FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1. In the estimate, click the Estimate Items tab.
2. On the Items page, in the Quick Entry pane, select or add an item, click the Depr  list and select the depreciation type and amount.
   
   
3. To save the changes, click OK.  The line item displays the depreciation amount.

1. On the top left of the estimate, click the  Images icon.  The Images window appears.
2. On the Digital Images window, click Load Images.  The Select Images window appears.
3. Select the images that you want to attach to the estimate (you can select multiple images during this step).
4. Click Open.
5. Enter the name, description, date taken, and taken by information for each image.
6. The images appear in the Images pane on the Sketch tab.

1. On the top left of the estimate, click the Images icon to open the Digital Images dialog box.
2. On the left, click the Unassigned folder.
3. Click and drag the images to rearrange them.

1. On the Estimate Items tab, add or select an item.
2. Click Unit Price.
   
   
3. To apply overhead and profit to the item, click O&P.
4. Click OK.

1. On the Estimate Items tab, add a roof item.
2. On the line item, double-click the Item Property Editor icon to open the Item Property Editor dialog box.
3. In the Waste Value list, select the percentage of waste.
4. Click OK.

1. On the Estimate Items tab, add a carpet item.
2. Click the Complete tab. 15% carpet waste is automatically added to the line item.
3. Return to the Estimate Items tab. An additional carpet line item is added.
   
   
4. In the Calc column, 1.15 represents the 15% waste. To change the amount of waste, select the item, and change the formula.

Add labor minimums to an entire estimate:

1. On the Control Center tab, click Preferences.
2. In the Settings list, select Profile.
3. In the Price List group, select the Apply labor Minimums check box.

Add labor minimums to a single line item:

1. On the Estimate Items tab, click labor Minimums. A list of estimate items opens.
2. For each item, select the Apply check box to add labor minimums to the item, or clear the check box to remove labor minimums from the item.

1. Click the Xactimate tab, and click Tools.
2. In the Services group, click Data Transfer Backup to open the Backup dialog box.
3. In the Action group, select Send.
4. Click Browse, select the backup folder that you created, and click OK.
5. Click Send.

1. On the Projects tab, press Ctrl, and select two or more estimates.
2. Right-click the selected estimates, and select Merge Projects. The Project Merge Wizard opens.
3. Click Next, and select the Merging order (the Source Project will be first).
4. In the Merge Info group, select Source Project to merge the estimates into the source estimate, or select New Project to create a new project to merge the estimates into.
5. Click Finish.

Deduct openings for individual windows:

1. On the Sketch tab, select a door or window, and click the Properties icon .
2. In the Dimensions group, in the Deduct Window or Deduct Door box, select Yes.
3. Click anywhere on the sketch to close the Properties window and save your changes.

Set defaults for the entire estimate:

1. On the Control Center, click Preferences.
2. In the Settings box, select Profile.
3. On the left, select Door and Window Defaults.
4. In the Window Defaults group, select the Deduct windows from wall calculations check box.
5. In the Door Defaults group, select Deduct doors from wall calculations check box.

Your estimate may be locked by collaboration, by another user, or it may be locked by your own Xactware ID.

The estimate is locked by collaboration (most common):

When an estimate has been checked out for collaboration, only the collaborator may do work on the estimate.  If you try to work on a  collaboration that is in progress, the estimate will be locked.

To confirm the status of the project, click theProjects tab, and right-click the assignment to open the Project Information dialog box. Changes to the assignment status are logged in the Project Notes box.   If the collaboration is in progress, cancel or complete it to remove the lock.

The estimate is locked by another user:

Either another user has the estimate open, or another user had the estimate open and an unexpected error occurred. The estimate will unlock when the user closes it or if the estimate remains idle for sixty minutes.

If you need immediate access to the estimate, open a read-only or duplicate copy of the estimate. Any data saved to the duplicate will need to be copied to the original when it is accessible.

The estimate is locked by your own Xactware ID:

Sometimes, if the browser crashes, or if you exit Xactimate Online without first logging out, you will not be able to open the estimate.

To unlock the estimate, open Xactimate Online, and click Log Out.

