Why scope matters more than the bottom-line estimate

Claim Library · Estimate comparison and scope Why scope matters more than the bottom-line estimate There is an old adage in the claims business: whoever controls the scope controls the claim. Policyholders tend to fixate on the bottom-line number of an estimate. Claim professionals fixate on the scope, because the scope is where the number … Read more

Scope, Quantity, Price, and Methodology Are Four Different Estimate Disputes

Estimate disputes are often described as pricing disagreements even when price is not the real issue. A useful comparison identifies the type of disagreement before attempting to resolve the total.  If one estimate includes work that the other omits, changing the unit price will not resolve the difference. If both estimates include the same activity … Read more

An Estimate Can Balance Mathematically and Still Be Incomplete

Mathematical accuracy and scope completeness are different controls. Confusing them can make an orderly estimate appear more conclusive than it is. A property estimate may total perfectly, carry its taxes correctly, and reconcile ACV to RCV without answering the more important technical question: does the document describe the work reasonably supported by the loss record? What … Read more

Why Two Estimates Can Differ Even When Both Use Xactimate

Shared software does not mean shared scope, measurements, repair assumptions, or supporting evidence. Property estimates are sometimes compared as though the software should produce one correct answer. It does not. Estimating platforms organize line items, pricing information, measurements, and calculations supplied by the estimator. Two people can work in the same platform and produce materially … Read more