Use The Tools Insurance Companies Do
Why carriers use Xactimate / CoreLogic estimating tools
Think of it like a shared “menu + measuring tape + calculator” for repairs.
Menu: a library of common repair tasks (remove drywall, install baseboard, paint walls, replace flooring, etc.)
Pricing: a local “price list” that updates regularly (labor/material/equipment, by area)
Rules/structure: line items, quantities, waste factors, production rates, minimum charges, tax/overhead handling
Documentation: it creates a paper trail for “why this number is what it is”
Carriers like it because it helps them:
Pay claims faster and more consistently
Reduce “wildly different bids” that are hard to compare
Control leakage (overpaying) and catch duplicates
Audit files internally and defend payments later
Pros (for everyone, including homeowners)
Standardized pricing (less random guessing)
Faster approvals when the estimate is written in the carrier’s “language”
Clear scope format (room-by-room / line-by-line)
Easier supplements when hidden damage is found (you can add line items and justify them)
Better comparison between bids because everything is broken into components
Cons (and where homeowners get burned)
It’s only as good as the person writing it. Missing line items = missing dollars.
Carrier-written estimates often skew “bare minimum.” Not always malicious—often just incomplete scope, defaults, or assumptions.
Line items don’t automatically include code/standard requirements (containment, protection, detach/reset, sealers, specialty materials, access issues, match requirements, etc.)
Depreciation and “what’s owed” gets confusing if the scope is thin or phrased wrong.
Negotiation becomes a battle of documentation—and documentation takes skill.
Why it’s critical to use a contractor who truly knows these platforms
Because in an insurance claim, you’re not just “building a house”… you’re proving a scope in a system the carrier trusts.
A contractor fluent in Xactimate/CoreLogic will usually:
Catch missing_scope items that commonly get left out (protection, detach/reset, masking, prep, transitions, access, disposal, cleaning, specialty trades, code-required steps)
Write clean line-item logic (quantities that actually match the room dimensions and demolition plan)
Add tight notes (the “why”) so the adjuster can approve it without 14 phone calls
Build a supplement that’s auditable (photos + moisture mapping + standards/code references + clear cause/effect)
Avoid pricing “traps” like the wrong item, wrong activity, wrong units, missed waste factors, missed minimum charges, or missing labor components
A contractor who doesn’t know it often:
Submits a lump-sum bid the adjuster can’t easily approve (“$38,000 bathroom remodel”)
Misses dozens of small-but-legit line items that add up to big dollars
Gets stuck in delays while the carrier “translates” or rejects the format
Leaves the homeowner holding the bag, paying out-of-pocket for scope gaps
The homeowner-friendly takeaway
If you hire a contractor who can’t speak “Xactimate/CoreLogic,” the claim can turn into:
lower approved scope
more delays
more out-of-pocket
more stress (because you become the middleman)
Quick screening questions homeowners can ask (simple and effective)
“Do you write your own Xactimate/CoreLogic estimates or rely on the carrier’s?”
“Will your estimate be room-by-room line item, not lump sum?”
“How do you document supplements—photos, moisture readings, and notes?”
“Do you include detach/reset, protection, and code/standard steps in your scope?”
