Published in Construction Business Owner

8/21/2021

I was invited to contribute to the September 2021 issue of Construction Business Owner Magazine which was dedicated to estimating in the skilled trades. My topic was about how setting clear objectives for estimators will lead to more consistent outcomes — not only in estimating, but also the production process. Consistently top-performing organizations take a holistic approach and view estimating as one process, among many, that leads to a successful outcome. So, whether you are a business owner, training manager, estimator or trades professional looking to develop this
skill set, the following will provide three key ways to elevate the estimating process.

Consistent estimating process
Clarity in communication
Accountable production

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New book announcement

8/20/2021

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NEW BOOK ANNOUNCEMENT:

As this series develops, Gabriel J. Jones and I are transforming content from The Xactimate Sessions into a book that will release shortly after the podcast episodes are all released. This will be a great compliment to our first book, Be Intentional: Estimating. Please RSVP your copy today.

This book is intended for:

Restoration professionals who seek to grow their career opportunities such as project management and estimating through developing the right mindset and habits around Xactimate.
New managers and intentional leaders who are looking for some assistance in guiding their team members to develop in their roles and responsibilities that directly intersect with utilizing Xactimate.
Business owners who are working to bring their expectations into alignment with their norms (build a winning culture), especially in the areas of estimating and project management.

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Fake it until you Xactimate it

8/19/2021

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The Xactimate Sessions from The DYOJO Podcast
File 003 - Fake it until you Xactimate it
The DYOJO Podcast Season 3, Episode 68
Guest: Nick Sharp, Consulting Specialist at Reets Drying Academy

If you can't estimate, you become a trainer. Right? Nick Sharp joins us on The DYOJO Podcast to share his experiences from cleaning carpets to learning to fake it until he made it as a reconstruction estimator. Nick shares how his positive mindset and consistent work ethic helped him to progress in his property restoration career. As Nick says, "I never went into anything thinking that I can't do this."

This week, on The Xactimate Sessions from The DYOJO Podcast, we sit down to discuss Xactimate with a restorer-turned estimator who transformed into a restoration industry trainer. Nick shares a few tips for aspiring professionals and growth-minded estimators, including:

Don't be under-informed. Know your IICRC S500 (and other industry standards related documents)
Don't limit yourself. Always be adapting.
Don't be stagnant. It's ok to make mistakes. Learn the basics and keep expanding your knowledge base.
Don't be just data input. Understand the items that lead to a thorough and accurate estimate so that you can be profitable.

PODCAST SPONSOR:

The DYOJO Podcast is sponsored by Advocate Claim Service (ACS), "Where you can find solutions to claims that are causing you anxiety." David Princeton and his team are ready to help you navigate doubtful and disputed insurance claims.

If you are a business owner, manager, or intentional restorer, you will appreciate Nick's insights as well as this key question, "Why are we teaching estimators the program (IE Xactimate) instead of what is going to be profitable?" We supplement our discussion with Nick with clips and comments from many sources including

Ben Justesen of Enlightened Restoration Solutions
Brian Austin (File 002), Director of Instructional Design at Verisk
IICRC Triple Master Restorer Robert More
Jon Isaacson's mediocre appearance on the stellar IAQ Radio Ep 633 (the OG's of restoration podcasting)
The Founding Father's of Restoration with Pete "The Global Watchdog" Consigli

NEW BOOK ANNOUNCEMENT:

As this series develops, Gabriel J. Jones and I are transforming content from The Xactimate Sessions into a book that will release shortly after the podcast episodes are all released. This will be a great compliment to our first book, Be Intentional: Estimating. Please RSVP your copy today.

This book is intended for:

Restoration professionals who seek to grow their career opportunities such as project management and estimating through developing the right mindset and habits around Xactimate.
New managers and intentional leaders who are looking for some assistance in guiding their team members to develop in their roles and responsibilities that directly intersect with utilizing Xactimate.
Business owners who are working to bring their expectations into alignment with their norms (build a winning culture), especially in the areas of estimating and project management.

DEALS FROM THE DYOJO:

The DYOJO collaboration with DocuSketch offering a $200 discount on the initial hardware package to members of The DYOJO Nation who use the custom code "DS-DYOJO1".
The DYOJO Podcast, the official home of the DYOJO Nation as so declared by The Global Watchdog, Pete Consigli, exists to help intentional restorers to shorten their DANG learning curve for personal and professional development.

