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Knowledge center
Plain-English articles on property-loss estimating, evidence, and the claims process. See also Methodology for how PaxExact computes its numbers, and the glossary for term-by-term definitions.
commercial
Business income and business interruption, explained
Business income vs. extra expense, the period of restoration, actual loss sustained, extended business income, civil authority, and a worked example.
Coinsurance in commercial property insurance, explained
How the commercial property coinsurance clause and penalty formula work, with two worked examples and the inputs an estimate must document.
How commercial property estimating differs from residential
Commercial estimates add occupancy class, code-driven upgrades, multi-trade systems, lease terms, and reviewers that residential work rarely requires.
Replacement cost vs. actual cash value in property claims
How RCV and ACV differ, how recoverable depreciation and holdback work, and why states define ACV differently — with a worked example.
How to develop a scope for a property loss claim
How a scope moves from field observation to priced line items, units of measure, room-by-room method, matching rules, and common omissions.
valuation
Coinsurance in commercial property insurance, explained
How the commercial property coinsurance clause and penalty formula work, with two worked examples and the inputs an estimate must document.
Contents inventory and valuation methodology
Room-by-room contents inventory, RCV vs. ACV, scheduled vs. unscheduled property, sublimits, non-salvageable calls, and a worked example.
Depreciation in property claims: physical, functional, economic
Physical, functional, and economic depreciation explained, the age/life/condition method, the labor-depreciation dispute, and a worked example.
Replacement cost vs. actual cash value in property claims
How RCV and ACV differ, how recoverable depreciation and holdback work, and why states define ACV differently — with a worked example.
scope
How commercial property estimating differs from residential
Commercial estimates add occupancy class, code-driven upgrades, multi-trade systems, lease terms, and reviewers that residential work rarely requires.
How to develop a scope for a property loss claim
How a scope moves from field observation to priced line items, units of measure, room-by-room method, matching rules, and common omissions.
documentation
Documentation and evidence standards for a defensible claim file
What a defensible claim file contains: dated photos, measurements, moisture logs, invoices, priced scope, and a traceable chain from evidence to price.
Evidence-to-line-item traceability in property estimates
The chain from photo to observation to measurement to line item to price to total, what breaks it, and how reviewers and carriers use the trail.
review
Documentation and evidence standards for a defensible claim file
What a defensible claim file contains: dated photos, measurements, moisture logs, invoices, priced scope, and a traceable chain from evidence to price.
What a property-loss estimating platform is (and isn't)
The difference between an estimating application and an estimating platform, the records any such platform must keep, and how to evaluate one honestly.
Estimate review: a reviewer's checklist
What a reviewer checks on a property loss estimate: quantities, units, duplicates, pricing, O&P, depreciation, evidence links, revisions, and math.
Evidence-to-line-item traceability in property estimates
The chain from photo to observation to measurement to line item to price to total, what breaks it, and how reviewers and carriers use the trail.
perils
Fire damage estimating: structure, smoke, and soot
Structural vs. smoke/soot/odor damage, cleaning vs. replace decisions, IICRC S700 and NFPA 921 references, contents, hidden damage, and documentation.
Water damage estimating: categories, classes, and drying
IICRC S500 water categories and classes, drying vs. replacement decisions, moisture mapping, the S520 mold cross-reference, and flood exclusions.
Wind and hail storm damage estimating methodology
Roof and siding inspection method, test squares, hail vs. mechanical damage, wind uplift, code-upgrade coverage, matching disputes, and storm data.
measurement
LiDAR and spatial capture for property measurement
How device LiDAR, time-of-flight, photogrammetry, and terrestrial laser scanning compare for property measurement, with sourced accuracy figures and conditions.
Measurement methodology for property loss estimating
Room measurement conventions, roof measurement basics, tolerance and documentation, and why server-computed, photo-linked measurement matters.
residential
Replacement cost vs. actual cash value in property claims
How RCV and ACV differ, how recoverable depreciation and holdback work, and why states define ACV differently — with a worked example.
How to develop a scope for a property loss claim
How a scope moves from field observation to priced line items, units of measure, room-by-room method, matching rules, and common omissions.