The short answer
An Xactimate estimate review is not simply a comparison of two grand totals. A meaningful review traces the numbers back to the repair scope, measurements, quantities, material assumptions, line-item selections, pricing inputs, and supporting documentation. The purpose is to identify why estimates differ and which differences can be supported by the property and the claim file.
Xactimate is a property-estimating platform used throughout the insurance and restoration industries. The software can organize rooms, sketches, quantities, line items, labor, equipment, materials, taxes, depreciation, and other estimate components. But the software does not independently decide which repairs are required. The quality of the estimate still depends on the information entered and the judgment used to build it.
Why two Xactimate estimates can be far apart
Two estimators can use the same platform and produce materially different results. That does not automatically mean one estimate is wrong. It means the underlying assumptions need to be compared.
One estimate includes a repair component, while the other omits it.
The estimates use different roof, room, wall, floor, or perimeter measurements.
One estimator selected a different material, activity, trade, or line item.
The repair sequences differ, such as whether removal, access, protection, preparation, or finishing is included.
Different price lists, dates, market conditions, taxes, labor minimums, or manual price adjustments were used.
One estimate contains supporting notes, photographs, reports, or invoices that the other does not address.
What Campbell Adjusting reviews
The review should begin with the property and documentation, not with a preferred total. Depending on the assignment, Campbell Adjusting may compare the following areas.
1. Scope of repair
The first question is whether each estimate describes the same work. A line-by-line comparison can identify missing trades, omitted components, duplicated work, and differences in repair sequence. The review should distinguish between a true scope disagreement and a simple formatting or grouping difference.
2. Measurements and quantities
Quantities should reconcile with available sketches, roof reports, floor plans, photographs, field measurements, and estimate calculations. A reviewer may compare roof area, slopes, ridges, hips, valleys, eaves, rakes, wall and ceiling areas, floor areas, openings, linear footage, item counts, and waste assumptions.
3. Material identification
The selected line items should reasonably describe the materials being evaluated. Product type, grade, thickness, profile, attachment method, finish, and related accessories can materially affect the scope and cost. When identification is uncertain, the estimate should disclose the assumption or rely on supporting documentation.
4. Repair methodology
A complete estimate considers how the work would actually be performed. This may include access, detach and reset work, removal, disposal, substrate preparation, installation, protection of adjacent finishes, masking, cleaning, testing, permits, and final finishing when supported by the assignment.
5. Line-item selection and calculation
A reviewer checks whether the selected activity and unit of measure correspond to the work being valued. The calculation should use the correct quantity and avoid unintended duplication. Notes, formulas, variables, and related items should make the reasoning understandable to another reviewer.
6. Pricing inputs
The review may compare the price-list location and date, taxes, labor minimums, equipment charges, material quotations, subcontractor bids, and any manually adjusted prices. A manual adjustment is not inherently improper, but it should be transparent and supported by reliable information.
7. Depreciation and summary calculations
Where relevant to the assignment, the reviewer may identify differences in depreciation settings, taxes, overhead and profit, prior estimate versions, and summary calculations. Whether a particular amount is payable remains subject to the insurance policy and carrier review.
8. Supporting documentation
The strongest estimates connect disputed items to evidence. Photographs, measurements, diagrams, laboratory or material reports, invoices, bids, engineering information, and clear estimate notes can help another reviewer understand why an item is included.
A practical example: the total is not the real disagreement
Assume one roof estimate totals substantially more than another. A comparison might show that the price per roofing square is only a small part of the difference. The larger gap may come from the measured roof area, waste calculation, steep or high charges, starter and ridge materials, flashing details, ventilation, detach-and-reset items, or whether related exterior components were included.
The useful conclusion is not simply that Estimate A is higher than Estimate B. The useful conclusion is a documented list of the exact scope, quantity, material, and pricing differences that explain the gap.
Documents needed for an efficient estimate review
Every current estimate version, including the carrier and contractor estimates.
The estimate summary and detailed line-item pages, not only the total.
Sketches, roof measurement reports, floor plans, and field measurements.
Photographs tied to rooms, elevations, roof slopes, or disputed components.
Reports, invoices, bids, product information, and material-identification records.
A short explanation of which items remain disputed and why.
What an Xactimate estimate review does not do
It does not prove that every listed item is covered by the insurance policy.
It does not replace a property inspection when field verification is needed.
It does not make a higher estimate correct merely because it is more detailed.
It does not make a lower estimate correct merely because it uses standard pricing.
It does not guarantee that the insurer will pay a particular amount.
Frequently asked questions
Is Xactimate pricing the same as a contractor bid?
Not necessarily. An estimating platform and a contractor's project-specific bid are different types of information. The relevance of each depends on the work, the market, the estimate assumptions, and the documentation supporting the amount.
Can an estimate use a manually adjusted price?
Xactimate provides tools for price adjustments. A reviewer should identify the adjustment and determine whether the file contains support for the changed amount.
Why do measurements matter so much?
Many line-item quantities are driven by dimensions, sketch variables, perimeters, areas, or counts. A measurement difference can affect multiple items throughout the estimate.
Can Campbell Adjusting correct my contractor's estimate?
Campbell Adjusting can review competing estimates and identify material differences within the scope of an accepted assignment. It does not act as a contractor, public adjuster, or attorney.
Does using Xactimate make an estimate accurate?
The software performs calculations based on the selected inputs. Accuracy still depends on the scope, measurements, item selection, settings, documentation, and professional judgment used to create the estimate.
A better estimate review produces a clearer dispute
Campbell Adjusting LLC reviews property estimates to identify material differences involving scope, quantities, repair methods, line-item selection, pricing, and supporting documentation. When the disagreement is organized into specific, supportable issues, the parties can evaluate the file more efficiently.
Send the current estimates, measurements, photographs, and supporting reports if you would like Campbell Adjusting to review whether an assignment fits our appraisal, umpire, or estimate-review services.
This article is general information only. Campbell Adjusting does not provide legal advice, make coverage decisions, act as a public adjuster, or guarantee payment or any particular claim result. Xactimate is a Verisk product; Campbell Adjusting LLC is not affiliated with or endorsed by Verisk.
Leave a Reply