How to read your adjuster's estimate

01The two numbers that decide everything: RCV and ACV

Replacement Cost Value (RCV) is what the job costs new. Actual Cash Value (ACV) is that minus depreciation — age-based discounting. Most NC homeowner policies pay ACV up front and release the depreciation (the difference) when the work is completed by the numbers in the estimate. That structure is why completing the full scope matters: skipped line items are skipped recoveries.

02Xactimate is a menu, not a verdict

Carriers price claims in Xactimate, which writes repairs as line items with unit pricing. Anything the estimate omits doesn't get paid — and omissions are common: ice and water shield at eaves, drip edge, ridge vent replacement, dumpster, code-required decking replacement. Line-by-line comparison against a contractor's scope is where underpayments surface.

03The lines worth reading twice

Four places estimates quietly shrink scope:

• ▚Waste factors rounded down (roofing typically carries 10–15%)
• ▚Quantities: squares counted from aerial measurement vs actual slope
• ▚Matching clauses: partial siding or shingle runs priced without matching
• ▚Code upgrades itemized as zero — until the municipality requires them

04Deductibles, checks, and 'final' language

Your deductible comes out of the settlement — anyone offering to 'waive' or 'eat' your deductible is committing insurance fraud with your name on it, and it's prosecutable in North Carolina. Checks marked 'final' or releases signed before the work is done close the file permanently. Deposit them after the scope is finished, not before.

05Bring it to the table

This is literally our job: reading carrier estimates against real scope, supplementing the gaps, and recovering the depreciation correctly. If the paperwork arrived before you had a contractor — bring it to the re-inspection anyway. We'll read it with you.