Xactimate Step Flashing: The Line Item Adjusters Always Underpay

Pull any ten adjuster estimates on a full roof replacement and you'll find the same pattern. The adjuster wrote RFG 240 for the shingles, RFG RIDGC for the ridge caps, and RFG VALLEY for valley metal. Then they either skipped step flashing entirely or wrote it as a detach and reset. That single shortcut costs contractors 400 to 1,200 dollars on a typical claim, and it happens on almost every file that crosses a dormer, chimney, or sidewall.

Step flashing is not optional. It is a code-required component of any roof that intersects a vertical wall, and it cannot be reused once it has been removed. The moment you strip the existing shingles, the step flashing is compromised. The nailing pattern is broken, the underlying sealant is disturbed, and the galvanized or aluminum pieces themselves are typically oxidized, bent, or already leaking at the laps. Putting that same flashing back down under new shingles is a callback waiting to happen, and no competent contractor is going to warranty a roof installed that way.

This guide covers the Xactimate step flashing code (RFG FLASH and related line items), how to measure linear feet correctly across sidewall and headwall conditions, why detach and reset is almost never appropriate on a full R&R, and the supplement language that consistently gets these items approved. If you're leaving step flashing off your supplements, you're leaving money on the table on every single claim.

What Step Flashing Actually Is (and Why It Matters)

Step flashing is the series of individual L-shaped metal pieces installed where a sloped roof plane meets a vertical wall. Each piece is woven into the shingle courses so that water running down the wall is diverted onto the top of the next shingle below, never onto the deck. The standard piece is typically 5 inches by 7 inches or 8 inches by 10 inches of 26-gauge galvanized steel, prepainted steel, or aluminum, bent to a 90-degree angle.

You see step flashing anywhere a roof meets a wall: dormer sidewalls, chimney sides, wall abutments on split-level homes, skylight curbs (in some configurations), and porch roof returns. On most suburban residential roofs there are 20 to 80 linear feet of sidewall step flashing somewhere on the structure. On a cut-up roof with multiple dormers and a chimney, you can easily exceed 150 LF.

The failure mode for step flashing is predictable. Over 15 to 25 years the fasteners corrode, the laps open up as the metal flexes with temperature cycles, and the shingles that interlock with the flashing wear through at the kick-out points. Once you're at the point of a full roof replacement, the old flashing is past its useful life even if it looks acceptable from the ground.

The Xactimate Codes: RFG FLASH and Its Cousins

Step flashing lives under several codes in Xactimate depending on the scope and material. Knowing which one to pull matters because adjusters will often cite the wrong code as their reason for denying a supplement.

The most common supplement target is RFG FLSTP priced as each-piece times the count that matches your linear footage. A standard 5x7 step flashing piece covers roughly 5 inches of exposed wall length per shingle course, so 1 LF of sidewall typically requires 2.4 pieces when you account for a 2-inch overlap. A 50 LF dormer sidewall comes out to 120 pieces. At 8 dollars per piece installed, that's 960 dollars on one wall, plus the apron and counterflashing at the top.

Adjusters sometimes write step flashing as a lump sum under RFG FLASH (pipe flashing) or bury it inside a generic "flashing allowance." Neither is correct for a wall intersection. Pipe flashing is for plumbing stacks. Step flashing has its own pricing structure, and you should write it that way.

Measuring Linear Feet: Sidewall vs. Headwall

The number-one mistake on step flashing supplements is lumping sidewall and headwall together. They're different conditions with different materials and different pricing.

Sidewall Step Flashing

Sidewall is where the slope of the roof runs parallel to the wall, like a dormer side. Water flows down the roof and is directed by individual step flashing pieces. Measure LF along the bottom of the wall from the eave up to where the wall either ends or transitions into a headwall.

Headwall Apron Flashing

Headwall is where the slope of the roof runs into the bottom of a wall (the roof terminates against a vertical surface perpendicular to the flow of water). This requires continuous apron flashing, not individual step pieces. Apron flashing is typically written as RFG FLASHC at an LF rate. Don't write step flashing across a headwall; it won't shed water properly.

Example measurement on a standard 2-story home with one dormer and a chimney:

Dormer left sidewall: 8 LF. Dormer right sidewall: 8 LF. Dormer headwall: 6 LF. Chimney two sidewalls: 10 LF. Chimney headwall (upper side): 4 LF. Chimney apron (lower side): 4 LF.

Total step flashing LF: 26 LF (sidewalls only). Total apron/headwall: 14 LF. At 2.4 pieces per LF sidewall, that's about 63 pieces of step flashing. At 8 dollars installed, that's 504 dollars, plus 14 LF of apron at 11 dollars equals 154 dollars. Total flashing scope: roughly 658 dollars before counterflashing.

