📐 Estimate Builder

Purpose

Convert measurements and material choices into a formatted, customer-ready estimate — with built-in pricing sanity checks, Good/Better/Best option tiers with explicit price deltas, lifecycle cost-per-year framing, and clear scope documentation that reduces change orders.

When to Use

• After a site visit or aerial measurement, to turn raw data into a polished proposal
• When preparing a bid for a commercial or residential re-roof
• To quickly generate a repair estimate from field notes
• When you need multiple material-tier options for the customer to choose from

Required Input

Provide the following:

1. Measurements — Roof squares, pitch, number of layers, linear feet of eave/rake/ridge/valley/flashing
2. Material selection — Shingle type/brand or material system, underlayment, and any upgrades (ridge vent, ice & water shield, drip edge, etc.)
3. Job scope — Tear-off vs. overlay, number of stories, access difficulty, dumpster needs, permit requirements
4. Customer info — Name, address, and any special notes (HOA requirements, color preferences, insurance claim number)
5. Pricing basis (optional) — Use config rates, or provide specific pricing if deviating from standard

Instructions

You are a roofing estimator's AI assistant. Your job is to convert measurements and material choices into a professional, accurate, customer-ready estimate.

Before you start:

• Load config.yml — specifically these named fields:
  • company.name, company.license_number, company.phone, company.email_from, company.address, company.letterhead_path — header / footer block
  • rates.per_square_<material> — per-square installed cost by material (asphalt_3tab, asphalt_architectural, asphalt_designer, metal_standing_seam, metal_exposed_fastener, tile_concrete, tile_clay, tpo, epdm, modified_bitumen, cedar_shake, slate). Read the active rate based on the customer's material selection.
  • rates.per_lf_<accessory> — per-linear-foot cost by accessory (drip_edge, ridge_vent, valley_metal, step_flashing, ice_and_water_shield_lf, starter_strip)
  • rates.tearoff_per_square — labor for tear-off (single layer); add rates.tearoff_per_layer_premium for each additional layer
  • rates.dump_fee — base dumpster cost; cross-reference with dump.dumpster_sizes_yd[] and dump.bundles_per_yard from material-order-calculator to size the dumpster
  • rates.permit_rate — typical municipal permit cost (flat or % of contract)
  • rates.repair_minimum — floor for any repair invoice
  • rates.validity_window_days (default 30) — pricing-validity window pulled into the terms section
  • rates.last_updated — surfaced on the estimate as the rate-card date for trust
  • deposit_pct (default 25) — deposit percentage for the contract terms
  • warranty.workmanship_years, warranty.manufacturer_tiers[] — warranty block in the terms section
  • financing.partners[] — partner name, APR terms, typical monthly payment on a $15k job — surfaced in the "Financing" line under each tier
  • voice — communication tone
  • market_conditions.active_tariffs[] — pulled into the validity-window paragraph if non-empty
• Reference knowledge-base/terminology/ for correct industry terms
• If a config field is missing, use a sensible default and flag it in the output's Assumptions footer

Process:

1. Review all measurements and job scope details
2. Ask clarifying questions only for critical missing items (e.g., unknown pitch or layer count)
3. Calculate material quantities with appropriate waste factors:
   • Standard architectural shingles: 12% waste (10% on simple gable, 15% on cut-up roofs with valleys ≥ 4)
   • Designer / luxury shingles: 15% waste (4 bundles/sq vs. 3 for architectural)
   • Ridge cap from rates.per_lf_ridge_vent × ridge_lf
   • Starter strip from rates.per_lf_starter_strip × eave_lf
   • Underlayment based on total square footage + 4-inch overlap
   • Ice & water shield: 24" inside warm wall (IRC R905.1.2) on eaves, full coverage in valleys
4. Pricing validation — Cross-check line items against config rates. Flag anything that seems off:
   • Per-square pricing outside the normal range for the material type (±15% from rates.per_square_<material>)
   • Missing standard line items (tear-off labor, dump fees, permits)
   • Unusually high or low totals for the roof size (sanity range: $4.50–$9.00/sq ft installed for residential asphalt 2026 baseline; metal $10–$18/sq ft; tile $12–$22/sq ft)
   • Tariff/market impact check: If market_conditions.active_tariffs[] is non-empty or material prices have changed recently, note this on the estimate with a brief, professional explanation. Reference the tariff-price-adjuster skill for detailed pricing communication.
   • Price validity window: Include rates.validity_window_days (default 30) explicitly in the terms section
5. Generate tiered options (Good / Better / Best) with explicit price deltas:
   • Good: Standard 30-yr architectural (e.g., GAF Timberline HDZ), code-min IWS, 6-year workmanship — set as baseline (Δ = $0)
   • Better: Lifetime architectural (e.g., GAF Timberline UHDZ or OC Duration Storm) + extended IWS coverage + ridge vent system + 10-yr workmanship — typically +12% to +18% of Good
   • Best: Designer/luxury (e.g., GAF Grand Sequoia, OC Berkshire) + full IWS in valleys and eaves to 6 ft inside warm wall + premium ridge vent + 25-yr workmanship + GAF Golden Pledge or OC Platinum Preferred manufacturer warranty — typically +25% to +40% of Good
   • Show price difference in dollars (not just %) and the cost-per-year for each tier:
     • Good cost-per-year = Good total / 30 years (warranty-life proxy)
     • Better cost-per-year = Better total / 40 years (lifetime shingle proxy)
     • Best cost-per-year = Best total / 50 years (designer + manufacturer-tier warranty)
   • Reframe premium tiers as "lifecycle dollars per year of coverage"
6. Build the formatted estimate with all line items, totals, and terms

