When it comes to estimating insurance claims, understanding the differences in shingle and felt tear off items in Xactimate and Symbility, both with and without debris removal, is critical for estimating a project accurately. Let’s break it down in plain English.
Xactimate®: Two Options
Option 1: Tear off, haul and dispose of comp. shingles, per square
The above listed line items include labor to tear off one layer of composition shingles and felt and dump fees and labor to haul that debris away. In other words, it is all-inclusive. These line item options are a virtually fool-proof way of estimating shingle tear off and debris removal in Xactimate.
Option 2: Tear off composition shingles (no haul off), per square
This line item includes labor to remove one layer of shingles and felt but no dump fees or labor to haul it away. Therefore, a dumpster (or dump trailer or pickup load for smaller jobs) always needs to be added manually. It is important to choose an appropriate waste receptable based on the weight and volume of debris that will be generated. We can expertly calculate this weight and volume according to your situation. We routinely do so for our clients, adding thousands of dollars to their supplemental/corrected estimates annually.
Symbility™: Two Options
Option 1: Tear off and haul away shingles, per square
This line item includes labor to tear off one layer of composition shingles and felt and dump fees and labor to haul it away. In other words, it is all-inclusive. This line item is a virtually fool-proof way to estimate shingle tear off in Symbility. However, we find that most insurers using Symbility do not utilize this option. Instead, they tend to use Option 2 discussed below.
Option 2: Tear Out – Shingles, per square
This line item includes labor to remove one layer of shingles and felt but no dump fees or labor to haul it away. Therefore, a dumpster (or dump trailer or pickup load for smaller jobs) always needs to be added manually. It is important to choose an appropriate waste receptable based on the weight and volume of debris that will be generated. In fact, Symbility has a built-in tool that can automatically analyze line items estimated and then make a suggestion as to what size waste receptacle is needed. Curiously, we find that many insurers neglect to run this tool and leave out debris removal all together. This is another area where we routinely add thousands of dollars to supplemental/corrected estimates annually for our clients.
Making Sense of It All
In summary, both the Xactimate and Symbility estimating platforms have similar options for shingle and felt tear off: a one-stop-shop (tear off and debris removal estimated in one line item) or a la carte mode (tear off and debris removal estimated as two separate line items). Most insurers using Xactimate opt for the one-stop shop mode. However, most insurers using Symbility opt for the la carte mode, leaving debris removal to be added manually (which in many cases we find is mysteriously omitted all together). And how about pricing differences between the two platforms? Well, that’s another story all together.
The Takeaway
Understanding the differences in shingle and felt tear off items in Xactimate and Symbility, both with and without debris removal, is critical for accurately estimating your roofing projects. Regardless of the platform being used, attention to detail is always key to putting together a more accurate estimate. If you need help addressing debris removal issues in any Xactimate or Symbility estimate, or if you need to add other missing items or correct items that were not correctly estimated, we are at your service. Please do not hesitate to Contact Us today.