The setup
A field adjuster inspects and photographs the loss, then uploads the file to a desk reviewer: often employed by a third-party firm, sometimes out-of-state. The desk reviewer builds the Xactimate estimate. The insured never meets that person.
Where it fails
- Hidden damage behind walls, in attics, under subfloors: unseen by the camera
- Matching analysis: requires seeing continuous surfaces firsthand
- Pricing: desk reviewers often default to regional averages, not Florida contractor reality
- Scope: line-items missed because the reviewer didn't physically access the area
How to counter
- Request the field adjuster's photos and notes: these are your policy record
- Get an independent contractor or IH report: actual on-site assessment
- Submit a counter-estimate with line-items, photos, and specifications
- Invoke appraisal if the carrier will not meet the documented scope
The bigger picture
Desk-review reliance is a cost-cutting decision at the carrier level. It is not an endorsement of the estimate's accuracy. Always treat the initial estimate as a starting point, not a final valuation.