Start with good inputs
Start the estimate with the address-based aerial takeoff so the footprint and facet layout remain the measurement foundation. On eligible paid plans, a couple of eave and rake angle shots can then enrich the result with visible-condition evidence and clues the overhead flattens out.
Bad inputs produce confident-looking but wrong measurements — the most expensive kind. If the imagery is blurry, heavily shadowed, or shot from a single low angle, treat the result as a rough sanity check, not a takeoff.
What AI reads well
AI vision is genuinely strong at the broad-strokes geometry: overall roof footprint, facet count, approximate areas, and obvious condition flags like ponding, blistering, missing material, or visible penetration density. For a first-pass scope, that covers a lot of ground in minutes.
MyRoofGenius returns the aerial takeoff as a component-level read — field area plus the linear elements (ridge, valley, eave) — so the output is something you can review and price, not just a single square count. Paid photo enrichment attaches observations to that existing estimate instead of creating a separate report front door.
What to verify on-site or in CAD
AI is a fast first pass, not a guaranteed survey. The things to verify before you trust a final bid: exact pitch on complex hip and valley configurations, hidden penetrations and curbs the imagery can't see, and layered tear-offs where the existing assembly thickness changes the scope.
On commercial low-slope work, penetration detailing and warranty-required perimeter enhancement are the line items most often under-counted from imagery alone. Our commercial TPO replacement cost guide breaks down exactly which detailing items to confirm before the bid goes out.
Turn it into a takeoff
A measurement is only useful if it becomes a priceable takeoff. A good tool outputs components you can quote — ridge, valley, eave, field area — rather than a bare square count that hides where the cost lives.
Questions commercial estimators ask
What happens to the numbers after the site visit, and which of them are yours.
I still walk the roof. What does this change?
The site visit still confirms the roof. What changes is what happens to the numbers after it.
The takeoff you trace becomes a priced estimate carrying the same line quantities. Your customer reviews the scope, line items and price on a link you share. Once the customer signs a contract, or you record their acceptance, the estimate converts to a job that keeps the sold line quantities and their measurement source.
You do not type the quantities again between those steps, and every number stays yours to edit before it goes to the customer.
On a flat roof, which quantities are measured and which do I enter?
Each priced line in a traced takeoff says where its quantity came from. Lines taken from your calibrated trace, such as field membrane, tapered insulation, cover board, fasteners and edge metal, read Measured, with the source named and a confidence where one was recorded.
Drain and pitch-pocket counts are not measured by the trace. Each reads Default, or Suggested when a source proposed a count, marked confirm before sending, until you enter or confirm the count. Then it reads Estimator entered.
Change any quantity on the estimate and that line reads Estimator entered. Each line also names whose rate priced it: your account rate, your catalog, or the MRG national default, which is marked confirm before sending.
What happens when the scope changes on the job?
A change order can carry a price only when it names what produced that price: measured quantity change, unit price times quantity, draw against an allowance, or supplier quote. A priced change order without one of those is refused.
A schedule-only change order carries no price and needs no basis.
Frequently asked questions
Can you measure a roof accurately from photos?
You can get a strong first-pass measurement from good photos or aerial imagery: footprint, facet count, approximate areas, and visible condition flags. Verify exact pitch on complex hips and valleys, hidden penetrations, and layered tear-offs on-site or in CAD before trusting a final bid. Treat AI output as a fast first pass, not a guaranteed survey.
What photos do I need to measure a roof?
A clear overhead (aerial or drone) for the footprint and facet layout, plus a couple of eave and rake angle shots so pitch and edge facets can be inferred. Blurry, shadowed, or single-angle imagery should be treated as a rough sanity check only.
How do I turn a photo measurement into a bid?
Begin with the address and aerial takeoff so component-level quantities — ridge, valley, eave, and field area — feed materials and labor. On an eligible paid plan, attach photos to that estimate for supporting condition evidence, then verify the result before pricing.
Start a free address takeoff for your next bid
Enter a property address for the aerial measurement first. A Professional plan can then attach photos to deepen the estimate before estimator review.