Roofing Estimating Built From the Footprint and Pitch

Roofing estimating software helps contractors turn construction plans into roof quantities — roof area, squares, edge lengths, and material takeoffs — and then into material and labor pricing and a reviewable estimate. Vega is built around that workflow for roofing contractors and estimators.

Vega derives the roof area from the building footprint and the roof pitch. The footprint — length, width, and perimeter — comes from the shared envelope cascade, the same geometry Framing and Exteriors use. The pitch is detected from the elevations, roof plan, or sections by an AI scan. Roof area equals the footprint multiplied by an overhang allowance and the pitch multiplier — the square root of 144 plus the rise squared, divided by 12. A 6/12 pitch is 1.118 times the footprint; a 12/12 is 1.414 times. Squares are roof area divided by 100.

Yes. Vega scans the elevations, roof plan, sections, and general notes for a pitch callout like 6/12 using an AI vision function. If it finds one, the roof area and rake lengths adjust for the slope. If no pitch is found, it defaults to 6/12 and flags it as an assumption — the estimate says so rather than pretending it measured something. You can always override the pitch in the breakdown.

No. Vega does not trace individual roof facets, polygons, or edge lines from a roof plan. It derives the roof area and edge lengths from the building footprint and the pitch using a simple gabled-plate model — the ridge runs along the long axis, the eaves are the two long sides, and the rakes are the two gable ends climbing the slope. This is a derivation from real geometry, not a facet trace, and the estimate says so.

Eave length is twice the building length — the two long sides of a gabled plate. Ridge length is the building length — one run down the long axis. Rake length is twice the building width multiplied by the pitch multiplier — the two gable ends climb the slope. Perimeter is the measured plate perimeter, which is correct for L, T, and U shaped plates that a simple length times width cannot express. All four are editable in the breakdown.

Vega calculates valley length as a user-entered value — it defaults to 0 because there is no geometry source for valleys in a floor plan. You enter the valley run in the breakdown and the valley flashing quantity follows. Hip length is not modeled — the simple gabled-plate model has no hips. A hip roof would be estimated by adjusting the edge lengths manually.

Vega supports eleven roof systems across steep-slope and low-slope: asphalt shingles, standing-seam metal, concrete tile, wood shakes, synthetic slate and shake, TPO, EPDM, PVC, modified bitumen, built-up roofing, and spray foam. Each has its own material catalog — shingles or membrane, underlayment, edge flashing, fasteners, and accessories — and its own per-square crew labor rate.

Yes. Underlayment is priced per square (squares). Ice and water shield is priced per linear foot of eave. Starter strip is priced per linear foot of eave. Drip edge is priced per linear foot of eave plus rake. Ridge cap and ridge vent are priced per linear foot of ridge. Valley flashing is priced per linear foot of valley. Each quantity is derived from the roof geometry — the eave, ridge, rake, and valley lengths — and recomputes when you edit any of them.

Yes, as a per-penetration line item. The penetration count — pipe boots and vents — defaults to 3 because it cannot be taken off a floor plan. You enter the actual count in the breakdown and the pipe boot and flashing quantities follow. Each roof system has its own pipe boot or penetration flashing material with its own price.

Roofing labor is a single roll-up: total squares multiplied by a per-square crew rate, multiplied by a union or non-union factor. The crew rate is type-scoped — asphalt is $238 per square, metal is $383, tile is $550, TPO is $350 — and the union factor is absolute: non-union is 1.5 and union is 1.8. Both the crew rate and the factor are editable. There is no per-line labor; labor is one number on the estimate.

Yes, on a renovation. The tear-off is priced per square foot of roof area multiplied by the number of existing layers, at $1.50 per square foot per layer by default. On a full building teardown, the Demolition trade bills the roof removal as part of its structure rate, so Roofing suppresses its own tear-off line to avoid charging for the same work twice. On a re-roof without a full demo, the tear-off stands.

Yes. Rotten roof-deck sheathing board replacement is a flat per-board cost multiplied by a count you enter from the survey or field inspection. The default is $70 per board, editable. This is a renovation line — it does not appear on a new construction estimate.

Not as separate geometry. Vega models a simple gabled plate — one ridge, two eaves, two rakes. Dormers, intersecting gables, and hip-and-valley roofs are not traced as individual facets. You can add extra roofs — a porch, a shed, or a roof section with a different type or pitch — each with its own footprint and pitch, and you can manually adjust the valley length to account for an intersection.

Waste is embedded in the material quantities rather than applied as a separate percentage dial. The roof area, squares, and edge-length quantities are the basis the material catalogs price from, and the overhang bump (6% by default) adds a margin to the footprint. You can adjust the overhang, the pitch, or any individual material quantity in the breakdown.

Yes. The footprint, overhang, pitch, eave, ridge, rake, valley, perimeter, and penetrations are all editable, and every material quantity that depends on them recomputes. Every material unit price, the per-square labor rate, the union factor, the sheathing board cost, and the tear-off rate are editable. You can add extra roofs, include or exclude lines, add custom items, and reset to defaults.

Roofing shares the building plate with Exteriors — the same eave and rake lengths that price drip edge also price gutters and fascia, so the two trades never disagree on the roof edge. On a full building teardown, Demolition bills the roof removal and Roofing suppresses its tear-off line. On a re-roof, Roofing carries the tear-off itself.