# Roof measurement glossary: facets, pitch, eaves, hips, valleys and more

> A roof measurement report describes a roof as facets (planes) with areas and pitches, joined by edges of ten types: eave, rake, ridge, hip, valley, step flashing, wall flashing, parapet, bend and other. Area is reported in square feet and squares (100 sq ft). Pitch is rise over a 12-inch run. RoofQuery returns every value under the same name on the PDF and in the API, per structure and combined.

Category: How it works. Last updated 2026-09-09.
Canonical: https://roofquery.com/guides/roof-measurement-glossary

These are the terms that appear on a RoofQuery PDF and in the JSON that comes with every order. The edge categories are the normalized names RoofQuery uses, so a number you read on the report can be found in the API response under the same name. The field reference is under [report data](https://roofquery.com/docs/report-data) in the docs.

## Areas and counts

**Facet**: One roof plane. A simple gable roof has two facets; a complex hip roof with dormers can have thirty. `facetCount` in the API.

**Total area**: The sloped surface area of all roof planes added up, in square feet. This is what material is ordered against. `totalAreaSqFt`.

**Square**: The roofing unit: 100 square feet of roof surface. A 2,400 square foot roof is 24 squares. `totalSquares`.

**Estimated attic area**: The sloped area projected back to horizontal. Useful for ventilation and insulation sizing, not a measured floor area. `estimatedAtticSqFt`.

**Structure**: One building on the property: the house, a detached garage, a shed. Each is measured separately with the same fields, and `totals` is the sum across all of them. Structures are ordered by roof area, largest first.

## Pitch

**Pitch**: Roof slope, written as rise over a 12-inch run. A 6/12 roof rises six inches for every foot of horizontal distance. Flat roofs are reported as flat.

**Predominant pitch**: The pitch covering the most roof area. `predominantPitch`.

**Pitch areas**: Roof area at each pitch, which is what steep-slope labour is priced from. `pitchAreas`. Measured slopes are snapped to a reporting ladder of 0, ¼, ½ and whole numbers so the PDF and the JSON round the same way.

## The ten edge types

RoofQuery reports every edge under one of ten categories. All ten are always present in `edgeTotals`, zero-filled when absent, each with a length in feet and a count.

**Eave**: The lower horizontal edge of a roof plane, where gutters hang. Drip edge and starter strip are ordered against eave length.

**Rake**: The sloped edge of a gable end, running from eave to ridge. Also takes drip edge.

**Ridge**: The horizontal top edge where two planes meet. Ridge cap and ridge vent are ordered against it.

**Hip**: The sloped external corner where two planes meet, running down from a ridge. Takes hip cap. `hipsAndRidgesLengthFt` gives hips and ridges together, because cap is ordered against the pair.

**Valley**: The sloped internal corner where two planes meet and water collects. Needs valley flashing or ice and water shield.

**Step flashing**: Where a sloped roof edge meets a vertical wall, flashed one shingle course at a time. Dormer sides and chimney sides.

**Wall flashing**: Where a horizontal roof edge meets a vertical wall, such as the top of a lean-to against the house.

**Parapet**: The run of parapet wall along a roof edge, typical on flat commercial roofs. Reported as its own category because it is capped and flashed differently from every other edge.

**Bend**: A pitch transition: the line where two different slopes meet on what is otherwise one plane, as on a gambrel or mansard roof.

**Other**: Anything that does not fit the nine above.

## Derived values

**Total edge length**: Every edge added up. `totalEdgeLengthFt`. Edges shared between adjacent faces are counted once per structure.

**Complexity**: `simple`, `normal` or `complex`, derived from facet count and total hip plus valley run. Many contractors apply a labour multiplier by complexity.

**Waste factor**: Extra material ordered beyond the measured area to cover cuts and offcuts. The RoofQuery PDF prints a waste calculation on the summary page; the percentage you apply is your own.

## Report formats

**PDF**: The readable report, white-labeled with your branding, rendered at download time. See [how white-label branding works](https://roofquery.com/guides/how-white-label-branding-works).

**XML**: The raw measurement document: points, lines and faces. Carries no branding.

**ESX**: Xactimate's estimate file. See [what is an ESX file](https://roofquery.com/guides/what-is-an-xactimate-esx-file).

**Diagrams**: Four drawings per structure and for the whole property: outline, area, pitch and lengths. SVG or PNG.

For industry definitions beyond measurement, the [National Roofing Contractors Association](https://www.nrca.net/) publishes the reference manuals most North American contractors work from.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is a roofing square?

100 square feet of roof surface. Roofing material is sold and priced by the square, so a 2,400 square foot roof is a 24-square job before waste.

### What is the difference between a hip and a valley?

Both are sloped lines where two roof planes meet. A hip is an external corner that sheds water outward and takes cap. A valley is an internal corner that collects water and needs flashing.

### What is a parapet on a roof report?

A low wall that extends above the roof surface along its edge, common on flat commercial roofs. RoofQuery reports parapet run as its own edge category because it is capped and flashed differently.