Technical Written Damage Report

For more than 20 years, American Catastrophe Emergency Services (AM-CATEMS) has provided professional cost estimating, technical writing, property loss consulting, and project management services to contractors, insurance companies, homeowners, commercial property owners, lenders, and other industry professionals.

Our Property Loss Services Team combines construction expertise, technical documentation, estimating technology, and experienced project management to help clients accurately identify the scope, cost, labor, materials, equipment, and resources required to repair, restore, or improve a property.

PROPERTY LOSS & TECHNICAL WRITING SERVICES

AM-CATEMS provides detailed, professionally prepared property loss documentation and Xactimate® line-by-line estimates designed to clearly communicate the scope and anticipated cost of work.

Our services may include:

Detailed residential and commercial repair estimates
Property damage documentation
Technical writing and scope-of-work reports
Xactimate® line-by-line estimating
Labor, material, and equipment pricing
Restoration and reconstruction estimates
Construction bidding and bid preparation
Project scope development
Vendor coordination and management
Construction and restoration project management
Coordination with licensed professional vendors
Meetings and coordination with municipal and city officials
Documentation supporting insurance claims and property loss decisions
Repair and renovation cost assessments

Technical Writing & Estimating Fees

$500 – $20,000 per project or loss, depending upon the size, complexity, documentation requirements, and scope of the assignment.

Each estimate is professionally prepared in a line-by-line Xactimate® format when applicable.

Our Service Areas:

Take the Quiz to Learn More

Created on March 08, 2022 By

Cory Meister

Technical Writing

Am-Cats Ems certification program is designed to provide the correct techniques in creating technical written estimates cause by natural forces, unexpected catastrophes and or break-ins.

1 / 10

Q. What is Xactimate?

A. Labor cost is what Xactimate uses to calculate the charges that a contractor/trade will allow, to cover for drive-time, setup time, etc. Xactimate will show what the labor minimums to premium for a particular trade is and then adjust that minimum to premium calculation according to the size of repair that needs to be performed with minimal labor and materials and or premium labor and material.

B. Xactimate was developed by Xactware to handle all tasks related to claims adjusting. Tasks like writing claims, referencing pricing books, and the actual calculation of complete estimates no longer have to be done by hand. Instead, all of these tasks are handled by Xactimate automatically.

C. Contractors and builders generally do not use Xactimate – they base their cost estimates on sub-contractor bids and their general knowledge about the costs and time involved in a potential job. Many contractors/builders are unfamiliar with Xactimate.

D. All The Above.

2 / 10

Q. What is Technical Writing?

A. "Technical writing, a form of technical communication, a style of writing used in fields entered into a computer software program.

B. Technical specifications are prepared to provide consistency and to instruct construction contractors on how the works are to be carried out, the quality of the workmanship and methods of quality assurance for the construction.

C. A technical specification (tech spec) is a document that explains what a product or project will do and how you'll achieve these goals.

D. All The Above.

3 / 10

Q. Do all insurance companies use Xactimate ?

A. All major insurance companies use Xactimate for their estimating and billing systems to ensure pricing uniformity between themselves and contractors. Xactimate works by using items such as labor, material, and measurements to come up with the prices.

B. Xactimate is great for producing cost estimates contractors. Overall, I'd recommend this product to any mitigation and restoration team and to contractors.

C. The Level 1 Certification Prep Course provides in-depth training to those who are working towards their Level 1 Certification. This level of certification verifies that a user has the foundational skills required to create an estimate from start to finish in Xactimate.

D. Numerous insurance companies, including but not limited to, Liberty Mutual, Travelers Insurance, and the ACE Group. Xactware Solutions provides computer software solutions for professionals involved in estimating all phases of building and repair. In 1986, Xactware opened for business with Xactimate, its flagship estimating system. Xactimate helped contractors and insurance adjusters estimate repairs much faster and more accurately than they ever could before. Since then, Xactimate has evolved into a high-powered package complete with a patented plan-sketching program, and Xactware has become much more than just Xactimate. Today twenty-two of the top twenty-five property insurance companies in the U.S. and ten of the top ten Canadian insurers use Xactware property insurance claims tools. Xactware features software solutions for every phase of a building's life: from remodeling to totally replacing a building, from determining the cost of rebuilding a structure to preserving and repairing a home.

E. All The Above.

4 / 10

Q. What is the average markup on labor ?

A. Profit is typically added to the cost of a construction-related job to allow the entity performing the work to grow their company through reinvestment. General Overhead and Profit percentages can be added in the Estimate Parameters window within an Xactimate estimate.

B. Within Xactimate, general overhead and profit (O&P) for general contractors are added as percentages in the Estimate Parameters window. Subcontractor overhead and profit is intended to be included in the labor overhead portion of the retail labor rate.

C. Overhead refers to an ongoing expense associated with operating a business. This can include anything from administrative to marketing costs. The key difference is that burden rate is used to determine the cost of production, whereas overhead expenses are not directly tied to your cost of production.

D. To keep things easy, here's a handy markup & margin table for contractors that shows you how much you need to mark things up to achieve your desired profit margin. Most general contractors are looking at about a 30-35% margin and so they need to a mark-up based on inflation with market cost.

5 / 10

Q. How does a contractor make money ?

D. The contractor can earn gross profit on the labor as well as the product being provided by the vendor. At the same time, the contractor can be earning gross profit on the labor and the products being installed by his own crews while they get the project ready for installation of what is being built off site.

6 / 10

Q. How much should a contractor charge for overhead?

A. A national survey from NAHB showed an average net profit of 9% and 10% overhead. That's close to the “10 and 10” of 10% overhead and 10% profit which is often considered industry standard.

