ROOFING GLOSSARY
Short answer: A square is 100 square feet of roof. Pitch is rise over 12 inches of run. Flashing seals joints, underlayment sits under the shingles, and drip edge protects the roof edge. The full list below covers the terms your crew and customers use most.
Updated 2026-10-04. Written by Rent Roofing Sites, a roofing lead network. We sell rented territories, so read this as a vendor guide.
Roofing has its own language. New salespeople, office staff and homeowners often get lost between hips, rakes, squares and step flashing. A shared vocabulary means fewer mistakes on orders, cleaner estimates and homeowners who trust what you tell them.
Use this glossary to train new hires and to write clearer estimates. Below the list, you will find tips for explaining roofing terms to homeowners without talking down to them.
Source: US monthly search estimates from the keyword research file supplied by the site owner.
Ordering errors are expensive. If a salesperson writes 'edge metal' when production reads it as drip edge but the job needed gutter apron, a crew may sit waiting for a supply run. Clear terms on every job sheet prevent that.
Clear language also sells. Homeowners are more likely to say yes when they understand what you are replacing and why. An estimate full of unexplained jargon feels like a trick.
You do not need every term on day one. Start new office and sales staff with the core: square, pitch, ridge, hip, valley, eave, rake, decking, underlayment, ice and water shield, drip edge, flashing, step flashing, starter strip, ridge cap, vent, soffit, fascia, tear-off and layers.
Walk a real roof, or a photo of one, and point to each part. Quiz them on a sample estimate. Within a week they will speak the language.
Use photos from their own roof. Point at the valley and say 'this is where two slopes meet and water runs; it's the most common leak spot.' A picture and one sentence beat a paragraph.
Avoid scare words. Say what you see, why it matters, and what you recommend. Let the homeowner ask questions. Calm, clear explanations build trust that outlasts any single job.
Eave versus rake is the classic mix-up. Eaves are the lower horizontal edges; rakes are the sloped edges at the gable. Drip edge and starter material are often ordered differently for each, so write them separately on every order.
Hip and ridge are another. Both are covered with ridge cap, but measurement reports list them separately. Add them together when you order ridge cap. Step flashing and counter flashing also get confused; step flashing is woven with the shingles along a wall, while counter flashing covers it from the wall side.
Finally, layers matter. If a roof has two layers, tear-off takes longer and costs more dumpster space. Always confirm layers on site before you finalize price.
Commercial roofing has its own vocabulary. Single-ply membranes such as TPO, EPDM and PVC are common, along with modified bitumen and built-up roofs. Terms like parapet, coping, scupper, tapered insulation and roof drain come up on almost every commercial job.
If your company is moving into commercial work, train your team on these terms early. Property managers and building owners expect contractors to speak precisely about systems, warranties and drainage.
Pick the twenty terms your company uses most and print them on one page with a simple diagram of a roof. Put a copy in every truck and in the office. Use the same words on job sheets, estimates and material orders.
Consistent words reduce mistakes, speed up training and make your company look professional to homeowners and suppliers alike.
Homeowners do not need every technical term, but a few explained well build confidence: underlayment as the second line of defense, ice and water shield in valleys and eaves as leak protection, ventilation as the reason a roof lasts longer. Tie each one to a benefit the homeowner cares about.
When the homeowner understands what they are paying for, price objections shrink. Clear words are one of the cheapest sales tools you have.
Ventilation is one of the least understood parts of a roof. Intake vents, usually in the soffit, let cool air in low. Exhaust vents, such as ridge vents, box vents or powered vents, let warm moist air out high. Balanced intake and exhaust helps control attic heat and moisture, which affects shingle life and can affect manufacturer warranties.
Mixing different exhaust types on one roof can cause problems, so follow manufacturer guidance. Explain ventilation to homeowners simply: the roof needs to breathe, and good airflow helps it last.
Homeowners often ask about warranties, and the terms can be confusing. A manufacturer warranty covers defects in the materials, with terms set by the manufacturer. A workmanship warranty covers your installation, with terms set by your company. Some manufacturers offer enhanced warranties when certified contractors install a full system.
Always describe warranties accurately and point homeowners to the written terms. Never promise coverage you cannot back up. Clear, honest warranty explanations prevent disputes years later.
A missed call is not just one lost job. It is the marketing money you spent to make the phone ring, the referral that job would have produced, and the review that would have helped you win the next one. When owners add those up, the true cost of a slow callback is usually much higher than they expected.
Use the calculator on this page with your own numbers. Enter how many calls and forms you get, how many slip through, your close rate and your average job. The result shows sales you never got the chance to quote. Then pick one change, like a shared lead list or an after-hours text, and measure the difference next month.
Roof shape affects measurements, materials and labor. A gable roof has two slopes meeting at a ridge, with triangular walls at each end. A hip roof slopes down on all four sides. A gambrel has two different slopes on each side, often seen on barns. A mansard has steep lower slopes and a flatter top. A shed roof is a single slope.
Complex roofs combine several shapes with dormers, valleys and multiple ridges. They take longer to measure, need more flashing and cuts, and usually carry a higher waste factor. Knowing the shape names helps your team describe a roof clearly on the phone and price it more accurately.
Set up your CRM or estimate templates with the same terms your crew uses. If your measurement reports list eaves and rakes separately, keep them separate on the material order. Consistency from sales to production is how you stop costly mix-ups.
A TO Z
RUN YOUR NUMBERS
10.0 leads slip each month.
That is about 2.0 jobs, or $24,000 a month and $288,000 a year in sales you never got to quote.
WHERE NEW LEADS COME FROM
Rent Roofing Sites owns local roofing websites and phone numbers. Calls and forms from one territory go to one roofer, with the source attached, and can drop into the CRM you already use. We do not guarantee rankings, lead counts or jobs.
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STRAIGHT ANSWERS
A square is 100 square feet of roof area. Roofers order material and often price work by the square.
Pitch is roof steepness, shown as inches of rise per 12 inches of run, like 6/12.
A hip is an outside angle where two slopes meet. A valley is an inside angle where water collects and runs.
Metal edging at the eaves and rakes that guides water away and protects the deck edge.
A water-resistant layer installed on the deck under shingles as a second line of defense.
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