ESXPress FAQ

An ESX file is Xactimate's native project file format. It holds the full estimate: line items, groups/folders, CAT|SEL codes, quantities, prices, notes, and metadata. Import it into Xactimate and it reprices against the loaded price list.

A SEL code is Xactimate's shorthand for a line item (for example, 300S = laminated composition shingle, reroof). Each SEL belongs to a category (cat) and carries a current-list unit price. ESXPress resolves SEL codes from its code reference and flags anything it cannot verify.

Xactimate reprices every line against the price list loaded for the current month and region. If your .esx carries a price or skClass the list does not match (such as a catch-all skClass 9500/9501), the total changes. ESXPress emits lines with correct CAT|SEL codes so repricing is stable.

No. Xactimate is a registered trademark of Verisk Analytics. ESXPress is an independent product that generates .esx files for use with properly licensed copies of Xactimate desktop software.

Yes. An Xactimate XML export converts directly to an import-ready .esx — no OCR and no guessing. It doesn't have to be Xactimate's export: XML from other estimating systems converts the same way — read structurally, with anything unreadable flagged rather than guessed. The scope is already structured data, so line items, rooms, and notes carry through exactly as written; every line is priced for import, and the file passes the import guard before it is offered for download. When you have both the PDF and the XML, the XML is the cleaner source to work from. Upload one with the Upload XML button in the dashboard, or send it to the public API at POST /api/v1/public/convert/structured. One XML scope counts as one conversion, the same as a PDF.

Yes. XML from other estimating systems converts the same way: the file's line-item tables are read structurally, mapped to Xactimate SEL codes, and priced for import — no OCR, nothing read off a page. Anything the converter can't read is flagged for review rather than guessed, and a file with nothing readable in it is refused with a clear message instead of a mangled estimate.

Scope XML, when you have it — Xactimate's own export or any other system's. XML arrives as structured data, so nothing has to be read off a page — there is no OCR step at all, and line items, rooms, and notes land exactly as written. If all you have is the carrier's PDF, that converts through the same pipeline with extraction and flagging, and photos go through Photo-Scope. Both paths keep your printed prices on the lines.

Download the .esx from your dashboard and open it in Xactimate — it loads as a normal project with the scope's folders and line items in place. Xactimate reprices every line against the price list loaded on your machine, so review the totals there before you send the estimate. That reprice is expected behavior, not a problem with the file.

Most claim scopes convert in about two minutes. Upload the carrier's estimate PDF — or send scope XML and skip the reading step entirely — and ESXPress matches the line items to Xactimate SEL codes and produces an .esx file ready to import. Very large scopes take longer — the dashboard tracks each stage from upload to download while the conversion runs.

Yes. The .esx opens in Xactimate as a normal project, not a locked or read-only file. You can add, change, or delete line items, adjust quantities, and reorganize folders exactly as you would on an estimate you wrote yourself. Any changes you make are saved in your Xactimate project.

XACTDOC is the root element that wraps an estimate's data inside an ESX file. It travels inside the file's XACTDOC.ZIPXML member, written in Xactimate's native project format rather than as readable text, so a text editor shows scrambled content, which is by design, not a broken file. ESXPress rebuilds it into a clean, import-ready .esx on every conversion, and Xactimate opens the result as a normal project. The glossary entry at esxpress.org/tools/glossary/xactdoc explains where it fits.

A line-item discrepancy is any difference between the carrier's scope and the converted estimate: a SEL code that does not match the work described, a quantity that changed, or a line that did not carry through. ESXPress flags each one for review rather than quietly adjusting it. The repricing explainer at esxpress.org/tools/esx-reprice-check shows why a total can move on import.

Nothing is baked in. The exported file carries no price-list name, no tax block, and no minimums, and every line keeps the unit price printed on the carrier's PDF. When you import the .esx, Xactimate applies the price list you choose on your machine, which is why the same file prices correctly for your region and price month. The reprice prompt on import is that design working.

Flat monthly plans from $179/mo (25 conversions) to $12,500/mo (2,500 conversions) across seven tiers, with a free tier of 5 conversions/month. Past your cap on any published plan, conversions pause — there are no surprise overage charges, and no overage meter rates are published. Multi-branch teams and high-volume operations get custom quotes.

Not per line — every conversion includes up to 1,000 line items at a flat per-conversion price, with no per-line charges. Scopes over 1,000 lines are rejected with a clear error rather than silently cut.

Yes. The free tier is card-free with 5 conversions/month. Every paid plan includes a 14-day free trial (a card is required to start it, but you are not charged until it ends).

Conversions pause when you reach your monthly cap, and they resume when your plan renews — there are no surprise overage charges and nothing runs up a bill on its own. If you are regularly hitting the limit, reach out and we will help you size the right plan, including custom quotes for high-volume and multi-branch teams.

RCV (Replacement Cost Value) is what it costs to replace the damaged property with like-kind quality. ACV (Actual Cash Value) is RCV minus depreciation. Insurance claims pay RCV minus the deductible, then recover depreciation after repairs.