1. On the Sketch tab, click the Staircase arrow .
2. Select Custom. An outline of a stair appears.
3. Press Tab to rotate the stair, and click to add it to the room.
4. Drag to create stairs, and click. A landing appears.
5. Click to add the landing.
6. Drag the create the remaining stairs, and click.
7. Press Esc to complete the staircase.

1. On the Sketch tab, click the Staircase arrow .
2. Select Custom.  An outline of a stair appears.

3. Press Tab to rotate the stair, and click to add it to the room.

4. Drag to create stairs, and click.  A landing appears.
5. Click to add the landing.
6. Drag the create the remaining stairs, and click.
7. Press Esc to complete the staircase.
   

Note: To add a standard corner staircase, click the Staircase arrow , and select "L" Shaped.

 

1. Create a custom or regular staircase in Sketch.
2. Click one wall of the staircase.
3. Click the Properties icon to open the Staircase Properties window.
4. In the General group, in the Arced Wall box, select Yes.
5. Click the blue square on the staircase wall, and drag the wall to the correct arc dimension.
   
   
6. Create an arc on the opposite wall of the staircase.
   
   
7. Click the staircase, and click the Properties icon to open the Staircase Properties window.
8. In the Staircase group, in the Angled Treads box, select Yes. The angled tread tool appears on the Sketch workspace.
9. Click the angled tread crosshairs.
   
   
10. Drag the crosshairs to the desired angle.
    
    
11. When the tread is inserted into the staircase, the existing tread heights are automatically adjusted to compensate.

1. Select a staircase or staircase landing.
2. Click Properties .
3. In the Staircase group, in the Angled Treads box, select Yes. The angled tread tool appears.
4. Click the angled tread crosshairs.
5. 
   Drag the crosshairs to the desired angle.
6. Note: When an angled tread is added to a staircase, the existing tread heights are automatically adjusted to compensate.

In order to sketch a spiral staircase, you will need three pieces of information:

• The degree of rotation.
• The total number of risers.
• The riser height.

1. Click the Staircase arrow , and select Custom.
2. Add a staircase to the sketch workspace that is 6 foot 8 inches long.
3. Select the top wall, and press Delete.
4. Click the red diamonds on the top and bottom of the right wall, and drag the walls to 45 degree angles.
   
   
5. Click the wall on the left, and drag it to resize the stairs to the correct width.
   
   
6. Select the stair wall, and click the Properties icon to open the Staircase Wall Properties dialog box. In the General group, in the Arced Wall box, select Yes.
7. Click the blue box on the the wall, and drag the wall to create an arc. The arc should be at least twice the width of the stairs (at least 10 feet).
   
   
8. Select the stairs, click the red diamond on the top end of the stair wall, and drag it around to the correct degree of rotation. For most spiral staircases, this will be 45 degrees.
   
   
9. Select the stairs, and confirm the width. The top and bottom stairs should be the same width. If they are not, click the red diamond on the bottom right of the wall, and drag it to adjust.
   
   
10. Click the Line icon .
11. Draw a reference line from the intersection of the angle, towards the top wall of the stairs. This line should be equal to the current width of the stairs.
12. Select the stair wall, click the blue box at the top, and drag the wall down until the first dotted line meets the top of the reference line. This creates a consistent radius for the stairs.
    
    
13. Select the reference line and press Delete.
14. Select the stairs, and click the Properties icon to open the Staircase Properties dialog box.
15. In the Staircase group, in the Angled Treads box, select Yes.
16. Zoom in to the intersection of the angle.
    
    
17. Click the red diamond in the center of the angled treads crosshairs, and drag them down slightly, off the stairs.
    
    
18. Press Shift and drag the crosshairs back to the intersection of the angle.
19. Click the Properties icon to open the Staircase Properties dialog box.
20. In the Staircase group, in the No. of risers box, enter the number of risers on the staircase.
21. In the Staircase group, in the Riser Height box, enter the height of the risers.
22. To remove the material beneath the risers, select Yes in the Open box.
23. To remove the staircase wall, click the stair wall, click the Properties icon to open the Staircase Wall dialog box. In the Wall Type box, select Missing (end to end).
24. Click the 3D icon to view the spiral staircase in 3D view.

