Independent scope and estimate review for property damage claims
Xactimate estimating, scope validation, and cause-of-loss consulting for policyholder attorneys and public adjusters — from an adjuster who has written the estimate from both sides of the file.
- Desk review available nationwide.
- Field inspection and cause-of-loss work throughout Southern California.
CARRIER ESTIMATE — EXCERPT
PAGE 4 OF 22
| Line item | Qty | Unit | RCV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/2" drywall — hung, taped, floated | 486.00 | SF | 1,036.18 |
|
No texture and no paint scoped against 486 SF of replaced drywall. Two omitted trades. |
|||
| R&R Baseboard — 3 1/4" | 112.00 | LF | 742.56 |
| Content manipulation — per hour | 6.00 | HR | 237.42 |
| Depreciation applied to the labor component. Not permitted in this jurisdiction. | |||
| Seal & paint baseboard — two coats | 112.00 | LF | 296.80 |
FINDINGS ON THIS PAGE
What a review actually turns up
Most underpayment isn’t one big missing item. It’s a dozen small ones that each look defensible on their own.
- Trades omitted downstream of a scoped repair — texture behind drywall, detach and reset behind flooring, paint behind anything.
- Depreciation applied to labor in states that don’t allow it, or applied past the useful life of the material.
- Overhead and profit withheld on a loss with enough trade involvement to require a general contractor.
- Code and ordinance upgrades treated as betterment when the jurisdiction requires them at the permit.
- Quantities carried from a sketch that doesn’t match the field conditions or the photographs.
- Matching and uniform appearance handled as a partial repair where the policy language says otherwise.
- Mitigation invoices reduced to a rate the equipment log doesn’t support.
Who this is for
Policyholder attorneys
Damages are the number your case turns on. I build the estimate that supports it, review the carrier's for what it left out, and produce findings that survive a deposition. Retained as a consulting expert or as a testifying expert, depending on the engagement.
Public adjusting firms
Overflow estimating when your files outrun your estimators, a second set of eyes on a large loss before it goes out, and supplement preparation when the carrier's revision comes back short. Work is delivered under your file and your letterhead. I don't contact your insured.
Restoration contractors
Scope review before submission, and support when a written estimate gets pushed back on quantities, pricing, or the necessity of a line item. Useful when the difference between the scope and the payment is a documentation problem rather than a dispute.
THE ESTIMATE IS ONLY AS GOOD AS THE PERSON READING IT
My background and experience
Ten years handling property claims. Thousands of Xactimate estimates written as a network contractor. A mitigation company of my own before that.
I have written the estimate the carrier relies on and the estimate the contractor submits, which means I know where each one gets thin. Review isn’t a search for anything that might stick — it’s a line-by-line comparison against the documented loss, the policy, and the code.
- Carrier-side and contractor-side estimating experience
- Xactimate scoping, sketch, and pricing at volume
- Water, fire, and structural repair scopes
- Mitigation invoice and equipment log review
- Lean process analysis applied to claim files
Send a file and find out what's in it
Send the carrier estimate, the policy declarations, and the photographs. You’ll get a written read on whether the file is worth a full review before you commit to one.