Recoverable depreciation is the portion the carrier pays back after repairs are completed to policy standard. Non-recoverable depreciation is never paid back. Most standard homeowner policies pay RCV (with recoverable depreciation) if you repair with a licensed contractor and document the work.

O&P is the overhead and profit a general contractor is entitled to on top of a scope. Policy language determines whether O&P is owed; the '20% O&P trap' is when contractors forget to claim the true budget including overhead and profit.

A supplement is an additional estimate submitted to the carrier for line items the original scope missed or undervalued. Winning supplements requires showing why each item is owed: a code requirement, a manufacturer requirement, or that it previously existed.

Code upgrade coverage pays to bring a repair up to current building code even where it exceeds the pre-loss condition (for example, adding ice-and-water shield that did not previously exist). It is an endorsement, so coverage depends on the policy.

A scope of loss is the estimate the adjuster writes for the covered damage. It lists the line items, quantities, and prices the carrier will pay, and it anchors the claim — it is the document every supplement starts from. Treat it as a first pass, not the final number: carriers write initial scopes quickly, and contractors supplement what they missed or undervalued.

Ice and water shield is a self-adhering underlayment installed in valleys and at roof-to-wall transitions, and as a 36-inch ice barrier at eaves in cold climates. It is commonly owed on insurance scopes and is often cited under IRC R905.1.2.

Drip edge is metal flashing installed at eaves and rakes that directs water away from the fascia and into the gutter. IRC R905.2.8.5 requires it at eaves and gables, and it is one of the most commonly missed line items on insurance scopes.

A starter course is the first row of shingles at the eaves and rakes, cut to expose the sealant. Shingle manufacturers (GAF, Owens Corning, CertainTeed) require it for warranty coverage, and it is frequently missed on insurance scopes.

A roofing square (SQ) is 100 square feet of roof surface. Roofing quantities are quoted in squares (for example, a 30 SQ roof covers 3,000 sq ft). One square of asphalt shingles is typically three bundles.

Step flashing is L-shaped metal installed at wall-to-roof intersections (where a roof meets a sidewall or chimney). IRC R905.2.8.3 requires step and counter flashing at walls and chimneys to shed water; it is frequently missed or undervalued.

The true budget on a claim is the full RCV including overhead and profit, code upgrades, and recoverable depreciation — not just the visible line items. The O&P trap is understating the scope and losing the overhead/profit and depreciation you are owed.

A supplement is priced line by line from the source document: the carrier scope and the damage photos set the baseline. Missed-scope detection then compares the estimate against the completeness rules, and every proposed line carries a code or manufacturer citation. Nothing is submitted until a reviewer approves the wording and quantities, and the carrier's own price list does the final pricing.

Open it in Xactimate and compare line by line. You start from the adjuster's own line items, quantities, and prices, so differences show up as lines instead of page numbers. The Completeness Advisor flags commonly missed items with a citation for each, and the Supplement Builder adds the code-required items for the job's ZIP to your basket. You choose what goes into the supplement.

Photo-Scope is ESXPress's AI damage analysis: upload jobsite photos and it identifies damage, grades severity, and suggests line items. It runs on a vision pipeline (Gemini) with a fallback.

The free validator at esxpress.org/tools/esx-validator checks an ESX file's structure and pasted XACTDOC XML against the structural rules Xactimate project files follow. It runs entirely in the browser, with no signup.

Xactimate line items price against region-specific price lists that carry local labor and material rates, updated on a price-month cycle — so the same code can price differently in different regions. ESXPress explains this in its pricing guide at esxpress.org/tools/esx-reprice-check and publishes code identity and usage guidance instead of prices, because a single published number would not reflect your region's list.

Yes — and structured data is the cleanest input we take. ESXPress converts scope XML — Xactimate's exports included — and the ScopeJSON v1 XML mirror straight to an import-ready .esx with no OCR and no guessing; when you have the XML, send it. Carrier scope PDFs convert too, and job photos go through Photo-Scope.

The Completeness Advisor reviews a dashboard conversion against construction, code, and supplemental rules and flags the items worth adding — gutters on a re-roof, step flashing, drip edge, ice and water shield, detach and reset. Each suggestion comes with a plain-English reason and its citation, and nothing is added to the estimate for you: the advisor is suggestion-only, and you decide what to use.

Claim data is encrypted in transit with TLS 1.2 and isolated per customer by row-level security, and the stack runs on United States infrastructure. ESXPress implements SOC 2 CC6-aligned access controls, with the details published at esxpress.org/security. What happens to a scope from upload to deletion is covered in the privacy writeup at esxpress.org/blog/where-your-scope-data-goes-pdf-to-esx-privacy.

Yes, when the scope PDF contains a floor plan or roof drawing. ESXPress detects those pages and can export them as Xactimate sketch (.skx) files — one per floor page, packaged as a zip — with the rooms laid out on the drawing. The sketch and the line items trace back to the same document, so the drawing and the estimate describe the same building.