Over the past 40+ years, I’ve gone from tearing out carpets at age 12 for $4.50 an hour to writing million-dollar estimates.
One truth has remained constant: process comes first, and that starts with the first site visit.
Incomplete documentation creates unwanted back-and-forth. One missed image forces your team to drive back to the loss site, adding what I call “Windshield Time”—extra hours spent behind the wheel rather than on the job. Every gap in your initial documentation adds days to your cycle—and windshield—time.
The average restorer waits 60 days to get paid. With proper documentation, we’ve run pilots where the estimate got approved, the work got done, and the contractor paid in eight days.
A process with proper documentation looks like a 360° tour. It’s hard to miss something when you can create a complete visual history of the loss site with additional photo comments directly tied to the tour.
When contractors miss something, it makes it hard for the carrier to agree to a scope of work. Contractors often have to accept what a carrier will pay because they don’t have the documentation to support what they actually did or need to do. Following a consistent process where nothing is missed enables you to align on a clear scope that all parties can agree on without the back and forth.
That’s why process comes first. Complete documentation from day one eliminates back-and-forth. The whole system moves faster when you get it right the first time, improving your cycle time while getting the policyholder back in their home faster.
Nelson Higgins
Nelson is the Vice President, North America at DocuSketch. Prior to DocuSketch, Nelson was the founder and COO of XTR Consulting Inc. His home base is in Halifax, NS, Canada, but he covers projects throughout North America. He currently holds an XCT (Xactimate Certified Trainer) certificate and has held this designation for over 10 years. With more than 35 years of experience in the insurance industry from both the contractor and adjuster perspectives. He is experienced in all aspects of scoping and estimating property damages of residential and commercial buildings and has been involved in completing estimates and projects of all sizes through completion. He has gained a vast amount of knowledge on leveraging new technologies to help clients with in-depth documentation and the cycle of a claim.
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