Xactimate Glossary

Name: ESXPress — Convert Insurance Scopes to Xactimate Estimates
Price: 149 USD

Plain-English definitions of the terms you actually run into on an insurance claim — from ESX files and CAT/SEL codes to depreciation, O&P, and drip edge. Search, or browse by topic.

Showing 91 of 91 terms

A

ACV: Actual Cash Value: replacement cost minus depreciation — what a policy pays when the policyholder does not repair.
Appraisal clause: A policy provision that lets either side request an independent third-party valuation when they cannot agree on the amount of loss.
Assignment of benefits: A contract that transfers the policyholder's right to claim payment to a contractor, who then bills the carrier directly.

C

Carrier: The insurance company that writes the policy and pays claims.
CAT/SEL: The two-part code Xactimate assigns to every line item: the category (CAT) groups the item by trade, and the select (SEL) identifies the exact item. Together they tell Xactimate how to price the line. Read the guide →
Chimney flashing: The metal flashing that seals where a chimney passes through the roof.
Claim adjuster: The person who inspects the damage and prepares the carrier's estimate of the loss.
Claim payment: The money a carrier pays toward a loss — typically replacement cost minus the deductible and depreciation, with depreciation recovered later where the policy allows.
Code upgrade: Work required by current building codes that was not part of the original construction — a common supplement item on older roofs. Read the guide →
Cut-up roof: A roof with many valleys, hips, and intersecting planes — it needs a higher waste factor than a simple gable roof. Read the guide →

D

Decking: The wood or OSB surface the roof covering attaches to — also called sheathing.
Deductible: The amount the policyholder pays out of pocket before the insurance payment applies.
Depreciation: The amount subtracted from replacement cost for age and wear when a claim is paid on an actual cash value basis.
Documentation: The photos, measurements, notes, and code references that prove an item belongs in the estimate.
Downspout: The vertical pipe that carries water from the gutter to the ground.
Drip edge: The metal flashing installed along the roof edge to keep water off the fascia and into the gutter — a common missed line item. Read the guide →
Dwelling coverage: The part of a homeowners policy that pays to repair the house itself.

E

Encrypted ESX file: A .esx file that is locked so it can only be opened inside Xactimate itself. Structural checks still work on locked files, which is why a file can be validated before import. Read the guide →
Estimate: The priced breakdown of a scope of loss: line items, quantities, and totals.
ESX: The file format Xactimate uses to save and exchange estimates. An .esx file holds every line item, quantity, price, and detail of an estimate so it can be imported, reviewed, and re-priced in Xactimate. Read the guide →
Export: Saving an estimate out of Xactimate as an ESX file so it can be shared or moved between systems.

F

F9 notes: Notes attached to a line item in Xactimate — F9 opens the notes field. They document why an item is included, which is often the difference between an approved item and a denied one. Read the guide →
Fascia: The trim board along the roof edge that gutters attach to.
Field shingles: The standard shingles covering the main area of the roof, as opposed to starter, hip, and ridge shingles.
Flashing: Metal pieces that seal the joints and edges of a roof — valleys, chimneys, walls, and vents.

G

Gutter: The channel that carries rainwater off the roof — usually paired with downspouts.

H

Hail damage: Roofing damage caused by hail impacts — typically granule loss, bruising, and cracked or torn shingles.
Hip and ridge shingles: The shingles used along roof peaks and hips — a separate product and line item from the field shingles.

I

Ice and water barrier: A self-adhering membrane installed in eaves, valleys, and around penetrations to stop leaks from ice dams and wind-driven rain.
Import: Loading an ESX file into Xactimate so it can be reviewed, edited, and re-priced. Read the guide →
Import-ready: Describes an ESX file whose structure and codes will import into Xactimate cleanly, without errors. Read the guide →
Initial estimate: The first estimate the carrier writes after the initial inspection.
Insurance claim: A formal request to an insurer for payment after damage to covered property.

L

Labor: The cost of the work itself, priced per hour or per unit of work.
Line item: A single row in an estimate: a code, a description, a quantity, a unit price, and a line total.
Line total: Quantity times unit price for a single line item.

M

Macro: A saved group of line items that inserts together, so a common job like a tear-off and re-roof does not have to be built from scratch every time.
Markup: A percentage added to material and labor costs to cover handling, overhead, and profit.
Materials: The cost of the products installed, usually priced per square, per bundle, or per piece.

N

Non-recoverable depreciation: The portion of depreciation the policyholder never recovers — the policy does not pay it back.

