Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: I don’t know what I’m doing, is there someone I can talk to?
A: Sure! Just visit our “Contact” page, and use any of the avenues listed.
Q: How do I pay?
A: When you submit your new client form (in step one of the three easy steps), you’ll submit some of your personal information. A representative will call you soon after to retrieve your debit or credit card number to be kept on file. When you submit a project to be written, once it is completed and emailed to you, your card on file will be charged and you will receive a receipt via email with the details of the charges. Please see the Pricing and Payments page for detailed information.
Q: What if I need an estimate written right away?
A: We have an urgent service for estimates that need immediate attention. During the project submission on the “Submit a New Project” page, you’ll have the option at the very bottom to pay an urgency fee of $25.00. This will cause your estimate to receive immediate attention, and be pushed to the front of the line as a priority estimate. How quickly the estimate is written will depend on if you’ve sent everything that needs to be submitted and also how big the estimate is, but it will be attended to immediately.
Q: What is Xactimate?
A: Xactimate is a professional estimating software that most insurance companies use to determine the cost of repairing damages to a property. Xactimate requires a monthly subscription to be paid. It provides a database of line items, with the up to date pricing for a particular area by zip code. Prices are updated once per month for every zip code, and that information is translated through the software via monthly updates. The data base of line items includes all products, skills, labor time, etc. that will be needed to accurately determine how much money should be awarded for a repair to be done.
Q: What is an Eagle View Report?
A: An Eagle View Report is something that most contractors and roofers use to determine measurements and details about the roof of a house. Eagle view uses areal imagery and high tech programs to decipher angles, materials, and most importantly measurements of any given property. It alleviates the time and effort spent climbing on roofs to manually measure and calculate for materials and plans.
Q: What is Right to Appraisal?
A: Appraisal is a clause in most insurance policies that allows for an appeals type process when the insurance company is not awarding you the full amount of your estimate or what you think is fair. It is a tool within most policies that property owners can use to have two third party appraisers decide on what should be alloted for the damages.
Q: What kind of photos should I submit and how many?
A: Photographs are VERY important. You ALWAYS want to take pictures of the damage to your property. It’s almost impossible to prove to the insurance company that all of the damage occurred at one time, without photos. Large portions of your claim can be denied, because the insurance company decides that certain damages were pre-existing. The number of photos depends on how much property is damaged. You want pictures of the most devastating damages. An average estimate with 60 line items will usually include 10 to 20 photos.
Q: What will my estimate look like?
A: We have a sample estimate for your viewing pleasure. We do not put our name on the estimate. It is YOUR estimate. We include your company information, with your company logo, if you have one. If you are a property owner, we can put your information at the top, or we can gladly insert our header, so that your estimate looks professional.
Q. How do I submit information so you can write my estimate?
A. It’s VERY simple, you will submit ALL of your information, including documents, photos, and notes on the “Submit A New Project” page. Everything is in one place on one form. Check out the form ahead of time to see what all you will need to submit.
Q. Do insurance companies usually accept your estimates?
A. Yes. Our estimates are professionally done with Xactimate, a software used by almost all insurance companies. They don’t always agree to pay the full amount, but if that happens we offer consulting to you and your contractor (if you so choose) about your options. Just call us and ask for a consultation; we’ll educate you on your policy, case law, and many other negotiation practices that will show you where your power lies as the property owner.
Q: Why are you more expensive than some other estimators?
This is a multi-faceted question, with several answers:
The low price of other companies you run across on the internet is usually just a drawing card to get your one time commerce; fees are often added at the end of the transaction, or high mark ups for each additional line item past a certain number are incurred.
Garage businesses and one man shows have no over-head, so they can charge less, but go out of business fast. They often have slow turn over rates, irregular business hours, and unbalanced billing systems. As bad as it sounds they are usually undependable and inconsistent. If they have a family crisis or a barbeque they’d like to attend, your estimate will naturally get the back-burner, because of lack of a supportive staff.
Anyone can purchase a monthly subscription to Xactimate Software; So often times you’re dealing with a self-taught techie that has little to no experience with insurance, or building and remodeling homes. Because of this, they likely don’t have consulting capabilities either. We are professionals! Here all the time, dedicated to giving you fast, accurate estimates, with a plethora of knowledge and experience! We are cut and dry on our pricing and your needs are always top priority. No one can sustain outrageously low prices and offer the professional, consistant services we do. An increased demand for our services has flooded us with an incredible amount of work. In order to keep enough staff on hand, we must charge more.
Q: Do you have references and referrals?
Yes, we have a few testimonials posted on the site, but we have an incredible database of returning clients that can testify to our great services. Just call us, and we’ll give you as many referrals as you can stand.
Q: How long have you been in business?
A: We started with one catastrophe adjuster many years back and blossomed into a full blown estimating company in 2011. All staff combined, we have about 50 years of construction, insurance, and estimating experience, with many colleagues and mentors that have up to 40 years of knowledge and practice to consult with. Experience is our Forte!
Q: Do you offer a referral fee?
A: Yes we do. Believe it or not, most of our returning customers are so excited about the additions to their estimates, they refuse the fee, and consider us an asset. However, if you refer a contractor, adjuster, or friend, that sends over at least 5 estimates (paid in full), we will give you a $500.00 credit to be used toward estimates or appraisals.
