Roofing glossary

The words on your estimate, in plain English.

Roofing and insurance terms homeowners and adjusters actually use, from squares and flashing to recoverable depreciation. Each one links to the Remi page that goes deeper.

parts of a roof: 14
materials: 5
the roof job: 9
price and warranty: 5
insurance claims: 12
carrier programs: 9

Last reviewed October 18, 2026.

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Parts of a roof

Deckingalso sheathing, roof deck: The plywood or OSB boards fastened to the rafters. Everything else on the roof is nailed to it, and its condition often can't be checked until the old roof is torn off.; Remi's price guarantee
Underlayment: A water-resistant layer, usually synthetic or felt, laid over the decking and under the shingles. It's the backup if water gets past the shingles.; What an estimate should include
Ice and water shieldalso leak barrier, ice barrier: A self-adhering waterproof membrane applied where leaks start most often: along the eaves, in valleys and around penetrations. Where ice dams are common, building codes often require it along the eaves.; What an estimate should include
Drip edge: A metal strip along the eaves and rakes that directs water off the roof and into the gutter, instead of behind the fascia.; What an estimate should include
Flashing: Thin metal pieces that seal the joints where the roof meets a wall, chimney, skylight or valley, the places a roof is most likely to leak. Required flashing replacements are covered by Remi's price guarantee.; Remi's price guarantee
Valley: The inside angle where two roof slopes meet. Valleys carry a lot of water, so they get extra waterproofing and flashing.; What moves a roof's price
Ridge: The highest horizontal line of the roof, where two slopes meet at the top. It's covered with shaped ridge cap shingles.; What an estimate should include
Eave: The lower edge of the roof that overhangs the wall. Gutters hang along the eaves.; What an estimate should include
Fascia: The board along the edge of the eave that the gutters attach to. Necessary fascia replacement is covered by Remi's price guarantee.; Remi's price guarantee
Soffit: The underside of the roof overhang, often vented so air can flow into the attic.; What an estimate should include
Ridge vent: A vent that runs along the ridge and lets hot, moist air out of the attic. It works with soffit vents that let air in.; What an estimate should include
Attic ventilation: Intake vents low on the roof and exhaust vents high on it keep attic air moving, which helps shingles last and limits moisture. Needed attic vent replacement is covered by Remi's price guarantee.; Remi's price guarantee
Pipe bootalso pipe jack: A rubber or metal collar that seals around a plumbing vent pipe where it comes through the roof. Pipe jack and pipe boot replacements are covered by Remi's price guarantee.; Remi's price guarantee
Penetration: Anything that passes through the roof, such as vent pipes, skylights, chimneys or solar mounts. Each one has to be sealed. Remi adds a 2-year warranty on roof penetrations when it reinstalls solar panels.; Roofing with solar

Materials

Architectural shinglesalso dimensional or laminated shingles: Asphalt shingles made of two or more bonded layers, which gives a thicker, textured look. They're what most homes use.; Choosing shingles
3-tab shingles: Single-layer asphalt shingles cut into three tabs, with a flat, uniform look. They're thinner than architectural shingles.; Choosing shingles
Impact-resistant shinglesalso Class 4 shingles: Shingles tested for hail resistance under the UL 2218 standard, which drops steel balls on samples. Class 4, the top rating, means a sample withstood the test's largest ball, 2 inches across, without cracking.; What moves a roof's price
Granules: The coated mineral grit on the surface of asphalt shingles. It shields the asphalt from sunlight, so bare or bruised spots can mean wear or hail damage.; Did hail hit your roof?
Metal roofing: Steel or aluminum panels or shingles. Metal usually costs more to install than asphalt. As manufacturer estimates, Remi's FAQ puts metal at 40 to 70 years and architectural asphalt at 25 to 30.; Remi FAQ

The roof job

Square: 100 square feet of roof surface. Roofers measure, order materials and price by the square.; What moves a roof's price
Pitchalso slope: How steep a roof is, written as inches of rise per 12 inches of run. A 6/12 roof rises 6 inches for every foot. Steeper roofs take more labor and safety work.; What moves a roof's price
Tear-off: Removing the old roofing down to the decking before the new roof goes on. It lets the crew find and replace damaged decking.; What moves a roof's price
Overlayalso roof-over, layover: Installing new shingles over an existing layer instead of tearing it off. Building codes limit how many layers a roof can carry, typically two, and an overlay hides the decking from inspection.; What moves a roof's price
Building permit: Local approval that many cities and counties require for a roof replacement, usually followed by a final inspection once the work is done.; Remi FAQ
Itemized estimatealso scope of work: A line-by-line list of the materials, quantities and labor for a job. Two estimates are only comparable when they cover the same scope.; What an estimate should include
Change order: A written change to a construction contract that alters the scope or the price after signing.; Remi's price guarantee
Home improvement contract: The written agreement that sets the work, price and warranty between a homeowner and a contractor. Remi customers sign a standard home improvement contract before work is scheduled.; How a Remi quote works
Solar detach and resetalso solar remove and reinstall: Taking solar panels off before a new roof goes on and reinstalling them afterward. Remi handles it with the roof as one project.; Roofing with solar