O

O&P: Overhead and Profit: the contractor's business costs and margin, added on top of labor and materials on claims where multiple trades are involved. Read the guide →
Other structures: Coverage for detached buildings on the property, like a garage or a shed.
Overhead: The contractor's fixed business costs: office, insurance, vehicles, software, and administrative staff. Read the guide →

P

Per-line pricing: Charging for an estimate based on the number of line items it contains, so bigger scopes cost more.
Personal property: Coverage for the contents of the home, as opposed to the building itself.
Pipe boot: The rubber or metal seal around vent pipes that stick through the roof.
Policy: The insurance contract that spells out what is covered, the limits, and the deductible.
Policyholder: The person or business that owns the insurance policy.
Price list: The master catalog of codes, descriptions, and unit prices Xactimate uses to price line items. The price list loaded in your copy determines what every line item costs. Read the guide →
Profit: The contractor's margin on a job, after labor, materials, and overhead are covered.
Public adjuster: An adjuster hired by the policyholder — not the carrier — to document the damage and negotiate the claim on their behalf.
PWARR: Paid When Actually Repaired or Replaced: line items — often code upgrades and add-ons — the carrier holds back and only pays after the work is actually completed and documented. Read the guide →
PWI: Paid When Incurred: line items the carrier pays as part of the claim once they are incurred, without waiting for the work to be finished.

Q

Quantity: How many units of a line item an estimate calls for — squares, feet, hours, or each.

R

RCV: Replacement Cost Value: the full cost to repair or replace damaged property, before depreciation is subtracted. Read the guide →
Rebuttal: A written, evidence-backed response explaining why the carrier's estimate does not fully cover the loss. Read the guide →
Recoverable depreciation: The portion of depreciation the carrier holds back but pays out after the repairs are completed and documented.
Reinspection: A second visit to document damage missed in the first inspection — often needed before a supplement is approved.
Reprice: What happens when you import an ESX file: Xactimate prices every line item against the price list loaded in your copy, which may differ from the one used to write the file. Read the guide →
Ridge vent: Ventilation installed along the roof peak to let hot air escape.
Roof square: 100 square feet of roof surface — the standard unit for measuring and pricing roofs.

S

Sales tax: Tax applied to materials and some services, depending on the state.
Scope of loss: The written description of the damage and the work needed to repair it.
Settlement: The final agreed payment on a claim.
Sheathing: Another name for roof decking — the structural surface under the roof covering.
Sketch: The scaled drawing of the structure in Xactimate that generates measurements and quantities.
Skylight: A window set into the roof; the flashing around it is a common missed line item. Read the guide →
Slope: How steep a roof is, expressed as rise over run — a 6/12 roof rises 6 inches for every foot it runs.
Soffit vent: Ventilation built into the underside of the eaves to pull cool air in.
SQ: Shorthand for a roof square — 100 square feet of roof surface.
Starter course: The first row of shingles at the roof edge that seals the eaves — often its own line item.
Step flashing: The small angled metal pieces used where a roof meets a wall.
Structural check: A review of an ESX file's structure — required sections, code shape, and line totals — before you try to import it. Read the guide →
Supplement: A follow-up request to the carrier for items the original estimate missed — code requirements, additional damage, or corrected quantities. Read the guide →
Supplemental payment: The additional payment a carrier issues after a supplement is approved.
Synthetic underlayment: A modern woven underlayment that is lighter, stronger, and more tear-resistant than traditional felt.

T

Tear-off: Removing the existing roof covering before the new roof goes on.
True budget: What a job actually costs to complete — materials, labor, overhead, and profit — used to decide whether a carrier's payment covers the work. Read the guide →

U

Underlayment: The protective layer between the roof deck and the shingles — felt or synthetic.
Unit price: The price Xactimate assigns to one unit of a line item.

V

Valley flashing: Metal installed in the valleys where two roof planes meet, directing water down and off the roof.
Ventilation: The intake-and-exhaust system that keeps the attic cool and dry — required by code in most areas.
Verisk: The analytics company that owns Xactimate and the Xactware estimating tools.

W

Waste factor: The percentage of extra material added to cover cuts, breakage, and overlap — a cut-up roof needs a higher factor than a simple one. Read the guide →
Wind claim: A claim for damage caused by wind — typically lifted shingles, exposed nails, and torn flashing.
Wind damage: Roofing damage from wind uplift — lifted shingles, exposed nail heads, and torn flashing.

X

XactAnalysis: Verisk's web-based tool for viewing and working with Xactimate estimates without a desktop install.
XACTDOC: The root element that wraps an estimate's data inside an ESX file. You will see it if you open a .esx file in a text editor. Read the guide →
Xactimate: The estimating software used across the property insurance industry to price damage claims. Carriers, adjusters, and contractors all work from the same Xactimate price lists, which is why it is the common language of claims. Read the guide →
Xactimate estimate: An estimate built in Xactimate using its codes, price lists, and sketching tools.
Xactware: The Verisk division that builds Xactimate and related estimating tools.

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