To view and add line items to the a room under stairs:

1. Add stairs to your sketch.
2. Click View .
3. Select Rooms Below Stairs.

Read More

1. Click Missing Wall in the Sketch Ribbon.
2. Click the Stair wall that needs to be removed.

Handrails are added automatically when sketching stairs. To remove the handrail:

1. Right-click the staircase wall.
2. Set Railing/Balustrade to No.

To add a handrail to the estimate line items:

1. In the Construction group, set Railing to Framed. The Framing group appears.
2. In the Framing group, set False Cap Treads and Railing Handrail.
3. Line items will be added to the estimate to facilitate the construction.

1. Add a staircase in sketch
2. Click Vertex .
3. Click one wall of the staircase to add a pivot point, and then drag the red diamond at the bottom of the staircase out to create an angle.
4. Select the angled wall, and then click the Properties icon to open the Staircase Properties window.
5. In the General group, set Arced Wall to Yes.
6. Click the blue square on the angled wall, and then drag the wall to create an arc.
7. Add an angle and arc to the opposite wall to finish the flared staircase.

1. Add flooring item to a room.
2. Click Flooring Orientation.
3. Move your cursor to indicate a starting direction. Red arrows will appear to show orientation.
4. Click to set flooring orientation.

After you've sketched your floor plan:

1. Right-click the level tab .
2. Select Insert Level Above to create a new level. An outline of the floor plan is visible.
3. Click Roof . A 12' by 12' outline of a gable roof appears on the sketch workspace.
4. Click to place the roof over the outline, and dimension the roof as needed.

1. On the sketch, select a room.
2. Click the Room Properties icon to open the Room Properties dialog box.
3. In the Ceiling group, in the Ceiling Type box, select Sloped, Peaked or Tray.
4. Enter the ceiling and wall measurements.
5. Click the sketch to close the Room Properties dialog box. A blue line, representing the position of the peak, appears on the sketch.
6. To change the position of the peak on a sloped or peaked ceiling:
7. Click Orientation.
8. Point to the room. A red arrow appears.
9. Position the arrow in the direction to which you want to change the peak, and then click the room.
10. When you add line items using the ceiling and wall (C) (W) variables, items are automatically calculated to account for the slope, peak or tray.

You can combine several rooms by creating missing walls and designating subrooms.

• Add missing walls
• Subgroups

1. Click the Symbols tab located below the Search pane.
2. Select a symbol and click on the sketch workspace to add the symbol to the sketch.

1. On the lower left of the sketch workspace, right-click a level tab, and select Insert Level Above or Insert Level Below to open the Level Properties dialog box.
2. In the Name box, type a name for the level.
3. Close the dialog box to save your changes.

In the Report Text category on the Parameters tab, you can define a header, opening statement, and closing statement. For the opening and closing statement, you can select from available model statements or click Edit to write your own.

1. On the Control Center tab, click Preferences.
2. In the Settings list, select Profile.
3. Select a Profile and User.
4. In the navigation menu on the left, click Defaults.
5. In the Administrative Defaults group, click the Company Header list, and select a header.
6. Click Add, and select a profile.
7. Type a code that will be used to identify the header.
8. Type the company name and information.
9. To add an image to the header, click Image.

See also: Set a default company header, Edit a company header, Company Headers

You can view reports by clicking Report Management on the Claim Info tab. Select the report you wish to view from the navigation menu on the left.

See also: Claim Reports

1. On the Claim Info tab, click Report Management.
2. On the navigation menu on the left, under Claim Reports, click General Loss Report. The main window displays the selected report.
3. Fill in the applicable information for the report.
4. Click View to view and print the report.
5. Click Export to save as a PDF.

See also: Claim Reports

1. On the Projects tab, right click the estimate that you want to transfer, and then click Send to Cloud.
2. The estimate is transferred to the cloud, and will be available in the Projects tab of Xactimate online.
3. Click Close to close the Transfer Results window.

See also: Transfer an estimate from a mobile device to Xactimate Online

• To move the default pane positions to your preference, click the top blue bar of the pane and begin dragging it.
• Arrows will appear in the center of your window and at all four edges. Drop the pane over the arrow that corresponds with the desired position.
• To auto hide the pane, click the auto hide button on the upper right of the pane.
• To resize the pane, click and drag the edges of the pane.
• To remove the pane from the Control Center Dashboard view, click Close on the upper right of the pane.

