Learn more about the 10 most commonly used Xactimate line items for water mitigation jobs.
When just starting to write mitigation estimates in Xactimate, it can be intimidating.
The list above is a good starting point. These items will be used on a high percentage of estimates.
Learn these codes by heart. Study them, memorize them, recite them in your sleep! Knowing these codes will help you break away from searching for line items every time. But what are these codes for? What do they include?
To start, Xactimate uses categories and selector codes to section off the more than 27,000 line items in the program.
WTR is the category code for Water Extraction and Remediation. The selector codes break down the category even further to individual line items. The selector codes consist of a base 3-4 letters. Then you can add on letters to specify additional options for the line item.
For example, you go to a job at 8 PM and start extracting. WTREXT is the code but that doesn’t cover the additional labor burden for the after hours call. So you can add an A to make this line item after hours. Got it? Let’s get into the details of the 10 mit line items listed above.
Extraction is a necessary part of many mitigation projects. EXT covers extraction with a carpet wand on carpet. But there are many variations to this base line item.
You may be extracting a hard surface (H), after hours (A), etc. Extraction also has variations on the Category of Loss.
For example, there is extracting Category 3 water (S) and also an addition for Category 2 water (G). The difference between extracting Cat 1 water on a hard surface and Cat 2 is 65%. Once again…. Use the correct line items and increase your ADS. It’s that simple.
WTRINS is for insulation. Once again, this includes bagging too.
The option for insulation that isn’t in many other selections is Confined Space (C).
Does this have to do with the OSHA-defined “Confined Space” or even a “Permit-Required Confined Space”? Not necessarily.
They put this wording here to notify you that there is an increased labor burden due to working in an area that is tight.
It will take techs longer to complete the work due to longer breaks, working in a tight space, etc. This line item could be used in an attic or crawlspace or other area not deemed a “confined space” via OSHA standards.
If you get into a situation where your qualified or competent person deems an area an actual “confined space” per OSHA requirements, this line item will not cover the additional labor burden you will incur.
Know the federal laws on these situations, perform work and bill accordingly.
This is a common Xactimate line item and one you will use often. What does it include? Labor to remove and bag wet drywall, including the screws and to discard. This also includes cleanup of drywall residue. How extensive is this cleaning? That’s advanced stuff! You can come to the Reets Drying Estimating and Negotiating class and learn how to really dig into the line items and find out after you learn the basics.
This is a line item that is per the square foot. If you are removing a small square, a sheet of drywall or an entire wall or ceiling, this is the line item for you. If you are performing this after hours (A), doing a flood cut of 4”(I) 2’ (LF) or 4’ (4), or removing Cat 3 drywall (S) then you will need to add some combination of letters to the end of the base letters of DRYW.
Is knowing the other additions that big of a deal? Let’s do some math:
Say you cut 2’ up around the entire perimeter of a 15×15 room. That is 120 sq ft of drywall removed.
In the Atlanta price list (May 2021), WTRDRYW is $.86 /sq ft. So the total would be $125.44.
Now using the correct line item, WTRDRYWLF on a 2’ flood cut, the total would be $189.
That’s over a 50% difference! $63 doesn’t seem like much. But factor that over 4 rooms in a single job…. That would be an increase of $254.20 to your average dollar sale. Just for using the correct line item!
This is another one that is easy money. But it is a necessary line item that is often missed.
This line item is used in conjunction with moving contents. These are the blue tabs or the plastic sheets you put under the feet of furniture to protect the contents.
You certainly wouldn’t want to leave wood or metal furniture on wet flooring. Even when you place someone’s furniture in another space like a garage, they should be blocked. Wet furniture legs on cold concrete can cause damage to the furniture.
Do the right thing, protect the contents.
What do you get for it? In the Atlanta price list, the line item is $42.60 per room. Place these blocks in 4 rooms on an average water loss and increase your ADS by $170.40. Over the course of 200 jobs, $34,080! Make sure these are on every truck, every morning and then use them.
If you’re doing demo, you most likely are demoing some kind of trim.
At this time, Xact doesn’t get very detailed when it comes between separating crown molding from shoe molding in the WTR category.
There is a baseboard line item (WTRBASE) but it is the same price as the trim line item.
When using TRI, note that there is no bagging. To add the bagging, make this TRIM. The description says “up to Cat 3”. This doesn’t mean it is used just for Cat 3 jobs. It means it is used up to Category 3 projects.
You may need to bag trim to prevent cross contamination, and prevent the need for additional cleaning in other areas or for ease of debris removal.
Who really wants to carry arm loads of broken up and splintered shoe mold with nails still in it? Not me… that’s for sure.
According to the 2015 IICRC S500, “Antimicrobials are substances used to destroy (biocides) or suppress growth of microorganisms on inanimate objects, surfaces and materials”.
After you apply an antimicrobial, according to instructions on the product label, you will can bill it with the line item WTR GRM.
This has an option if it was performed after hours.
It also has an option depending on the product type, spore-based (BIO) or a botanical (B).
WTRFC is the base for removing various types of flooring. This can be carpet (C), tile (T), vinyl (V) or wood (W). Each one will then have even more additives such as laminate (L) for wood or Category 3 (S) for each type of flooring.
The equipment under the WTR category does not include any labor.
To account for the time it takes to travel to the project, set up equipment, monitor atmospheric conditions on-site each day and come back to remove equipment at the end of the project, you will use EQ hours.
This time should be accurately accounted for each day.
If you have a contract with a third party, you may have a formula that is so many minutes per piece of equipment.
If you do not use a TPA to get your work, then you should do your best to track and bill for the time spent on each job.
This line item is for air movers. There is an option if you are using axial air movers (+) instead of radial or centrifugal air movers. Do I need to emphasize calculating your air movers? I hope you’re doing that on every single job, every single room.
Dehumidification should also be calculated per the standard and adjusted accordingly.
If you’re getting pushback on how much dehumidification you’re using, you may want to attend the Reets Drying Estimating and Negotiating course. We discuss this very thing.
NAFAN is used for an air filtration device. Why do you need to know this? Is this something that should be on every job?
Well, according to the IICRC S500 and considering OSHA standards you probably….. should come to the Reets Drying Estimating and Negotiating class and figure that out! The health and safety of your employees and the occupants, your customer, should be first on your mind.
In addition to that, at $71.54 per day, $286.16 over the course of 4 days…. It’s an important consideration.
This list should get you started in estimating for mitigation. Of course, there are many more line items and profitable activities that aren’t in this one article.
Once you get these down, be looking for more line items that coincide and enhance these. Once you get bundles of line items that you can use on each job, we call them, line item clusters. For more clusters, feel free to see us at Reets Drying Academy!
Want more Xactimate line items and Xactimate tips for water mitigation? Check out these other articles:
Nick Sharp has worked with Jeremy Reets for over a decade now. He started in carpet cleaning and mitigation before moving to the construction side as a project manager. He then was the senior estimator for Champion Construction for over 8 years. Since its inception in 2015, Nick has been an instructor of our Restoration Estimating & Negotiating course. His most recent venture is as a restoration estimate consultant. Nick is an Xactware Certified Trainer and is also has his Level 3 Certifications in Xact 28 and X1. He’s a bad boy on that sketch but better at finding lost money!
