Any Xactimate Experts or others policyholder with success fighting insurance company adjusters Please Advise

[ejc420]

I am inquiring if anyone can share know of how Xactimate estimates are configured internally or besides that any successful things anyone as done to deal with insurance co. adjusters to receive a more favorable outcome.

I undertstand the Xactimate price list is based on region, state etc from my research in dealing with my home fire claim but what I need to know if anyone is kind enough to share is there levels of price lists such as low, average or high, etc or can the adjuster pick levels of depreciation or it is a fixed item? I know nothing about it really but just want to be as educated as possible when I deal with my desk adjuster. The estimate is very low and lots of high dollars items were left off the estimate that I asked to added back in but they are refusing as they say the field adjuster is stating he did not miss anything but he really did so I am at a loss. I am working on getting my own estimate but in the meantime I am just trying to learn as much as I can. This is making a large discrepcancy in my estimate. Thank you for reading my post.

 

[supriya]

@ejc420 Ok, now you have some specific Xact questions, great.

There are different grades of materials. Standard, high, premium, etc. In order for an adjuster to use a high or premium grade item in an estimate they will need proof that the higher grade item existed, like photo documentation.

Adjuster sets depreciation based on age (of lifespan on material) or percentage. If your house was built 12 years ago and you had a fire loss, age of materials would be set at 12 years unless you had a particular item/material had been replaced or renovated more recently.

 

[ejc420]

@supriya Thank you for your response and explanation. I find it easier not to give the back story to my plight but instead ask specific questions to education myself against things I know nothing about as I wait for my own estimator to come. I am assuming there is no way to know what level he set the depreciation to them as it shows a total in the column. The amounts for the materials are mixed in with the materials all on one line and with the depreciation. Somethings in my house are original like the studs and brick and rafters. He has hardly any depreciation associated with the rafter material and bricks but then on lines where the seal, prime and paint the depreciation is very high and I just painted the whole house this past year by high grade paint. I fear I won't be able to learn enough about this to get the most fair estimate we deserve. The one thing he gave us smoke remediation for was the ceing joists and that has a very high depreciation on that and the whole roof is supposedly being replaced. I appreciate you explaining the depreciation part. Since he never asked when things were done such as painting, windows installed, doors etc. The home was recently remodel in full in 2018 before we bought it. I just hope he did not assume it was all original since the house is from 1973.

 

[supriya]

@ejc420 The depreciation should be visible on the estimate. It will be one of the columns. If it’s not on there you can ask them for a copy with the depreciation showing, they can change a setting in Xact to print it this way.

What you’re describing sounds weird though. Can you post a pic of a page of the estimate? When I print an estimate each line item (row) has multiple columns—quantity, price per quantity, amount of tax, amount of O&P, amount of depreciation, ACV, RCV, etc.

It sounds like you’re getting a really simplified copy or something.

 

[ejc420]

@supriya I would post a pic of one page but I don't see an option to on here, I may have described it inaccurately. It shows per line example: Desription, QTY, UNIT PRICE, TAX, O&P, RCV, DEPREC, ACV. Even items that are brand new before the fire he has a 30% depreciation based on the cost . The estimate is 38 pages long and 442 line items with over 100 line items of things I find that are missing or totally wrong. This is with using my same slab, studs, granite, kitchen, cabinets, lights, fans, fawcetts, etc. The only remediation allowed for in the ceiling sq ft in each area and that is only is a select number of rooms. My electrician told me to beware of using the same electrical as they may not even work now after all the power surges they went thru during fire. I thank you for trying to help me and I know this over my head. It is in my nature to educate myself on things I don't know but this is too complicated for me. I do know right from wrong and to me it so wrong for them to at least add the mistakely left off line items.

 

[resjudicata]

@ejc420 farrah fawcett can’t be a new install. She’s too dead

 

[supriya]

@ejc420 Another thing to keep in mind regarding depreciation:

Even if you have a replacement cost policy, you’re only going to get ACV up front. You recover the depreciation after the repairs/replacement are complete. So don’t expect to receive it all in your initial payment.

If you think they applied too many years of depreciation just be sure to tell them that the materials were replaced/renovated only a few years ago. They should be able to provide a draft of the estimate that shows exactly how much depreciation has been applied.

 

[ejc420]

@supriya thank you now that is the advice I need to know to ask about. I know that can send probably anything I would need of that Xactimate report such as materials list, depreciation percentages, etc. but getting them to send a me anything that might cause them to pay me more is going to be hard when I can't even compell them to fix obvious errors.

I have recenlty been told about the ACV and how that works. Thank you so much!

 

[resjudicata]

@ejc420 If you have a replacement cost policy don’t even stress the depreciation. You get it back when you have the work done. So unless you got some budget insurance you don’t have to “fight” anyone. Your contractor should prepare an estimate and request a supplement from the carrier with supporting documentation. You should sit back, enjoy the ALE and drink some lemonade

 

[resjudicata]

I am curious what your “high value” items are though

 

[ejc420]

@resjudicata He missed several doors, one he did not even draw into the rt side elevation exterior of garage and the door was laying rt there. About 2 inside doors over 4 lights and 2 new ceiling fans and too much more to list, it was over 50 things of value. May not sound like much to ya’ll every penny matters to me. I am just worried if he missed obvious things what could he have missed that was not obvious?