October 21, 2026
Xactimate Water Mitigation Estimate: A Step-by-Step Walkthrough
By @lorenzodgij511
Every Xactimate water mitigation estimate tells the same story in a different order: what got wet, how the crew dried it, and how long it took. When that story is clear, the file moves. When it is not, the adjuster sends questions and the job sits.
This walkthrough follows ai estimating software the order I would use on a typical Category 2 kitchen loss, and it shows where an AI tool such as Axiom fits in: it reads the photos, measurements and notes your crew already collected and drafts a native .esx file for an estimator to review.
Step 1: Set up the job details first
Before a single line item, lock in the loss type, the date of loss and the category and class you documented on the first visit. These drive everything downstream. If the category changes after a second inspection, note why. Adjusters will ask.
The IICRC standards, especially S500 for water damage, are the shared language here. Your scope should read like it followed them, because that is what the carrier expects.
Step 2: Build rooms from real measurements
Room dimensions decide quantities. Guessing square footage is the fastest way to get a reduction. Sources that work well:
- A 3D scan from a phone
- An existing ESX sketch from a prior visit
- A 2D floor plan PDF
- Typed room dimensions from the tape
Axiom also accepts a photo of a hand-drawn sketch and traces it into an editable floor plan, which helps when the tech drew the layout on a clipboard.
Step 3: Scope the mitigation room by room
Walk each room in the same order the crew worked it:
- Extraction of standing water and saturated materials.
- Removal of affected drywall, baseboard, pad or insulation, with the height of the flood cut.
- Antimicrobial application where your category supports it.
- Equipment placed: air movers, dehumidifiers, air scrubbers, by count.
- Monitoring visits and moisture readings across drying days.
- Containment and protection of unaffected areas.
Photos should prove each item. A line for removed baseboard with no photo of the removed baseboard is a line you may lose.
Step 4: Let the draft ask questions instead of guessing
A good AI draft should not invent scope. When the photos do not settle something, such as whether the vanity toe kick was removed, Axiom's scope assistant asks rather than guessing. That is the behaviour you want. A wrong guess costs you more time than a question.
The walkthrough demo: an Xactimate water mitigation estimate in practice
Axiom published a walkthrough of about six minutes, recorded in the shipped product in July 2026. In the walkthrough demo, an approximately $8,000 water loss is processed. Generation is quoted at around two minutes and takes a little over one minute. The draft lands with 33 line items, organised by room with Xactimate codes and editable quantities. Then the ESX opens directly in Xactimate.
That last part matters. It is not a PDF and not a portal. The file reprices on your own price list, so your normal pricing workflow stays intact.
Step 5: Review and approve, room by room
Nothing in an AI draft is final. The estimator reviews each room, adjusts quantities, adds anything the photos could not show and approves it. Use this pass to check three things:
- Equipment counts match your placement log.
- Drying days match your moisture readings.
- Removal heights match the photos.
Step 6: Plan for the put-back
Mitigation and reconstruction are often separate files. Keep your mitigation photos organised, because the same images will support the put-back scope later.
A short FAQ
Can I start from an existing Xactimate PDF? Yes. The PDF to Xactimate workflow converts an existing estimate PDF into an ESX you can keep editing.
Does this replace the estimator? No. It drafts the Xactimate water mitigation estimate. A person still owns the final scope.
What if the carrier writes its own number? The Compare workflow puts carrier and contractor estimates side by side for line-by-line review.
❧