Varied Slopes, Dormers, Overhangs, and Skylights... How to Measure Complex Roofs.
Make Complex Roof Measurements Easier with iRoofing!
As if the job of a roofing pro wasn’t challenging enough, every so often you get a roof that really makes a statement. Architects love to break the mold every so often and pull a real wing-dinger out of their hat! In the roofing vernacular, we call these properties “complex,” because measuring and estimating the roof work on an accent-rich, many-sloped, multi-pitched structure is a very involved and potentially time-consuming project. Plus, if a roofing pro insists on doing measurements manually, risks and the need for safety gear may come into play.
Features of Complex Roofs
- Dormers
- Turrets
- Skylights
- Solar panels
- Rooftop HVAC equipment
- Chimneys
- Varied Slopes
- Overhanging eaves
Towers – round, square, or polygonal - Dutch gables
- Façades
- Sawtooth roof design
- Inverted curved roofs
Simplify Complicated Roofs with Roofing Software
How serious is your customer about hiring your roofing company? Since you are about to produce a highly detailed sketch, you might decide to do a simpler perimeter measurement instead. The iRoofing app will give you a general idea of the SQs or square footage of the roof, even with a basic perimeter measurement. This will enable you to provide to the property owner a preliminary estimate of the project while advising them that your final estimate will be based on a more detailed roof report.
To make the process of measuring and estimating a complex, “cut-up” roof accurate and efficient, roofing pros with advanced, easy-to-use roofing software such as iRoofing have a huge advantage.
With an image from a drone, satellite, high-resolution aerial photography, or from a blueprint, a roofing pro can observe every detail of a complex roof and precisely measure each slope, dormer, and penetration using the iRoofing app on their iPad or Android tablet.
Tips for Measuring Complex Roofs
In order to perform a complex roof measurement in the fraction of the time it would take to visit the property and walk the roof, follow these iRoofing tips and tricks.
CHECK OUT OUR YOUTUBE VIDEO ON HOW TO PERFORM ADVANCED MEASUREMENTS USING THE iROOFING APP! Click Here
1 – ALIGN THE STRUCTURE TO THE GRID
When using the iRoofing app, it’s always best to “square up” the overhead view of the home or commercial structure. Just line up one of the longer eaves to the grid lines on the screen and you’ll have an easier time sketching each ridge, valley, hip, dormer, and eave.
2 – ATTAIN IMAGE CLARITY BY SWITCHING TO CLEAROOF™
Satellite imagery is usually going to provide a clear view of the roof and its parts, but if you have trouble see the entire roof due to overhanging tree limbs or inadequate image resolution, switch to iRoofing’s Clearoof™ mode. You’ll get aerial imagery taken by aircraft, plus you can choose an aerial shot taken in fall or winter when trees are leafless revealing more of the roof.
3 – INCLUDE THE ENTIRE ROOF DIMENSIONS
Capture the entire roof image. If you leave out any portion of the roof, you will not be able to add that part if you need it in your roof report. You can use the zoom-in feature of iRoofing to get close enough to see all the roof details but far enough away to see the entire roof.
4 – STUDY THE STREET VIEW, BIRDS-EYE, & OVERHEAD VIEWS
Using the iRoofing app, take a look at the alternative views of the property such as the street view and bird’s eye view. Gaining a holistic, 3D idea understanding of the roof structure helps you create a perfect sketch from the satellite or aerial image from which you are basing the measurements and roof part labels.
5 – PAY ATTENTION TO OVERHANGS!
Does the roof you are measuring have overhangs, where one edge of a slope overlaps a roof section below it? With a big, complex measurement, it’s easy to breeze through your sketching work and miss an overlap or two. So, try to avoid tunnel vision and know that you are outlining the entire slope and not just what’s visible from the overhead image.
6 – SAVE YOUR PROGRESS (JUST IN CASE)
If you notice any lag in the iRoofing app while you’re measuring a large, complex roof, go ahead and save your progress on measurement. Any slight slow down in the application simply means a lot of data is being processed. After all, iRoofing app users create a roof report every 20 seconds! That’s a lot of data processing, consuming system resources.
7 – IF YOU FACE DIFFICULTIES, LET iROOFING HELP
Is the complexity of the roof testing your iRoofing skills? No sweat! Contact our Account Management team and we’ll try to help, otherwise use your app to order a full, detailed measurement of your complicated roof project for just $30. iRoofing gives you a thorough, professional roof report, not a “quick measurement or perimeter-only measure like other services do.
Save Time. Reduce Risk. Impress Clients.
