The Art and Science of Insurance Claims Estimating

Writing an estimate should be a blend of art and science.  As an estimator, you will utilize equal parts scientific and artistic approaches if you want to set yourself apart from the status quo.    The Science of Estimating   The science of estimating includes growing your knowledge base so that you understand what you are bidding on, how you will approach the project, and why you use certain items to construct your estimate. In the world of insurance claims mitigation and repairs, this often means learning to utilize estimating software such as Xactimate or Symbility.    The science of estimating is all about growing your mindset for success. We have created a series on our podcast called The Xactimate Sessions which reviews some of the resources and approaches to estimating that can help you expand your knowledge base and elevate your skills as an insurance claims estimator.  On The DYOJO Podcast we talk about learning to estimate from scratch, resources available from your Xactware license, and habits for improving your estimating game.    The Art of Estimating    The art of estimating includes those habits that will help you stand out from your competition. There is some science in the art form, whereby the habits both help you to be a more consistent estimator as well as methods for composing your estimate in a manner that is understood by insurance carriers, property damage customers, and your production teams that will carry out the restoration work.    Many of these mindsets and habits for success are addressed in the book Be Intentional: Estimating by Jon Isaacson, The Intentional Restorer. Some of these elements include:   Approaching every loss from the top-down or bottom-up  Using a consistent estimating structure with headers and detailed line item (F9) notes  Thorough data capture including photos, diagrams, and 360-degree tools   Working with your production team to learn how structures are repaired    In this video, we do a brief breakdown of some missing line items and focus on the importance of having an estimating structure to help achieve better insurance claims outcomes.    Read more in our blog - thedyojo.com/blog  The book Be Intentional: Estimating by Jon Isaacson, The Intentional Restorer is available in Kindle and Paperback through Amazon - thedyojo.com/book1