Price and warranty

Planning range: A published price span for budgeting, not a quote. Remi prints one on each of its city pages.; Ranges by state
Guaranteed pricealso price guarantee: A contractor's commitment that the quoted price won't change. Remi's covers damaged decking, required flashing and the other repairs listed on its guarantee page, even when they turn up mid-project.; Remi's price guarantee
Workmanship warranty: The contractor's warranty on how the roof was installed. Remi's lasts 5 years and transfers to the new owner if the home sells.; Remi's warranty
Manufacturer warrantyalso material warranty: The product maker's warranty against defects in the materials themselves. The manufacturer sets its terms and any registration rules.; Remi's warranty
Escrow: An arrangement where a third party holds the money and releases it as the work is completed. Remi offers cash payment through PayKeeper's escrow.; How payment works

Insurance claims

Deductible: The portion of a covered loss assigned to you, set by your policy. Some policies have a separate wind or hail deductible, sometimes a percentage of the home's insured value.; Deductibles and depreciation
Actual cash valuealso ACV: A settlement that pays what your roof is worth today, after depreciation for its age and wear.; Deductibles and depreciation
Replacement cost valuealso RCV: A settlement that pays what it costs to replace the roof with comparable new materials, subject to the policy's terms and limits.; Deductibles and depreciation
Depreciation: The reduction in value an insurer applies for age and wear when it estimates what damaged property was worth.; Deductibles and depreciation
Recoverable depreciation: On many replacement-cost policies, depreciation the insurer holds back from its first payment and considers paying after the covered work is done and documented.; Deductibles and depreciation
Non-recoverable depreciation: Depreciation that isn't paid back after repairs, as under an actual cash value settlement.; Deductibles and depreciation
Insurance adjusteralso field, staff or independent adjuster: The person who inspects a loss and applies the policy for the insurer. An independent adjuster is hired by the insurer, not by you.; Who does what in a claim
Public adjuster: A licensed professional you hire, usually for a percentage of the settlement, to prepare and present your claim. Licensing rules vary by state.; Who does what in a claim
Appraisal clause: A policy provision for settling a disagreement about the amount of a covered loss, not whether the loss is covered. Each side picks an appraiser, and an umpire settles what they can't agree on.; If a claim is disputed
Proof of loss: A sworn statement of the amount you're claiming, which some policies require within a set deadline.; How a roof claim works
Supplement: A request to the insurer to add work or costs the original estimate missed, backed by photos or measurements. The insurer decides whether to approve it.; How Remi writes carrier estimates
Storm reportalso Local Storm Report, LSR: A National Weather Service record of hail, wind or damage observed during a storm. Reports stay preliminary until certified, and they can't prove that a particular roof was damaged.; Did hail hit your roof?

Carrier programs

Scope of loss: The adjuster's record of the damage to be repaired.; How Remi writes carrier estimates
Xactimate: Verisk's property-estimating software, widely used to price insurance claims.; How Remi writes carrier estimates
XactAnalysis: Verisk's platform for sending and tracking claim assignments.; How Remi writes carrier estimates
Cotality: The claims platform some carriers use for estimates and status updates.; How Remi writes carrier estimates
Direction to Pay: A form the policyholder signs so the carrier can pay Remi directly for the approved work.; How assignments are billed
Managed repair programalso direct repair program: A way for an insurer, or an administrator working for it, to route covered repairs to contractors that have agreed to its standards for pricing, documentation and workmanship. The insurer still decides coverage.; Managed repair, criterion by criterion
Third-party administratoralso TPA: A company that handles claims work or contractor networks on an insurer's behalf.; Managed repair, criterion by criterion
Certificate of insurancealso COI: A document showing a business's insurance coverage, limits and policy dates. Carriers ask vendors for one during vendor review.; Vendor due diligence
SOC 2 Type II: An independent examination of how a company protects information and runs its systems over time.; Vendor due diligence

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