Please visit my site at :: http://www.exteriorexpertsofvirginia.com

i live in WV where there are a million trees this probably would not work to well here.
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Integrity at work...www.faheyexteriors.com

Ever just check out Google Maps before hand? Its free and gives you the same thing as those programs do.
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Are you a roofer or a nailer?

I'd be curious to understand how you are able to get an accurate count for ridge cap and step flashing from google maps.

google earth . I've been doin this awhile,even if it's just to draw the diagram before i get there to save time.

BAMBAMM5144 wrote:

Ever just check out Google Maps before hand? Its free and gives you the same thing as those programs do.

BamBamm, you're forgetting http://www.bing.com/maps/

Use the "Bird's Eye View" for an angled shot of the house. Unfortunately, their direct overhead satellite view isn't as tight (i.e. it's grainy) in comparison to Google's view.

& Then as to Google, I use their tight view if the house is in Austin or the 'larger' surrounding areas. Further out in the countryside or in some of the smaller towns, the view isn't as tight as I'd like.

I take the image & dump it into MS Paint (or "Paintbrush") & add lines to it like this example:



In this example, I removed or trimmed off the outside areas (lawn, etc).

One VERY important thing to remember: Google & all the other online mapping services are sometimes off by about one or two houses. Heck, where my Mom is located out in the country, Google has her located incorrectly by around 1/3 mile.

For that reason (potentially wrong house), I always clarify with the customer which one is theirs. "If you're looking @ the satellite shot with me, is yours the one with the swimming pool out back & a red car in the driveway? No? You're 3rd in from the corner on the N side?"

Sometimes I'll send them a pic like this one:



So, that's how I approach it.

I have used some of the satellite generated services for a measurement, however I am still getting up on the roof to make sure it's as advertised & I can get an accurate count of the vents & see exactly what's going on with areas like dead valleys, crickets, deck to wall joints, etc.
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Do it right the 1st time & there won't have to be a 2nd time.
http://RanchHandRoofing.com

Ranch, I know there are a lot of other mapping services. I only use them to get an idea of the layout and such before I go. I never measure without going to the actual house, you never know what you're missing by using a mapping service.I'm not sure if you can be truly accurate without going to the house. Can you?
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Are you a roofer or a nailer?

Anyone who bids ANY roof without stepping foot on it, and measuring it themselves, is asking for trouble.
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-Jason

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http://www.ARCTulsa.com
http://www.myspace.com/arcroofing

Oh, & I just figured out that "Sate light" for the topic should have read "satellite".

Now THAT'S not just a typo.. that's poor spelling!
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Do it right the 1st time & there won't have to be a 2nd time.
http://RanchHandRoofing.com

RanchHandRoofing wrote:

Oh, & I just figured out that "Sate light" for the topic should have read "satellite". Now THAT'S not just a typo.. that's poor spelling!

Your powers of deduction surpass mine. I couldn't figure out for the life of me, what "sate light" meant!
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-Jason

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http://www.ARCTulsa.com
http://www.myspace.com/arcroofing

Agape wrote:

RanchHandRoofing wrote: Oh, & I just figured out that "Sate light" for the topic should have read "satellite". Now THAT'S not just a typo.. that's poor spelling! Your powers of deduction surpass mine. I couldn't figure out for the life of me, what "sate light" meant!

Hopefully that's not the last time today someone from Texas surpasses someone from oKlahoma.

o.U. sucks!!!!! (3rd quarter & the dirt burglars just scored )
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Do it right the 1st time & there won't have to be a 2nd time.
http://RanchHandRoofing.com

Agape wrote:

RanchHandRoofing wrote: Oh, & I just figured out that "Sate light" for the topic should have read "satellite". Now THAT'S not just a typo.. that's poor spelling! Your powers of deduction surpass mine. I couldn't figure out for the life of me, what "sate light" meant!

LOL me too

Ranch, I'm no OU fan anyway... so I hope that works out for ya. lol
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-Jason

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http://www.ARCTulsa.com
http://www.myspace.com/arcroofing

I used a satellite service for the huge 2 story 12/12 cut up houses. It worked very well and was very accurate. The average cost per report was about $80.00
But when you are bidding a 15-$20,000 roof its well worth it!
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www.callroofpros.com

Ill find out what my bud uses we just did a check in the boonies and it was within a square costs like 20 a pop but you must buy the software he told me. Ill get more in just remind me. I will forget
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Taking one day at a time.
A Roofing Sales Professional