For roofing contractors
Estimates by the square, insurance jobs on the record, deposits before the dumpster drops.
Storm season brings inspections, adjuster meetings, supplements and twenty roofs that all want to go first. Fee-Lion gives every job an itemized estimate the homeowner can read, a deposit on approval, a project that holds the photos and the paper trail, and a final invoice that knows what has already been paid.
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Sound familiar?
The paperwork side of the job.
- After a hailstorm you write forty inspections in a week, and half the estimates go out late or not at all.
- Insurance jobs pay in pieces: the first ACV check, the deductible, then recoverable depreciation after completion, and it's easy to lose track of which piece has arrived.
- The adjuster missed the drip edge and the ice and water shield, and the supplement is a separate document nobody can find later.
- Rotten decking found at tear-off turns into a phone call, a verbal yes and an argument at final payment.
- Dumpster, shingles and crew are committed before a dollar of deposit has cleared.
A real example
What an estimate looks like.
Line by line, the way you’d actually quote it: quantity times rate, tax worked out for you, and the deposit collected the moment the client approves.
- Your client opens one link and approves it, paying the deposit by card.
- Approved estimates turn into invoices in one click.
- Your logo, your terms, and your line items saved for next time.
Prepared for Gary & Lynn Hollis — 512 Quarry Rd.
| Item | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Remove existing shingles, 1 layer, incl. dumpster and haul-off 28 sq × $75.00 | 28 sq | $75.00 | $2,100.00 |
| Architectural shingles, installed (incl. waste factor) 31 sq × $365.00 | 31 sq | $365.00 | $11,315.00 |
| Ice and water shield at eaves and valleys 6 sq × $120.00 | 6 sq | $120.00 | $720.00 |
| Synthetic underlayment 25 sq × $35.00 | 25 sq | $35.00 | $875.00 |
| Drip edge, aluminum 220 lf × $3.50 | 220 lf | $3.50 | $770.00 |
| Chimney step and counter flashing, replaced 1 ea × $650.00 | 1 ea | $650.00 | $650.00 |
| Ridge vent 42 lf × $9.00 | 42 lf | $9.00 | $378.00 |
| Pipe boots 4 ea × $45.00 | 4 ea | $45.00 | $180.00 |
| Decking replacement, 7/16" OSB (as found) 6 sheet × $95.00 | 6 sheet | $95.00 | $570.00 |
| Roofing permit 1 ea × $250.00 | 1 ea | $250.00 | $250.00 |
Scope matches the adjuster's estimate plus a supplement for drip edge and ice and water shield. Your deductible is part of this total. Decking billed only as found. 10-year workmanship warranty plus the manufacturer's shingle warranty.
Sent with Fee-Lion · example document, fictional client
How Fee-Lion fits
The parts that do the heavy lifting.
Estimates by the square
Tear-off, shingles, underlayment and ice and water shield by the square; drip edge and ridge vent by the linear foot; boots and flashing as units. Totals update as you type in the driveway.
More on estimates & proposalsDeposit on approval
The homeowner approves the estimate and pays the deposit by card from the same link, so the material order and the dumpster are covered.
More on online paymentsInsurance payments in pieces
Record the ACV check, the deductible and the depreciation release as separate payments on the invoice. The balance shows exactly what is still owed, and from whom.
More on invoicingSupplements and change orders in writing
Extra decking or missed line items go out as their own estimate on the same project. The homeowner approves from the link, so the yes is timestamped, not verbal.
More on project managementPhotos and paperwork on the job
Inspection photos, the adjuster's scope, permit and warranty registration live on the project as files, and the homeowner sees the shared checklist move from tear-off to final cleanup.
More on the collab portalMaterial and dumpster costs per roof
Shingle delivery, dumpster, permit and crew payouts go on the job as expenses, so each roof shows what it really made.
More on expense tracking & bookkeepingInstalments on the replacement
Split a retail re-roof into a deposit and monthly payments, or 50/50 at tear-off and completion. The homeowner sees each payment and its due date in the portal.
More on payment schedulesStorm leads in one inbox
A request form with an address, a photo upload and a "Do you have an insurance claim?" question puts every inspection request in one inbox, ready to quote.
More on request formsA day with Fee-Lion
How it actually plays out.
- Monday after the storm, walk the Hollis roof: photos of hits on every slope, soft spot near the chimney. Photos go on a new project for the job.
- Meet the adjuster Wednesday. Their scope misses drip edge and ice and water shield; build the estimate with both, and send the supplement request with your photos.
- The Hollises approve EST-3391 from the link and pay the 30% deposit by card when the first insurance check clears. Order shingles and schedule the dumpster.
- Tear-off day: six sheets of rotted decking. Add them to the job and the homeowner approves the change from their phone before the crew lays underlayment.
- Shingle delivery, dumpster and permit go on the job as expenses; the shared checklist moves from tear-off to dry-in to final cleanup and magnet sweep.
- Convert to the final invoice with the deposit credited. Record the deductible by check today and the depreciation release when the carrier pays it; the balance hits zero and the receipt goes out.
Live demo
Click around Summit Ridge Roofing.
A residential roofer after storm season, with insurance-claim replacements by the square, supplements, deposits on approval and photos on every job.
A real Fee-Lion workspace set up as Summit Ridge Roofing, with sample clients, jobs, estimates and invoices. No signup, no password. Changes are switched off, so click anything.
Questions
What people ask before they switch.
How do roofers estimate a roof replacement?
Measure the roof in squares (one square is 100 sq ft), add a waste factor for cuts and starters, then price tear-off, shingles, underlayment, ice and water shield, drip edge, flashing, ventilation, boots, decking as found, permit and disposal. Itemize it so a homeowner can compare your bid to one that quietly leaves out ice and water shield.
How do insurance roof claims get paid?
Typically the carrier pays the actual cash value (ACV) first, the homeowner pays their deductible, and recoverable depreciation is released after the work is complete and documented. Supplements for missed items are submitted with photos. On the invoice, record each of those as a separate payment so you always know what is still outstanding.
Can a roofer waive the insurance deductible?
In many states, no: waiving or absorbing a deductible is treated as insurance fraud, and several states have laws that address it directly. The safe practice is to bill the full approved scope, show the deductible as owed by the homeowner, and never advertise that you will cover it.
How much deposit should a roofer take?
Many roofers take somewhere between 10% and 50% at signing, or the first insurance check on claim jobs, so materials and the dumpster are covered. Check your state's home-improvement rules, since some (California, for example) cap residential deposits. In Fee-Lion the deposit is a percentage on the estimate, paid by card at approval and credited on the final invoice.
How do I handle rotten decking found during tear-off?
Price decking per sheet on the original estimate as "billed only as found", so the homeowner agreed to the rate in advance. When you find it, add the count to the job and get it approved in writing before you cover it up. A change sent from Fee-Lion is approved from the homeowner's phone and timestamped.
Your next estimate could go out tonight.
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