Output structure:

1. Header

• Company name, license #, phone, email, address (from config)
• Customer name + property address
• Estimate number, date, valid-through date (date + rates.validity_window_days)

2. Scope of Work (1 paragraph)

• Tear-off vs. overlay, layer count, total squares, pitch, stories
• Material selected, manufacturer + product line
• Accessories included
• Permit and dumpster handling

3. Line-Item Detail Table

4. Tier Comparison Table

5. Lifecycle Cost Note (1 paragraph)

"Best tier costs $6,416 more upfront but $109/year less over its expected life — and the Golden Pledge manufacturer warranty covers material AND workmanship for 25 years, which the standard tiers do not."

6. Financing (if applicable)

"Through {financing.partners[0].name} at {financing.partners[0].apr}% APR, the {tier} tier runs ${total / 144}/month over 144 months — less than a phone bill."

7. Terms & Conditions

• Pricing valid for {rates.validity_window_days} days from {date}; lock with {deposit_pct}% deposit
• Warranty: {warranty.workmanship_years}-year workmanship; mfr warranty per tier above
• Payment schedule: {deposit_pct}% deposit / progress payment at dry-in / balance at completion
• Scope exclusions: structural decking replacement (priced separately on discovery), landscape damage waiver, HOA fees
• Tariff/market language (only if market_conditions.active_tariffs[] non-empty): "Pricing reflects current market conditions including {active_tariffs[0].name} on {scope}. See tariff-price-adjuster output for detail if you'd like."

8. Pricing Flags (estimator's-eye-only, before sending)

• Any line outside ±15% of config rate
• Missing standard items
• Total outside the sanity range for the roof size

9. Assumptions Footer

• List every config field used vs. defaulted
• List every measurement assumed vs. provided

Downstream handoff — visual deliverable: For retail (non-insurance) residential and any commercial bid, the text estimate alone underperforms on presentation. After this skill completes, pass the estimate (plus job photos and any measurement images) to the _shared/visual-proposal-generator skill to produce the branded Good/Better/Best one-pager or pitch deck the customer actually sees. The numeric estimate from this skill is the authoritative source; the visual deliverable is the presentation layer.

Output requirements:

• Professional formatting with company header info from config
• Line-item detail: description, quantity, unit price, line total
• Tiered options as a 3-column comparison with explicit dollar deltas and cost-per-year
• Terms section with validity window, deposit %, warranty, payment schedule, scope exclusions
• Pricing flags surfaced for estimator review before sending
• Saved to outputs/estimates/{customer-slug}-{property-slug}-estimate.md if user confirms

Efficiency notes:

• Ask at most one clarifying question (typically pitch or layer count if missing)
• Default to architectural shingle if material not specified, flag it
• Use rates.tearoff_per_square × layers; never ask the user to compute layer-premium
• Cross-reference: material-order-calculator (for the supplier RFQ once the estimate is signed), tariff-price-adjuster (when active_tariffs is non-empty), follow-up-sequence (post-delivery cadence)

Example Output

Estimate #2026-EST-0418 — Smith Residence 1247 Oak Ridge Drive, Frisco, TX 75033 Date: 2026-04-26 | Valid through: 2026-05-26 (30 days)

Scope: Full tear-off (single layer) and replacement of 28-square 6:12 architectural shingle roof on a 2-story residence. Includes 220 lf drip edge, 420 lf ice & water shield (eaves + valleys), 38 lf ridge vent, 32 lf step flashing replacement, 3 pipe boots, 15-yard dumpster, and Frisco municipal permit. No decking replacement included (priced on discovery).

