If you are a contractor handling insurance restoration work, you have probably asked yourself whether it makes sense to write your own Xactimate estimates or hand that work off to someone else. Here are four of the most common reasons contractors choose to outsource.
If you are writing your own estimates, you are likely undervaluing your time. Even if you are proficient with Xactimate, the hours spent building estimates are hours not spent managing jobs, building client relationships, or growing your business. The return on time is almost always higher elsewhere.
In the insurance restoration world, payment timelines can drag. Submitting estimates in proper Xactimate format reduces the back-and-forth with carriers, speeds up the review process, and generally results in fewer questions and faster approval. Less friction between submission and payment.
An experienced estimate writer will meticulously review your scope notes and submitted photos to look for items you may have missed. Supplements are always an option, but they depend on someone catching the gap in the first place — which does not always happen. Getting the estimate right the first time is the more reliable path.
Incoming work is rarely steady. Weather events, Third Party Program referrals like Alacrity and Contractor Connection, and seasonal patterns can create sudden volume spikes. Maintaining enough in-house estimating capacity to handle peaks means carrying overhead during slow periods. Outsourcing lets you scale up when needed without the fixed cost.
Every operation has different needs, and the reasons above are just the most common ones. If you want to run a pilot and see how the service fits your workflow, use the contact form to get started.
Mitchell Estimating Services provides estimate writing and estimate review support for restoration contractors.