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How to go toe-to-toe with a contractor and win every time during insurance claims negotiations

8/2/2021

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Jon Isaacson, The Intentional Restorer, was invited to present a breakout session for the 2021 IA Path Virtual Job Fair.

What is the IA Path Adjuster Job Fair?

The IA Path Adjuster Job Fair is an online platform for adjusters and companies looking for adjusters to find each other. This is adjuster-specific networking designed for insurance adjusters and those looking to recruit and hire insurance adjusters. https://virtual.adjusterjobfair.com

This is a twice-annual event. Dates for the two upcoming events are,

January 10th-12th 2022
July [TBD] 2022

This event was created by Chris Stanley and his team. Chris was a guest on The DYOJO Podcast Episode 38 where, among other topics, we discussed how to work with an insurance adjuster's "box". Chris explained his process for working insurance claims in the automobile wing and how those principles can apply to property insurance as well.

For this presentation, How To Go Toe-To-Toe With A Contractor And Win Every Time During Insurance Claim Negotiations, we played off of the title of a presentation that Bill Wilson, author of When Words Collide, used to use to share his process for doubtful and disputed claims. We had the pleasure of diving into this topic with Bill and David Princeton (Advocate Claim Service), on The DYOJO Podcast Episode 48.

Sample dialogue from this presentation:

In insurance work, where Xactimate is the common estimating platform, the first step is to establish the agreed-upon scope (based on data capture) and then build an estimate that reflects this approach (data input). Thorough data capture leads to accurate data input. These are also fundamental elements of a contract. Insurance is a bit unique in this aspect, where the scope is negotiated between the contractor and the insurance carrier which establishes the agreed-upon scope whereby the contract between the customer and the contractor will be created.

The primary goal (aka the standard) for insurance claims repairs is: To restore the property to resemble pre-loss conditions, no more and no less.

This is the standard by which all efforts should be judged. This standard is critical to remember during all phases and starts with the estimating process. The property restoration estimator, insurance adjuster, and homeowner/insured should have a “meeting of the minds” to confirm the scope of work relevant to that standard.

The DYOJO Way of the Intentional Adjuster: Use this standard as your opening statement to the client as well as your introduction to the contractor, take the lead on the conversation and establish the process for your discussions. (Read more on The Standard)

In insurance work, the agreed scope of work is a foundational element. While many people focus on the price, in insurance the standard estimating tool is called Xactimate which helps create a common language between contractors and carriers. Xactimate estimates are constructed based upon quantities and are composed line by line and room by room. While Xactimate is often over-utilized as a guide for the insurance claims repair process, it is also blamed when either party doesn’t agree with the output.

Thorough data capture leads to accurate data input.

The software’s role should be understood as communicating a fair and reasonable price in relationship to the scope of work necessary: To restore the property to resemble pre-loss conditions, no more and no less.

The DYOJO Podcast airs Thursdays at 9am PST, you can WATCH on YouTube or LISTEN on Spotify. The podcast for the intentional restorer, helping you shorten your DANG learning curve for personal and professional development. thedyojo.com/listen

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Learning to XM8 with all the resources from Xactimate

7/29/2021

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This week, on The Xactimate Sessions from The DYOJO Podcast, we sit down to discuss Xactimate with Xactimate. Brian Austin is the director of instructional design at Verisk, Xactware division. Verisk is the parent company that owns Xactware which produces Xactimate. So, if you could ask Xactimate one question, what would it be? We asked Brian several questions and he said that Xactware has worked diligently to build feedback into their systems. Xactimate wants to hear from the everyday restoration contractor and all of its users.

SPONSOR: The DYOJO Podcast is sponsored by Advocate Claim Service (ACS), "Where you can find solutions to claims that are causing you anxiety." David Princeton and his team are ready to help you navigate doubtful and disputed insurance claims.

Are you able to deviate from Xactimate pricing?

The Advocacy and Government Affairs (AGA) Committee of the Restoration Industry Association (RIA) was able to bring Mike Fulton, President of Xactware on for a industry briefing on Facebook Live, June 18, 2021. It appears that this video may no longer be available but portions can be seen via THIS LINK. Ed Cross, The Restoration Advocate, reminds contractors that Section 9 "Limited Warranties" of the Xactware licensing agreement reads, "You are responsible to ensure the estimate includes pricing consistent with components including, but not limited to, actual materials, equipment, and labor pricing...You agree to not inhibit or preclude deviations from the Price Data where contractor requirements, market conditions, demand, or any other factor warrants the use of a different line item price in the specific situation."

