The ridges and hips of a roof are the most exposed areas to wind and weather. To protect these vulnerable seams, manufacturers require specific, pre-bent or heavy-duty ridge cap shingles.
Despite this, a shocking number of initial insurance estimates omit the line item for ridge cap shingles (RFG 240). When pressed, adjusters will often fall back on the tired excuse: "Ridge caps are cut from the field shingles and are included in the 10% waste factor."
This argument is outdated, incorrect, and costs contractors significant money on every job.
The Problem with "Cut 3-Tabs"
Decades ago, when standard 3-tab shingles were the norm, roofers would frequently cut the tabs into thirds and use them to cap the ridges. In that specific scenario, the material was drawn from the field shingle inventory.
However, the vast majority of roofs installed today use architectural or dimensional shingles.
You cannot cut an architectural shingle to make a ridge cap. It is too thick, too rigid, and attempting to bend it over a ridge will cause it to crack and fail prematurely.
The Manufacturer Warranty Argument
Because architectural shingles cannot be used as caps, manufacturers produce specific, specialized ridge cap products (e.g., GAF Seal-A-Ridge or Timbertex, Owens Corning ProEdge).
Using anything other than the manufacturer's specified ridge cap product will almost certainly void the wind warranty for the entire roof system.
Insurance policies owe to replace the damaged property with "like kind and quality" and in a manner that restores the homeowner to their pre-loss condition—which includes a fully warranted roof.
How to Supplement for Ridge Caps (RFG 240)
When you see an estimate for architectural shingles (RFG 300) but no line item for ridge caps (RFG 240), you must supplement immediately.
1. Calculate the Linear Footage: Review the roof measurement report (EagleView, Hover, etc.) and add the total linear footage of all Ridges and all Hips.
2. Add the Line Item: Add Xactimate code RFG 240 (Roofing - Ridge cap - standard profile) to your supplement. The quantity should be the total linear footage calculated in step 1.
Note: If you are installing high-profile or specialized ridge caps (like GAF Timbertex), use the appropriate premium code (e.g., RFG 240P) and ensure the pricing matches your supplier invoice.
3. The Supplement Letter: Your supplement letter must explicitly address the "waste factor" myth. State: "The existing and proposed roof system utilizes architectural shingles. Architectural shingles cannot be cut to form ridge caps without cracking and voiding the manufacturer's warranty. Specific manufactured ridge cap shingles are required and are not included in the standard waste factor. Please approve RFG 240 for the total linear footage of hips and ridges."
Automating the Ridge Cap Catch
Checking linear footages against Xactimate quantities is tedious.
EstimateDelta automates this entirely. When you upload an estimate, our system identifies the presence of architectural shingles. It then checks for the RFG 240 line item. If it's missing, EstimateDelta flags it instantly.
The generated Supplement Letter automatically includes the exact argument detailed above, citing the impossibility of using architectural field shingles as caps and the necessity of maintaining the manufacturer's warranty.
Stop letting carriers bury required materials in arbitrary waste factors. [Use EstimateDelta to get your ridge caps approved](/pricing).