Overview
Set up your insurance estimates to organize line items by structure to scope damage by area. Setup involves three steps: configuring your structure list, building insurance estimates within a spec-based estimate template (SBET) proposal type, and mapping structures to the SBET form. After setting up, salespeople select structures during inspections and estimates are generated automatically with the correct line items.
Who uses this feature
Administrators and office employees
Primarily benefits Residential Service and Replacement business types
Primarily benefits Roofing and Exteriors trades
Feature configuration
This feature is currently in Private Preview and available for specific accounts. It is subject to change. If you want to enable this feature for your account, reach out to your Customer Success Manager.
Things to know
Insurance estimates work with or without spec-based estimate templates (SBET). You can create insurance estimates manually, or use SBET to generate them automatically from a form.
Step 1: Add and manage structures
Set up your structures to organize estimate line items by property area, such as a dwelling or detached garage, and ensure seamless integration with Xactimate.
Go to the top toolbar and click Settings
.In the side panel, go to Estimates > Structures.
On the Structures screen, review the pre-populated structure names. These are the most commonly used structure names in Xactimate such as Dwelling, Detached Garage, and are provided as a starting point.
Click + Add new Structure to add a custom structure. Enter a name in the text field and click Save.
To update existing structures:
To rename an existing structure, click the structure name, edit it and click Save.
To reorder structures, drag and drop them into the desired sequence. The order here determines the order structures appear on your estimates.
Tip: If a specific structure needs to appear first on your estimates, move it to the top of the list.
To delete a structure, click the delete icon next to the structure name.
Caution: If you delete or deactivate a structure that is already assigned to item groups on existing estimates, those item groups display a warning icon on the estimate page.
When finished, click Save.
(Optional) Step 2: Set up an insurance estimate in a spec-based estimate template
If you use spec-based estimate templates (SBET) to build your estimates, set up a proposal type that includes an insurance estimate, associate item groups with structures, and add a structure question to the SBET form.
Set up the proposal type
Go to Pricebook > Templates > Spec-based Estimate Templates.
Open an existing SBET, or create a new one.
Note: If you want to create a new SBET, see Set up spec-based estimate templates.
On the Create Spec Based Template screen, go to the Select Proposal Type step.
Select a proposal type and click Edit to configure the setup or click + Add Proposal Type to create a new one:
Tip: Best practice is to set up a proposal type with 2 estimate options that you can configure as standard and insurance estimates.
Standard estimate: for regular pricebook line items such as a good faith or retail estimate for the customer.
Insurance estimate: for Xactimate line items that are sent for insurance pricing.
Note: The insurance estimate is where your Xactimate catalog items go. The standard estimate uses your regular pricebook and is optional—include it if you want to offer the homeowner a separate retail estimate for work not covered by insurance.
Associate item groups with structures in SBET setup
With insurance estimates, you can associate each item group with one or more structures during the Spec-Based Estimate template setup. This links the item group to the structures your salesperson selects on the inspection form.
In the Create Spec Based Template screen, go to Set Up Estimate & Create Formula step and click Insurance Estimate tab.
In the insurance estimate, click + Item Group to create an item group and add your Xactimate line items. For more, see Step 4: Set Up Estimate & Create Formula.
In the Create Item Group window, use the Structure associations to link the item group to every structure it applies to. You can select one or more structures for one item group.
For example, if an item group covers roof replacement work that applies to both a Dwelling and a Detached Garage, associate it with both structures. When a salesperson selects both structures on the inspection form, the template automatically creates a copy of that item group for each selected structure.Select how the item group display name appears on the estimate:
Use structure name: The item group name on the estimate uses the structure name. Select this option when you want the structure to clearly label each group.
Use item group name: The item group name falls back to the parent service item group name from your SBET setup.
Click Create, then Save and Publish the SBET.
Add a structures question to the SBET form
Add a question to your SBET form so salespersons can select which structures are damaged during an inspection. The selected structures automatically generate the correct item groups on the estimate.
Go to Settings
> Operations > Forms and edit the insurance SBET form.In the Edit Forms screen, click + Add new items to create a new question.
For example, What structures are you servicing on this estimate?
Select Checkbox as the question Type.
Note: You do not need to manually create the checkbox options, save the question as-is.
(Optional) Step 3: Map structures to the spec-based estimate template form
After you set up the SBET proposal type and form question in Step 2, map your structure list to that form question so the checkbox options stay in sync with your active structures.
Form Mapping setup
Go to Settings
> Estimates > Structures.Click the Form Mapping tab.
Click + Add Form and select the SBET Form that contains your structures question.
Select the Checkbox question you created in the form.
The question automatically populates with your active structure list as the checkbox options.
When finished, click Save.
How it works during an inspection
When a salesperson uses the SBET during a job:
The form asks which structures are being serviced.
The salesperson selects the applicable structures, for example Dwelling and Detached Garage.
The template generates two spec based estimates:
The good faith estimate with standard pricebook line items.
The insurance estimate with Xactimate line items, organized by structure. Each item group associated with the selected structures is automatically created for each structure.
The insurance estimate initially shows $0 pricing because the Xactimate pricing is not yet returned. From here, you would send the estimate to Xactimate to receive pricing back. For more, see Create insurance estimates with the Xactimate integration.