Resources from Xactimate for new estimators

The Xactimate Sessions from The DYOJO Podcast
File 002 - Learning to XM8 with all the resources from Xactimate
The DYOJO Podcast Season 3, Episode 66
Guest: Brian Austin, Director of Instructional Design at Verisk

Brian shares many of the tools available to all Xactimate users including many that are included with your annual Xactware subscription:

Self-paced online training for Xactimate
Training courses for Xactimate with certified trainers
A YouTube channel with Xpert Tips Xactware Training
ILX Construction Training - 50 courses that take students through the complete building process—from selecting a building lot all the way to the final inspection

Three tips elevating your Xactimate skills

If you didn't catch this from the previous paragraph, Xactware offers ILX Construction Training which is included in your annual Xactware license and is designed to help take an employees through the complete building process. In addition to these resources, Brian shares three tips for elevating your Xactimate game as well as your personal and professional development:

Embrace the change, or as Brian says, "The suck." Most of us are resistant to change but the rate of change is always accelerating and if you want to remain competitive you must embrace it.
We are all very busy, yet you must set aside time to work on your personal and professional development. If you recognize the truth of the first point, you understand that making time, even if its thirty to sixty minutes a week, is critical to your growth as a leader, manager, and restoration professional.
Participate in the discussion. Brian outlines how Xactware had built in feedback from contractors and encourages professionals to reach out to him directly if they are in need of assistance.
Listen to The DYOJO Podcast. Brian literally says it is, "Terrific."

The DYOJO collaboration with DocuSketch offering a $200 discount on the initial hardware package to members of The DYOJO Nation who use the custom code "DS-DYOJO1".

The DYOJO Podcast, the official home of the DYOJO Nation as so declared by The Global Watchdog, Pete Consigli, exists to help intentional restorers to shorten their DANG learning curve for personal and professional development. WATCH on YouTube or LISTEN on Spotify, Thursday at 9 am PST.

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Training new restoration team members to sketch for Xactimate

7/26/2021

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Teaching restoration technicians to sketch for Xactimate

Can you teach a child to sketch for Xactimate?

Property restoration technicians, project managers, and estimators work in a variety of property damage scenarios including water damage, fire damage, mold removal, and insurance claim reconstruction. The most common tool for constructing estimates and/or agreed-upon scopes of work in the property insurance claims realm is an estimating software called Xactimate.

As Jon Isaacson discusses in his book, Be Intentional: Estimating, every insurance claims estimate, especially those composed in Xactimate, need two key things:

1) Photos - lots and lots of photos. Photos of the source of the damage, the extent of damages, room by room, all four corners of each room, continuous surfaces and materials, contents, building materials removed, etc. You can never have too many photos.
2) A sketch or diagram - a dimensional drawing of the structure so that all parties, the homeowner, the insurance carrier, and the contractor can work from the same "blueprint" to assess damages, develop an agreed-upon scope of work, and assign values to the work that needs to be done.

Many restoration contractors, business owners, and managers struggle to train their teams to clearly and consistently document the story of the loss. This video from The DYOJO Podcast is an excerpt from their latest podcast episode (Season 3, Episode 65). This episode serves as the launch of their NEW season as well as their NEW series The Xactimate Sessions.

The Xactimate Sessions - File 001
Learning Xactimate from Scratch
Guest: Greg Power (Tacoma, WA)

Four Tips for New Estimators When Creating Your Sketch or Diagram for Xactiamte

At a minimum, you should have a laser tape measure and 1/4" by 1/4" graph paper. We discuss technological upgrades in the video, but this should be the foundation of your property damage assessment and estimating kit.
Always start in a corner, preferably one with two exterior walls. If you start your sketch in the center of a structure, it will be difficult to get your scale to line up and your sketch to layout on one piece of paper.
Use a consistent scale for your diagram, IE 1/4" = 2', where every box = 2' x 2' as you sketch to scale.
Always measure and mark your doors, cabinets, damaged areas, etc. It is helpful to utilize color for certain common scopes of work such as red for flood cut areas, orange for flooring removed, green for cabinets, etc.

The DYOJO Podcast - helping you shorten your DANG learning curve for personal and professional development. Thursdays at 9am PST on YouTube and Spotify.

Stay tuned as The DYOJO will be using the content from this current series, The Xactimate Sessions, as the foundation for a new book that will release shortly after the series finale (date TBD).