Google Earth vs Roofering: Which Is Better for Roof Assessment?

Many roofers already use Google Earth to scope out properties before visiting. It's free, familiar, and shows you the roof from above. But is it the best tool for the job?

Let's compare Google Earth with Roofering to see which better serves roofing professionals.

What Google Earth Offers

Google Earth has been a go-to tool for roofers for years. Here's what it does well:

Pros:

Free — No cost for basic satellite imagery
Familiar — Most people already know how to use it
Coverage — Global imagery including most UK properties
3D view — Some urban areas have 3D building models

Cons:

No measurements — You can't measure roof area or pitch
No property data — No building information or EPC details
Outdated imagery — Some areas haven't been updated in years
General purpose — Not designed for roofing work
Manual process — Everything requires manual observation

What Roofering Offers

Roofering is purpose-built for roofing professionals assessing UK properties.

Pros:

Automatic measurements — Roof area, pitch, ridge heights
Building polygon — Precise property boundaries
Access information — Rear access, road type, constraints
Street view — Annotated front imagery
3D exploration — Full 3D property model
UK-focused — Optimised for UK properties and postcodes
Mobile-first — Works on your phone, where you need it

Cons:

UK only — Currently limited to UK coverage
Newer platform — Less established than Google

Feature Comparison

| Feature | Google Earth | Roofering |

|---------|--------------|-----------|

| Satellite imagery | Yes | Yes |

| 3D view | Partial | Yes |

| Street view | Separate app | Integrated |

| Roof measurements | No | Yes |

| Building footprint | No | Yes |

| Roof pitch | No | Yes |

| Access info | No | Yes |

| Mobile app | Yes | Yes |

| Free tier | Yes | Yes (during launch) |

| Designed for roofers | No | Yes |

When to Use Each Tool

Use Google Earth when:

You need to see locations outside the UK
You're doing very basic reconnaissance
You're already familiar with it and don't need measurements

Use Roofering when:

You need actual roof measurements for quoting
You want to assess access and constraints
You're working on UK properties
You want all information in one place
You need measurements on your phone

The Verdict

Google Earth is a useful general tool, but it wasn't designed for roofing work. You can see the roof, but you can't measure it.

Roofering fills the gap. It gives you everything Google Earth offers — satellite imagery, street view, 3D models — plus the measurements and property data that roofers actually need for quoting.

If you're spending time manually measuring from screenshots or visiting every property before quoting, Roofering could save you hours every week.

Ready to try the purpose-built solution? Download Roofering free during our launch period.

Google Earth vs Roofering: Which Is Better for Roof Assessment?