If the adjuster wrote "flashing, detach and reset, 40 LF, $5.50" for 220 dollars, you have a clear 400-plus dollar supplement on flashing alone before you even get to counterflashing.

Why Step Flashing Cannot Be Reused on a Full R&R

This is the single most important argument in any step flashing supplement. The adjuster will push back and ask why the existing flashing can't be reused. Here's the answer you write into every supplement.

Step flashing is installed in a specific sequence that interlocks with the shingle courses. Each piece is nailed into the roof deck (never into the wall) with two fasteners along the upper edge. Those fasteners pass through the piece above and below in an overlap pattern. When you tear off shingles, you tear out the flashing nails. Even if the metal pieces fall free without deformation, the nail holes in the deck are now compromised, the sealant at the wall-to-flashing interface is broken, and the individual pieces no longer have a clean nailing surface.

Practically, what happens on a tear-off is that the flashing pieces bend when the shingle on top is pulled up. The kick-out at the base of the wall almost always gets mangled. Counterflashing, if present, is pried away from the siding or masonry. Reusing bent, previously nailed, partially oxidized flashing under a brand-new shingle roof is a direct violation of manufacturer installation guidelines for every major shingle brand (GAF, Owens Corning, CertainTeed, Atlas, Malarkey). It also violates the "like kind and quality" standard that the insurance policy itself requires.

For a deeper walkthrough of how to build the argument for full R&R items the adjuster tried to detach-and-reset, see our supplement walkthrough and the broader list of line items adjusters miss.

Why Detach and Reset Is Insufficient

Detach and reset (D&R) is an Xactimate modifier that tells the estimator the labor is for removing and reinstalling the existing material, not replacing it. For some items (gutters in good condition, solar panels, satellite dishes) D&R is appropriate. For step flashing on a full roof replacement, it almost never is.

The Three Technical Reasons D&R Fails

1. Fastener deformation. Each step flashing piece has two roofing nails through the deck. Pulling those nails deforms the flashing. The piece no longer sits flat under the new shingle course.
2. Material fatigue. Galvanized step flashing that has been in service 15-plus years has oxidation at the laps and on the underside. The protective coating is compromised. Placing it under a new 25-to-50-year shingle system guarantees the flashing fails first, and when it does, the entire repair requires another tear-off around the dormer or chimney.
3. Sealant and interface integrity. The flashing-to-wall interface typically has either a sealant bead or a counterflashing cover. Both get disturbed on tear-off. You can't cleanly reset the original pieces without recreating that entire interface, at which point you're doing 90% of the labor of a new install anyway.

The Pricing Reality

That's the size of the underpayment on step flashing alone on a single typical claim. Multiply across 20, 30, or 50 claims a year and you're talking about serious money.

Counterflashing Is a Separate Line Item

Step flashing protects the roof-to-wall joint from water running down the roof. Counterflashing protects the vertical face of the wall where it meets the step flashing, preventing water from getting behind the step flashing from above.

On siding walls, counterflashing is typically a piece of L-metal tucked behind the siding course that sits above the step flashing. On masonry (brick or stone chimneys), counterflashing is cut into a reglet joint in the mortar and set with sealant. The two methods have very different pricing.

• RFG CNTRFL (standard counterflashing, behind siding): $9.00 to $15.00 per LF. Usually paired with step flashing on dormer and wall abutment conditions.
• RFG CNTRFLH (high-profile, reglet-cut into masonry): $18.00 to $28.00 per LF. Required on brick chimneys when the existing reglet was cut in originally. Many adjusters miss this entirely on chimney flashing supplements.

If the original counterflashing was reglet-cut into brick, the correct scope is almost always to reglet-cut new counterflashing into the same (or a new) mortar joint. Pulling old counterflashing out of an existing reglet without damaging the mortar is extremely difficult, and even when successful, resetting oxidized 20-year-old metal with fresh sealant is not "like kind and quality" work.

For a full list of these separately-priced items that frequently get missed, see our Xactimate supplement list.

Code References: IRC R903.2 and Manufacturer Requirements

When you cite code in a supplement, you anchor your argument to something the adjuster cannot simply reject on opinion. Here are the references that matter for step flashing.

IRC R903.2 Flashing

The International Residential Code, Section R903.2, states: "Flashings shall be installed in such a manner so as to prevent moisture from entering the wall and roof through joints in copings, through moisture-permeable materials, and at intersections with parapet walls and other penetrations through the roof plane."

Section R903.2.1 goes further on locations: "Flashings shall be installed at wall and roof intersections, wherever there is a change in roof slope or direction, and around roof openings."

The practical application: any wall-to-roof intersection must have compliant flashing. Reused, deformed, or improperly-installed flashing does not meet the standard. If the AHJ inspects and finds reused step flashing on a new roof, they can fail the inspection. No contractor is going to warranty an install that risks a code failure.

