What Estimators Check Before Sending a Photo-Built Estimate
Notes to myself, and to anyone else who reviews estimates for a living. More shops are drafting an Xactimate estimate from photos now instead of keying everything in by hand. That is great for speed. But the review before sending is where the estimate either holds up or falls apart, so I wanted a clear list of what to check.
For context, the tool I have in mind is Axiom, which drafts a room-by-room Xactimate estimate from the crew's photos, measurements and notes. If you want the full flow, you can see how it works on their site. What follows is the review side, which is the estimator's job no matter what software drafted it.
Before anything: the job details
Check the loss type and the date of loss against the claim file. A wrong loss type points the whole draft in the wrong direction. It takes ten seconds to confirm and saves a lot of rework.
Check the rooms
- Every room in the floor plan shows up in the estimate.
- No room appears that was not actually affected.
- Room names make sense to someone who was not on site.
If the floor plan came from a photo of a hand-drawn sketch traced into an editable plan, double-check the room shapes against the photos. Sketches are usually close, not perfect.
Check the quantities
Quantities are where the money is. Compare them against whatever the measurements came from: the 3D scan, the existing ESX, the 2D PDF or the typed rooms. Watch ceiling heights, closets, and any room with odd angles. Editable quantities exist for a reason. xactimate estimate from photos Use them.
Check every line item against a photo
This is the core of reviewing an Xactimate estimate from photos. For each line item, ask: can I point to the photo or note that supports this? If yes, keep it. If no, either find the support or remove it. Adjusters ask exactly this question.
Also look the other way. Is there damage in the photos that no line item covers? Missing items become supplements later.
Check the open questions
When photos don't settle an item, Axiom's scope assistant asks a question instead of guessing. Before sending anything, make sure every question has been answered by someone who knows the loss. An unanswered question is a gap in the estimate.
Check mitigation against the standard
For water losses, the mitigation scope should reflect the category and class of water under the IICRC S500 standard. Drying days and equipment counts should match the moisture logs. Extraction, antimicrobial and containment items should be supported by what was documented.
Check the phase
Mitigation items, put-back items and exterior items should sit where they belong. Mixing them confuses reviewers on the carrier side and makes supplements harder.
Check the file itself
The output should be a native .esx file that opens directly in Xactimate. Open it. Confirm it reprices on your own price list. Look it over one last time in the environment the adjuster will use.
Approve room by room
Nothing is final until an estimator reviews and approves it room by room. I like that the process forces this. It is easy to skim a whole estimate. It is harder to skim when each room needs its own sign-off.
If the carrier sends their own estimate
When the carrier's estimate comes back, Axiom's Compare workflow combines carrier and contractor estimates for line-by-line review. Same rule applies: every difference you push back on should have a photo or a note behind it.
Short checklist for an Xactimate estimate from photos
- Job details right
- Rooms complete
- Quantities checked
- Every line item supported
- Questions answered
- Mitigation matches S500 and logs
- Phases sorted
- ESX opens and reprices
- Approved room by room
Pinning this one for the next review day.