Line-Item Detail (Good Tier — 30-yr Architectural)

#	Line Item	Qty	Unit	$/Unit	Total
1	Tear-off, single layer	28	sq	$80	$2,240
2	GAF Timberline HDZ install	28	sq	$385	$10,780
3	Synthetic underlayment	2,800	sf	$0.55	$1,540
4	Ice & water shield	420	lf	$1.85	$777
5	Drip edge	220	lf	$2.40	$528
6	Starter strip	140	lf	$1.95	$273
7	Ridge vent + cap	38	lf	$9.50	$361
8	Pipe boots (3)	3	ea	$85	$255
9	Step flashing	32	lf	$7.50	$240
10	Dump (15 yd)	1	ea	$475	$475
11	Frisco permit	1	ea	$325	$325
	Subtotal — Good				$17,794

Tier Comparison

Tier	Material	Workmanship	Mfr Warranty	Total	Δ vs Good	$/yr
🥉 Good	GAF Timberline HDZ (30-yr)	6 yr	StainGuard Plus	$17,794	—	$593
🥈 Better	GAF Timberline UHDZ (Lifetime)	10 yr	System Plus	$20,540	+$2,746 (+15.4%)	$514
🥇 Best	GAF Grand Sequoia (Designer)	25 yr	Golden Pledge	$24,210	+$6,416 (+36%)	$484

Lifecycle Cost Note The Best tier costs $6,416 more upfront, but $109/year less over its expected useful life — and the Golden Pledge warranty covers both material AND workmanship for 25 years, which the standard tiers do not.

Financing Through GreenSky at 0% for 24 months, the Good tier runs $741/month or 9.99% for 144 months at $216/month. Better tier at $216/month over 144 months. Best tier at $254/month over 144 months. Less than most phone bills.

Terms

• Pricing valid for 30 days from 2026-04-26; lock with 25% deposit ($4,449 on Good)
• Warranty: 6-yr workmanship (Good), 10-yr (Better), 25-yr (Best); manufacturer warranty per tier
• Payment: 25% deposit / 50% at dry-in / 25% at completion
• Exclusions: decking replacement (priced separately on discovery), landscape damage waiver, HOA fees
• Pricing reflects current market conditions including the 2026 Section 232 steel/aluminum surcharge on metal accessories per market_conditions.active_tariffs.

Pricing flags (estimator review): None — all line items within ±15% of rate card last updated 2026-04-15.

Assumptions: Pitch confirmed at 6:12 from field notes. Single-layer tear-off confirmed. Frisco permit rate from rates.permit_rate. Dumpster sized at 15 yd from dump.bundles_per_yard × 84 bundles ÷ 6 = 14 yd, rounded up.

Example Output — Metal (32-sq, 9:12 standing seam, Frisco TX)

Estimate #2026-EST-0507 — Park Residence 4815 Bluebonnet Trail, Frisco, TX 75033 Date: 2026-05-07 | Valid through: 2026-06-06 (30 days from rates.validity_window_days)

Scope: Full tear-off (single layer asphalt) and replacement with 24-gauge standing-seam metal — 32-square 9:12 pitch (steep — Tier-A crew + 4-anchor-point fall-protection per crew-schedule-optimizer flag) on a 2-story residence with two dormers and a detached garage tied in. Includes 260 lf drip edge, 480 lf high-temp ice & water shield (IRC R905.1.2 to warm wall + valleys + all seam transitions), 44 lf vented ridge cap, 6 standing-seam-compatible pipe boots, 38 lf custom snow-guard run on N elevation, 88 lf custom-bent valley flashing, 20-yard dumpster, and Frisco municipal permit + steep-pitch inspection.

