The most time-consuming part of any roofing claim isn't the paperwork, it's the inspection. Driving to the property, climbing the roof, taking measurements, documenting damage, and then translating all of that into a scope of work. Photo-Scope AI is compressing that entire workflow into minutes.
Here's what the workflow looks like today: shoot photos on the roof with your phone, upload them, and get back a draft scope with damage findings, SEL codes, and quantities, then confirm the findings yourself before anything goes to the carrier. That hybrid loop: AI first pass, human sign-off, is where the time savings are real.
Key takeaway: Photo-Scope doesn't replace the inspection, it replaces the note-taking. The AI drafts the scope; a trained inspector confirms each finding. What used to take 30-45 minutes of documentation per roof takes a few minutes of review.
What Is Photo-Scope?
Photo-Scope is an AI-powered feature that analyzes photographs of roof damage and automatically generates a complete scope of work, including Xactimate SEL codes, quantities, and damage severity assessments. Upload photos from your phone, and the AI returns a draft estimate ready for review.
This isn't a concept demo, upload photos and Photo-Scope returns a draft scope in minutes, identifying hail impacts, wind creasing, missing shingles, and collateral damage indicators.
How the AI Analyzes Roof Damage
The analysis works in layers:
- Image preprocessing: Photos are normalized for brightness, contrast, and angle, correcting for the variable conditions of field photography
- Object detection: The AI identifies the roof surface, shingle pattern, and individual shingle tabs, establishing the "grid" for damage assessment
- Damage classification: Each anomaly is categorized:
- Hail bruise: Circular impact with granule loss, often with a visible center point
- Wind crease: Linear deformation where the shingle has folded but not torn
- Missing shingle: Complete loss exposing underlayment or decking
- Fastener pull-through: Nail head visible above the shingle surface
- Density calculation: Damage is counted per test square, producing a hits-per-square metric that determines repairability
- Severity grading: Each roof facet receives a severity score, and the AI recommends repair vs. replacement based on damage thresholds
From Photos to Xactimate Codes
Once damage is classified, findings are matched to Xactimate line items:
- Hail damage on 60%+ of facets → RFG TIL 300 (full replacement, architectural shingle)
- Wind damage on isolated tabs → RFG RPR (individual shingle repair with material match)
- Damaged ridge cap → RFG RDC (ridge cap replacement)
- Missing pipe boots → RFG FLP (pipe flashing replacement, per penetration)
- Damaged drip edge → RFG DLE (drip edge replacement)
The AI includes standard roofing accessories automatically: starter strip, underlayment, fasteners, ventilation, items that are frequently overlooked in manual scoping.
Accuracy and Limitations
Photo-Scope AI performs best with:
- Clear, well-lit photos taken at 3-5 feet from the damage
- Context shots showing the entire facet plus close-up detail shots
- Consistent angle, straight-on is better than oblique
It struggles with:
- Extremely dirty or debris-covered roofs that obscure the shingle surface
- Very dark shingles where hail bruise contrast is minimal
- Heavily shaded photos where detail is lost in shadow
Critical: Photo-Scope AI is a powerful first-pass tool, not a replacement for trained eyes. The AI identifies candidates for damage; a qualified inspector confirms or rejects each finding. This hybrid approach produces fast and accurate results.
The ROI of Automated Damage Analysis
For illustration, consider a roofing contractor processing 10 inspections per week:
- Manual scoping: 30-45 minutes per roof to document damage, identify codes, and build the estimate
- Photo-Scope: 1-2 minutes to upload photos, 30 seconds for AI analysis, 5 minutes for human review and confirmation
- Weekly time saved (illustrative): 4-6 hours
- Annual impact (illustrative): 200-300 additional hours available for sales, project management, or growth activities
The technology is here. The question is whether you'll use it to scale your business, or watch your competitors do it first.
Photo-Scope is one piece of a bigger shift. From AI damage detection to automated supplement building, AI is reshaping how roofing contractors handle insurance claims, here's what's real, what's hype, and what's coming next.
Upload your first roof damage photos, see AI scoping in action →