Estimate Submission

What Makes an Estimate Useful in Appraisal

The estimate you submit carries more weight when it is built line by line rather than summarized in lump sums. In practice, the documents that move an appraisal forward are a full line-item estimate — most often prepared in Xactimate — paired with dated, labeled photographs that tie each damaged component to a specific repair line. A roof estimate that references slope, square count, and the number of test squares inspected is far easier to reconcile than one that simply states a total. If you have a contractor's estimate, you are welcome to submit it; it becomes part of the evidence an appraiser reviews, though the appraisal panel independently determines the amount of loss rather than adopting any one estimate wholesale.

Photographic evidence is the single most requested item, and it is worth organizing before you send it. Wide establishing shots that show the elevation or room, followed by close-ups with a reference object for scale, let a reviewer follow the damage the way the inspector saw it. Where cause is contested — common with water losses — moisture readings, the location of the source, and the direction of migration matter as much as the visible staining.

What Happens After You Submit

Once your estimate and supporting materials arrive, they are reviewed against the scope of damage and the policy's stated basis of settlement, whether that is actual cash value or replacement cost. If appraisal has already been invoked, each side names a competent, independent appraiser; those two appraisers work toward agreement on the amount of loss, and only the items they cannot reconcile go to an umpire. A signed award on the agreed and, where needed, umpire-decided items concludes the amount-of-loss question. Keep in mind that appraisal settles how much the loss is worth — whether a given loss falls within your policy is a separate coverage determination made by your carrier and, if disputed, by a court, not by the appraisers or the umpire.

Timelines vary with the completeness of what is submitted. A well-documented residential hail or wind file often moves through appraisal in a matter of weeks; sparse documentation, a contested cause, or a hard-to-schedule joint inspection extends that. Submitting a clean, organized package at the outset is the most reliable way to keep the process moving.

A DFW Hail Pattern Worth Knowing

The DFW Metroplex sees its heaviest hail activity from March through June, when supercells track across North Texas and drop stones large enough to fracture shingle mats, dent soft metals, and split ridge caps. A recurring pattern in recent DFW hail files is a disagreement over the extent of damage — not whether hail struck, but how many slopes and which accessory components were affected. In that pattern, the estimates that resolved most cleanly were the ones that combined detailed, per-slope photographic evidence with a line-item scope that justified each repair. When the record clearly shows what was damaged and why the repair line follows from it, the two appraisers have far less to argue over, and fewer items reach the umpire. The lesson for your submission is direct: document every affected elevation, not just the worst one.

Questions This Page May Leave Open

Can I use my own contractor's estimate? Yes. It is treated as evidence and reviewed alongside the scope and photos. The appraiser evaluates it independently rather than simply accepting or rejecting it.

How long will it take? There is no fixed statutory clock for appraisal itself. Completeness of documentation, scheduling of any joint inspection, and the number of disputed line items are the main variables.

What if I disagree with the outcome? The amount-of-loss award reflects the appraisers' agreement or the umpire's decision on unresolved items. Questions about coverage — as opposed to amount — remain with your carrier and, where the parties disagree, the courts.

How is repair cost determined? Through line-item pricing keyed to local labor and material costs, supported by the documented scope. Submitting more than one repair estimate can help where costs are contested.

If you have gathered your estimate, photos, and policy declarations and want to confirm the file is ready before sending, call Marshall Services at 972-322-0752.