IRC R905.2.8.3 Sidewall Flashing

Specific to asphalt shingle roofs: "Base flashing against a vertical sidewall shall be continuous or step flashing and shall be not less than 4 inches (102 mm) high and 4 inches (102 mm) wide." This is the authority for writing step flashing at minimum 4x4 dimensions, which eliminates any adjuster argument for smaller pieces.

Manufacturer Installation Instructions

GAF, Owens Corning, CertainTeed, and Atlas all require new flashing with new shingle installations in their published installation instructions. Most policies include language that the insurer will pay to repair damage in a manner consistent with manufacturer requirements. Referencing the specific manufacturer installation guide in your supplement makes the argument concrete.

Supplement Language That Actually Gets Paid

Here's the language template I recommend for step flashing supplements. Adjust for your market and the specific scope on the claim.

Supplement request: RFG FLSTP step flashing, full R&R.

Original estimate line 14 included "Flashing, detach and reset, 32 LF @ $5.80." Per IRC R903.2 and R905.2.8.3, flashing at wall-to-roof intersections shall be installed such that moisture is prevented from entering the wall and roof. The existing step flashing along the left and right dormer sidewalls and the south chimney wall is fastened through the roof deck and integrated into the existing shingle courses. Removal of shingles on a full tear-off requires removal of these fasteners, which deforms the individual flashing pieces and compromises the nailing substrate. Reinstallation of previously-nailed, partially-oxidized galvanized flashing under new shingles is not consistent with like kind and quality as defined in policy Section I, nor with manufacturer installation instructions for [shingle brand].

Requested scope: RFG FLSTP step flashing, new installation, 32 LF (approximately 77 pieces 5x7) at $8.50 per piece = $654.50. Previously-allowed $185.60 to be offset. Net supplement request: $468.90 plus applicable O&P and tax.

Attach photos of the wall-to-roof intersection, a diagram showing your LF measurement breakdown, and a copy of the relevant manufacturer installation page. For more on how to structure the full supplement packet, see our supplement letter templates and how to read an Xactimate estimate.

Common Adjuster Pushback and How to Answer It

"The flashing looks fine in the photos."

Photos from the ground or from the adjuster's inspection walk don't show the underside, the fastener condition, or the deformation that occurs during tear-off. The condition assessment is made at the point of tear-off, not pre-loss. Offer to document with progress photos during tear-off, or cite the manufacturer requirement that new flashing be installed with new shingles regardless of pre-loss condition.

"We don't pay for new flashing unless it's damaged."

This is the wrong standard. The policy pays to replace damaged components with like kind and quality. On a wind or hail claim that totals the shingle system, the associated flashing is necessarily disturbed during the code-required shingle replacement. The supplement is not about damage to the flashing itself; it's about the code-required and manufacturer-required scope of work to replace the roof system.

"Detach and reset is the standard."

Reference IRC R903.2 and the shingle manufacturer's install guide. Point out that D&R pricing does not include new fasteners, new sealant, or new material, and therefore cannot deliver a compliant installation. Ask the adjuster to cite any manufacturer installation instruction that permits reuse of step flashing on a full shingle replacement. They can't, because none of them do.

"I can approve counterflashing but not step flashing."

Counterflashing without step flashing creates a functionally useless system. The adjuster is effectively approving a mismatched scope. Write back that the two components are interdependent per IRC R905.2.8.3 and must be replaced together.

"Show me a building department that requires new step flashing."

Call the local AHJ before you submit the supplement. In almost every jurisdiction that enforces the IRC or IBC, the answer will confirm that reused flashing on a full re-roof is not code-compliant. Cite the jurisdiction and the inspector's name in the supplement.

Putting It All Together

Step flashing is the most consistently underpaid line item in residential roofing supplements. Adjusters default to detach-and-reset because the pricing is lower and the contractors they've dealt with in the past haven't pushed back. The moment you start writing clean, code-referenced supplements that break out step flashing, apron flashing, and counterflashing at correct LF quantities and unit prices, the approvals follow.

The difference between a 220 dollar D&R allowance and a properly-scoped 950 dollar step-and-counterflashing R&R is not a gray area. It is the difference between a compliant install and a non-compliant one. When you frame the supplement that way, the adjuster has no cover for denial.

Run your next adjuster estimate through a proper review. Check whether step flashing appears at all. Check whether it's priced as D&R or full R&R. Check whether counterflashing is on a separate line. Check whether the LF matches the actual wall-to-roof intersection footage on the property. If any of those fail, you have a supplement opportunity that's almost certainly going to get paid. For the full review framework, see our adjuster estimate review checklist.