B. The subcontractor will include the cost to furnish, install and deliver equipment and appurtenances, labor including direct, fringe and burden to set and pipe the equipment, supervisory labor, materials, and equipment the general conditions and requirements necessary for the sub to complete its work.

C. Profit is typically added to the cost of a construction-related job to allow the entity performing the work to grow their company through reinvestment. General Overhead and Profit percentages can be added in the Estimate Parameters window within an Xactimate estimate.

D. Within Xactimate, general overhead and profit (O and P) for general contractors are added as percentages in the Estimate Parameters window. Subcontractor overhead and profit is intended to be included in the labor overhead portion of the retail labor rate.

7 / 10

Q. Is a detail line by line report important in construction?

A. Providing information about events during construction is used to evidence delivered or missed work. Having a record of day-to-day activities, problems, and resolutions are critical to successful project management. It is used for post-project debriefing, productivity management and dispute resolution.

B. Construction daily reports can refresh our memory and provide vital details from specific dates, working areas or construction tasks. By recording everyday activities such as weather, number of operatives, man-hours, progress of specific works, safety and quality issues, observations, etc.

C. Various records that need to be maintained at construction site, drawings, contract Agreement, time and Progress Charts or CPM Charts, work Orders Book, works Diary, works Passing Records, tests Results Record, cement Register.

D. It helps to keep record of the reasons behind actions you took and document the studies and analysis you performed to justify the acquisition. It's important as well to document any decision you made throughout the negotiation process that drove the final contract execution.

E. All The Above.

8 / 10

Q. Who is entitled to overhead and profit?

A. The subcontractor will include the cost to furnish, install and deliver equipment and appurtenances, labor including direct, fringe and burden to set and pipe the equipment, supervisory labor, materials, and equipment the general conditions and requirements necessary for the sub to complete its work.

B. Profit is typically added to the cost of a construction-related job to allow the entity performing the work to grow their company through reinvestment. General Overhead and Profit percentages can be added in the Estimate Parameters window within an Xactimate estimate.

C. Within Xactimate, general overhead and profit (O and P) for general contractors are added as percentages in the Estimate Parameters window. Subcontractor overhead and profit is intended to be included in the labor overhead portion of the retail labor rate.

D. Overhead expenses represent those costs incurred by a general contractor to operate its business but are not attributable to any one specific job. Every general contractor is entitled to a profit, which is defined as the difference between the cost of goods and the price for which they are sold.

9 / 10

Q. What does O&P mean in insurance estimates ?

A. Direct Costs - which are the costs necessary to furnish and install the permanent elements of the project, such as structure, exterior envelope, interior finishes, vertical transportation, mechanical electrical and plumbing systems.

B. Indirect Costs - which include General Conditions or Overhead, and Markup (Fee or Profit), which are the costs associated with the jobsite management of the project, including items such as project management staff, jobsite trailers, telephones, administrative as well as temporary roads, temporary utilities, permits, fees, general hoisting, safety, and cleaning, not specifically associated with individual elements being erected.

C. Overhead, as it relates to a general contractor or construction manager refers to field office overhead or general conditions/requirements, i.e., project management staff and services.

D. Profit refers to the mark up applied by the contractor or construction manager to the total of the direct cost estimate, plus the general conditions/requirements estimate, and certain G&A costs.

E. Overhead and Profit will typically fluctuate with the market. When market conditions are not favorable to the contractor, (i.e., few construction projects being started) contractors decrease their profits to become more competitive and may take a job that will at least keep their staff busy. Overhead will be reduced as a contractor may put fewer staff on a job and will further negotiate to have subcontractors incurred more of the indirect costs at no additional cost, thus lowering overhead.

10 / 10

Q. What exactly is revenue?

B. Within Xactimate, general overhead and profit (O and P) for general contractors are added as percentages in the Estimate Parameters window. Subcontractor overhead and profit is intended to be included in the labor overhead portion of the retail labor rate.

D. Revenue is the money generated from normal business operations, calculated as the average sales price times the number of units sold. It is the top line (or gross income) figure from which costs are subtracted to determine net income. Revenue is also known as sales on the income statement.

Your score is

The average score is 63%

Questions?

What is Water Damage Restoration?

Water restoration is a specialized service that removes water from your home and restores it to a livable, pre-damaged condition. Restoring a home after a water damage emergency must happen quickly. Standing water and moisture create a perfect environment for bacteria and mold growth.

How do you mitigate water damage in your home?

If your home is subject to serious water damage, due to burst pipes, flooding, fire-extinguishing water hoses or some other unforeseen catastrophe, we must locate the cause of the water leak to turn off or terminate source of water leakage. Remove surface water then start drying methods before we can start to do a Thorough clean of the compromised area.

What happens when water compromises my Drywall?

more often than usual water damaged causes drywall to be replaced, depending on the rating of the drywall installed / used. Wet drywall will lose its structural integrity if left alone for long enough period of time it will develop mold spores, between the insulation and the drywall.

How Long Is the Drying Process for Water Damaged Home or Office?

Unfortunately, there is no exact estimate on how long the drying process would take. But, in general, a water damaged Home or Office can dry out for around 5-7 days. In some cases, it would take as little as 2-3 days, and other times it takes several weeks to dry out a home or Office.

Why is mold a problem?

Molds have the potential to cause health problems. Molds produce allergens (substances that can cause allergic reactions), irritants, and in some cases, potentially toxic substances (mycotoxins). Inhaling or touching mold or mold spores may cause allergic reactions in sensitive individuals.

How expensive is mold removal?

$1000 to $4,000 to remove mold from crawlspaces only. $2,000 to $6,000 to remove mold from ducts, crawl spaces, walls, and attics. $10,000 to $30,000 (or more) to repair widespread structural damage.

Technical Written Damage Report