Roofing & Materials
Starter Strip
The first course laid along the eaves before the field shingles, sealing the bottom edge and locking the first full course down. It is priced separately from field shingles, so a scope that only counts field squares is missing a line item. Some manufacturers require it for the shingle warranty.
Full guide: commonly missed roofing line items xactimate codes
More roofing & materials terms
- Standing-Seam Metal
A metal roof made of long panels that run eave to ridge and lock together at raised seams instead of overlapping shingles. Repairs usually mean replacing a whole panel, and matching an older profile or finish can be hard. Hail and wind claims turn on whether the panel or only its coating was damaged.
- Starter course
The first row of shingles at the roof edge that seals the eaves, often its own line item.
- Step flashing
The small angled metal pieces used where a roof meets a wall, layered one step at a time to shed water off the joint.
- Synthetic underlayment
A modern woven underlayment that is lighter, stronger, and more tear-resistant than traditional felt.
- Tear-off
Removing the existing roof covering before the new roof goes on, bagged and hauled off as part of the roofing job.
- Thermal Shock
Rapid temperature swings that make a roof surface expand and contract faster than the material can take, cracking it over time. It is wear rather than one weather event, so carriers often treat it as excluded deterioration. Documenting a single storm as the cause is different from documenting years of movement.
Common questions
What does "Starter Strip" mean in Xactimate estimating?
The first course laid along the eaves before the field shingles, sealing the bottom edge and locking the first full course down. It is priced separately from field shingles, so a scope that only counts field squares is missing a line item. Some manufacturers require it for the shingle warranty.
Where does "Starter Strip" show up in a claim?
The term matters on estimates and scopes across the insurance restoration workflow, see the full guide for where it fits.
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