1. On the Control Center, click Dashboard.
2. In the Recent Projects pane, type a unique name for the project.
   

3. Click the Add New Project arrow, and select a project type.
4. Click the profile list and select an insurance profile.

5. Click Add New Project.

1. On the Xactimate tab, click Tools.
2. Click Install New Profiles.
3. Once you are connected to XactAnalysis, the Select Products dialog box will open. Select the profiles to install.
4. Click Next to download

If the profile you need is not available in the Select Products dialog box or if you are looking to add profiles to an online instance, please call 1-800-424-9228 to have profiles added to your key code.

See also: Select a Profile

Download a current price list

By city

1. On the Price List tab, click Request Price List(s) in the upper right corner.
2. Select the country, and enter the state/province and city.

You may select more than one city by holding down CTRL as you select them.

3. Click Download.

By zip/postal code

1. On the Price List tab, click Request Price List(s) in the upper right corner.
2. Select the country.
3. Select the Zip/Postal option.
4. Enter the zip/postal code of the needed price list.
5. Click Download.

Download an historical price list

By city

1. On the Price List tab, click Request Price List(s) in the upper right corner.
2. In the drop-down menu, under "Select a price list area for your request," select Older Xactware Price List.
3. Enter the date for the price list you want to download.
4. Select the country, and enter the state/province and city.

You may select more than one city by holding down CTRL as you select them.

5. Click Download.

By zip/postal code

1. On the Price List tab, click Request Price List(s) in the upper right corner.
2. In the drop-down menu under "Select a price list area for your request," select Older Xactware Price List.
3. Enter the date for the price list you want to download.
4. Select the country.
5. Select the Zip/Postal option.
6. Enter the zip/postal code of the needed price list.
7. Click Download.

1. On the Control Center tab, click Data Transfer to open the Data Transfer window.
2. In the Transfer Type group, select XactAnalysis, and in the Action group, select Send data via XactAnalysis.
3. In the To box, enter the XactNet Address of the user that you want to transfer the data to. Or, click the arrow on the right of the box to open the contacts list and select a contact.
4. Click the Select Item(s) button to open the Data Transfer window.
5. In the menu on the left, click the type of each item that you want to transfer and then, in the menu on the right, select the specific items that you want to transfer.
6. Click the Send button. The progress bar indicates transfer progress.
7. Click Close on the Transfer Results window.
8. On the Control Center tab, on the XactAnalysis Communications pane, click Outbox.
9. On the XactAnalysis Communications pane, click the Connect button. The XactAnalysis Connection window displays the transfer progress.
10. After the data transfer is complete, click Done.

1. On the Sketch ribbon, click Orientation.
2. Move the pointer to a roof face. A black arrow shows the current orientation, and a red arrow shows the proposed orientation of the roof slope.
3. Move the red arrow so that it points in the direction that you want the roof face to slope, and click to set the roof slope orientation.

1. Add a roof to the sketch, and add an applicable roofing item to the estimate.
2. On the Quick Entry pad, click the Item Property Editor icon to open the Item Property Editor dialog box.

3. In the Waste list, select Auto Calculate. This will be automatically selected if you set Auto Calculate as the default in Preferences.
4. In the Valley list, select the valley type for the roof.  The valley option will not be available for wood roofs.
• Open – roofing material meets along the valley, but it is cut on both sides down the center so that the material does not overlap.  Used in metal “W” applications, for example.
• Closed cut (half-laced) – Roofing material from one side extends across the valley and under the material along the opposing face, and material from the other side is cut down the center of the valley.
• Woven (full-laced) – Roofing material overlaps on alternating sides.

5. In the Include starter course in the Auto calculation list, select Yes to include enough waste in the calculation to construct the starter course with on-site materials.
6. In the Exposure list, select the amount of material to expose in the starter course. The default for this setting is determined by the material type, but can be changed as required.
7. In the Bundles/SQ list, select the rounding factor for the bundle is desired.  Otherwise, select Do Not Apply.

• The numbers in the Bundles/SQ list denote the upward rounding factor of the bundle (1/3” – 1/8”).

See also: Roof Waste Tool

The roof annotations appear by default when you create a roof in Aerial Sketch. If you prefer, you can hide the annotations.

1. On the lower right of the Sketch tab, click View.
2. Click Roof Annotations to turn them on and off. A checkmark indicates that roof annotations are visible on the sketch.