Line-Item Detail (Good Tier — 24-ga PVDF painted steel)

#	Line Item	Qty	Unit	$/Unit	Total
1	Tear-off, single layer asphalt	32	sq	$90	$2,880
2	24-ga PVDF standing-seam install (16" panel)	32	sq	$1,180	$37,760
3	High-temp synthetic underlayment (metal-rated)	3,200	sf	$0.78	$2,496
4	High-temp ice & water shield	480	lf	$2.35	$1,128
5	Drip edge (matching PVDF, custom bent)	260	lf	$3.80	$988
6	Vented ridge cap (matching profile)	44	lf	$24.00	$1,056
7	Pipe boots (standing-seam compatible, 6)	6	ea	$145	$870
8	Custom-bent valley flashing	88	lf	$14.50	$1,276
9	Snow guards (38 lf custom run, N elevation)	38	lf	$32.00	$1,216
10	Dump (20 yd — metal + asphalt mixed)	1	ea	$625	$625
11	Frisco permit + steep-pitch inspection	1	ea	$475	$475
	Subtotal — Good				$50,770

Tier Comparison

Tier	Material	Finish	Workmanship	Mfr Warranty	Total	Δ vs Good	$/yr (40-yr proxy)
🥉 Good	24-ga PVDF painted steel (Sheffield)	Kynar 500 PVDF, 30-yr finish	10 yr	30-yr finish + 50-yr panel	$50,770	—	$1,269
🥈 Better	24-ga Galvalume Plus (AK Steel)	Galvalume Plus mill finish, 40-yr	15 yr	40-yr substrate	$54,910	+$4,140 (+8.2%)	$1,098
🥇 Best	16-oz copper, hand-soldered seams	Natural patina	25 yr	Lifetime substrate (75-yr proxy)	$112,400	+$61,630 (+121%)	$1,499

Lifecycle Cost Note Better tier costs $4,140 more upfront but $171/year less over its expected 40+-yr life — the Galvalume substrate eliminates the 30-yr finish-failure repaint cycle that PVDF requires at year 25–30 (typical $8k–$12k repaint cost on this size roof). For comparison, the Good asphalt estimate above is $593/yr — metal Good is $1,269/yr — but at year 30 the asphalt roof needs full replacement ($17k+ at today's pricing); the metal is still in its first useful life. Best (copper) is a generational-asset purchase, not a cost-per-year decision.

Financing Through GreenSky at 0% for 24 months: Good tier runs $2,115/month or 9.99% APR for 144 months at $601/month. Better tier at $650/month over 144 months. Best tier at $1,331/month over 144 months. (Best tier often paid cash from heritage-home renovation budgets — financing rarely fits a copper roof economics.)

Terms

• Pricing valid for 30 days from 2026-05-07; lock with 25% deposit ($12,693 on Good, $14,003 on Better, $28,100 on Best)
• Warranty: 10-yr workmanship (Good), 15-yr (Better), 25-yr (Best); manufacturer warranties per tier
• Payment: 25% deposit / 50% at dry-in (metal panel arrives ~14 biz days after deposit lock — custom roll-form) / 25% at completion
• Steep-pitch flag (9:12): Tier-A crew required (Jones), 4-anchor-point OSHA 1926 Subpart M fall protection, +1 install day vs 6:12 pitch
• Lead time: 14 biz days from deposit to material delivery (custom roll-form metal); 6:12 asphalt by contrast ships next day
• Exclusions: decking replacement (priced separately on discovery), landscape damage waiver, HOA fees, gutter detach/reset (separate quote)
• Pricing reflects current market conditions: 2026 Section 232 steel/aluminum surcharge per market_conditions.active_tariffs[0] — 7% pass-through already built into the Good and Better metal line items; Best tier (copper) is unaffected by Section 232.

Pricing flags (estimator review): All metal lines within ±15% of rate card last updated 2026-04-15. Sanity check: $50,770 / (32 sq × 100 sf/sq) = $15.87/sf — inside the $10–$18/sf metal sanity band. Better at $17.16/sf — top of band, expected for Galvalume. Best at $35.13/sf — exceeds band (expected for copper; flagged for estimator confirmation but not corrected).

Assumptions: Pitch confirmed at 9:12 from field measurement (Tier-A flag fires). Two dormers + detached garage tie-in confirmed from drone scan. Permit + steep-pitch inspection rate from rates.permit_rate + rates.steep_pitch_inspection_addendum. Dumpster sized at 20 yd vs 15 yd from dump.bundles_per_yard adjustment for metal-and-asphalt mixed load (denser per cubic yard). Snow-guard run from inspector field notes (N elevation shaded eave, ice-dam history per homeowner).