Roof Wizard

Counting every panel, flashing, clip and screw on a metal roof by hand is slow, and mistakes show up as waste or shortages on site. Roof Wizard, made by AppliCad, is roofing and cladding software that builds a three-dimensional model of the roof and walls and works out materials, quotes and fabrication data from it. AppliCad describes it as the world's best selling software for metal roof and wall takeoff, quoting and fabrication.

From plan to 3D model

The measurements can come from PDF plans, a site measure or an aerial roof image scaled to size, for an existing building or a new one. The user enters the pitch and eave height and the program creates the full model. Features such as dormers and split gables can be added. The company argues that modelling in 3D gives estimates that can be verified.

Applying materials

Materials are applied to the roof and walls in the model: tiles, panels, cladding, flashings and battens or purlins, down to the last clip and screw. Fall protection and insulation can be included too. Allowances added to panels and flashings can be adjusted, so the quantities are exact, and users can define their own accessories with costs for the reports. A block cutting function uses offcuts of panels on other parts of the roof to reduce waste.

Reports and rollformer output

Roof Wizard writes its reports to Word and Excel documents: order forms for the supplier, quotes for the builder and installation diagrams for the installer, ready to print. The cutting list can be exported as a CSV file that imports straight into a rollformer controller, which removes the need to type panel lengths in by hand.

Training and support

AppliCad Academy is a complete online course that lets users learn at their own pace. Unlimited support by phone, email or online meeting is included with any monthly or annual license.

The company and its audience

AppliCad says it invented many of the processes that roofers around the world now take for granted. Its recent material is addressed to metal roofers in the United States, where it argues that supply chain swings, labour shortages and thin margins make careful takeoff more important, and it has exhibited at roofing and metal construction trade shows. It also reports winning a 2025 industry award, offers an estimating service, and publishes articles on metal roofing costs and bid accuracy.