Demo
From an address to a measured roof, in five steps
This walkthrough follows one measurement through RoofCalc. The address and numbers are sample data, made up to show the steps. Anything that is not built yet is marked Coming soon.
The pictures are illustrations with sample data, not screenshots. 123 Sample St is not a real property.
Step 1 of 5
Type the address
Open Measure in the app and type the street address. RoofCalc geocodes it, which turns the address into a point on the map, and looks for the building at that point.
A credit is used only when a measurement succeeds. If no source finds the building, you get a “no building data” message and keep the credit.
- One address at a time
- A warning above the address box when you are down to your last two credits; your balance is always on the dashboard
Step 2 of 5
It tries each data source in order
On a paid plan, RoofCalc asks Google Solar first. Solar building data has the sloped roof segments and their pitch, and each result is graded by the quality of the imagery behind it: high, medium or low. By default, Solar results from April-to-October imagery (leaves on the trees) are skipped in favour of the fallback.
If Solar has nothing for the address, or you are on the Free plan, RoofCalc uses the OpenStreetMap building footprint. For pitch it uses the building’s map tag when there is one, otherwise a regional or building-type estimate.
It records every source it tried and why it moved on, and returns that list with the result.
Not yet: a LiDAR source is in the code but not part of any plan yet, re-tracing a footprint that looks wrong is not built, and there is no hand-drawn outline for a building no source can find.
Next: Review the roof- LiDARIn the code, not part of any plan yetSkipped
- Google Solar, high-quality imageryPaid plansUsed for this roof
- Google Solar, medium or low imageryPaid plansNot needed
- OpenStreetMap footprintEvery planFallback
- Hand-drawn outlineFor buildings no source findsComing soon
Returned with the result: every source tried and why it moved on. On the Free plan the list starts at OpenStreetMap.
Step 3 of 5
Review the roof
The result gives you the roof area in square feet, the number of facets, and a complexity rating (simple, moderate, complex or very complex) set by the facet count.
Pitch comes from the Solar roof segments. On an OpenStreetMap footprint it comes from the building’s map tag when there is one, otherwise a regional or building-type estimate, because a footprint has no slope, and RoofCalc uses it to turn the flat outline into sloped roof area.
- Roof area in square feet
- Facet count and complexity
Nobody reviews the numbers: RoofCalc is automated. Check the roof on site before you order materials.
Next: Add waste to get what to order (coming soon)- Roof area
- 2,840 sq ft
- Facets
- 6
- Complexity
- Moderate
- Squares
- 28.4 squaresComing soon not on screen yet
- Pitch
- 6/12Coming soon not on screen yet
- Source
- Google SolarComing soon not on screen yet
Step 4 of 5
Add waste to get what to order (coming soon)
Coming soon This step is not in the app yet. RoofCalc’s measurement service already calculates a waste percentage for OpenStreetMap results: it starts at 10% and adds for a more complex design, a steep pitch and a high facet count. The app does not display that percentage correctly yet.
In this sample, a moderate roof at 6/12 with 6 facets gets 13%.
You can also save your own rates in the app: price per square foot, tear-off per layer, decking per sheet, disposal fee and margin.
Not yet: the waste percentage and its reason on screen, turning a measurement into a quote with your rates, and the material list (it is calculated but not shown in the app).
Next: Keep it in your history- Roof area
- 2,840 sq ft
- Waste, 13%moderate roof design
- + 369 sq ft
- Area with waste
- 3,209 sq ft32.1 squares
Step 5 of 5
Keep it in your history
Every successful measurement is saved to your account and listed newest first, with its address, area and date. For now, the result screen is your report.
Not yet: opening a saved measurement shows sample data, and PDF export and sharing are not built.
For homeowners Coming soon
A homeowner estimate request and a homeowner portal with roof health, a maintenance checklist and weather alerts are planned. See the estimate request and the homeowner portal for what exists today.
Next: try it on a real address- 123 Sample St2,840 sq ft · Today
- 45 Example Ave1,960 sq ft · 2 days ago
- 9 Placeholder Rd3,410 sq ft · Last week
Homeowner view. An estimate request form, and a portal with roof health, a maintenance checklist and weather alerts.
Questions
About this demo
Is this a real measurement?
No. The address and every number on this page are made up to show the steps. Create a free account to measure a real address.
Which data source will my roof use?
Free accounts measure from OpenStreetMap building footprints. Paid plans try Google Solar building data first and fall back to OpenStreetMap. Paid plans open soon.
What happens if RoofCalc cannot find the building?
You get a "no building data" message and no credit is used. Drawing the outline by hand is not built yet.
Does anyone check the result?
No. RoofCalc is automated, and edge lengths are estimates. Check the roof on site before you order materials.
Your turn
Try it on a real address
The Free plan gives you 2 measurements when you sign up, measured from OpenStreetMap building footprints. Paid plans, with Google Solar roof data, open soon.