Expert Litigation Support — Attorneys Only
Xactimate Expert Review &
Property Damage Litigation Support
- 10+ Years as Licensed Property Adjuste
- Former Water Mitigation Contractor Owner
- Both Sides of the Claims Process
- Xactimate Expert Review & Testimony
The Advantage You Need
Most experts come from one side. I come from both
An expert who has only worked for insurance carriers understands how Xactimate estimates are built — but has never run the crew that generated the invoice. An expert who has only worked in restoration understands field operations — but has never evaluated a claim from the carrier’s perspective. That one-sided view limits what they can offer your case.
Adjuster Perspective
Over a decade handling claims for major insurance carriers
Experience evaluating hundreds of water damage losses — determining coverage, assessing scope, generating Xactimate estimates, and making the decisions that result in payments, partial payments, and denials.
This perspective allows me to identify exactly where a carrier’s adjuster undervalued a loss, misapplied an exclusion, or produced an estimate that does not reflect what your client’s repair actually requires.
Contractor Perspective
Former owner of a water mitigation and restoration company
Firsthand knowledge of how mitigation estimates are written, what equipment a job actually requires, how long proper drying takes, and which line items represent legitimate work versus inflated scope designed to maximize billing.
This perspective allows me to identify phantom equipment days, duplicate labor charges, ghost hours, unnecessary demolition, and every overbilling pattern that inflated your client’s invoice.
Why This Matters for Your Case
When opposing counsel challenges my analysis, they face an expert who understands the carrier’s methodology from the inside and the contractor’s billing practices from the inside. That dual credibility is not available from a single-perspective expert — and it is the foundation of testimony that holds up under cross-examination.
Expert Services for Attorneys
Two distinct services for two distinct cases
The same expertise applies in two litigation contexts — but the direction of analysis is different. Both services produce written expert reports, consultation support, and deposition or trial testimony.
Xactimate Expert Review — Carrier Litigation
For attorneys suing carriers on behalf of policyholders
Your client received a claim settlement far below their actual damages. The carrier’s adjuster generated an Xactimate scope of loss that understated the damage, excluded recoverable line items, or applied construction costs that do not reflect your client’s market.
I provide an independent professional analysis identifying exactly where the carrier’s estimate is deficient — missing line items, understated quantities, inaccurate unit prices, excluded code-upgrade costs, or scope that does not account for the full extent of documented damage.
- Line-by-line review of the carrier’s Xactimate estimate against documented loss
- Identification of missing, understated, and incorrectly excluded line items
- Analysis of whether local market costs were accurately reflected
- Assessment of ordinance and law coverage applicability
- Written expert report with specific findings and corrected scope
- Deposition and trial testimony explaining deficiencies to a lay audience
Xactimate Expert Review — Contractor Dispute Defense
For attorneys defending homeowners against contractor collection actions
Your client is being sued by a water mitigation contractor for an unpaid invoice — or the debt has been referred to collections. The invoice is inflated with charges your client should not owe. The contractor has a software-generated document that looks authoritative. Your client needs an expert who can dismantle it line by line.
I review the contractor’s Xactimate estimate against the IICRC S500 Standard and any independent documentation your client maintained, identifying every category of overbilling with the specific data that supports the dispute.
- Analysis of equipment billing against moisture log dry standard confirmation
- Identification of duplicate labor charges, ghost hours, phantom equipment
- Assessment of whether demolition was supported by pre-removal moisture data
- Review of whether in-place drying should have been attempted before demolition
- Written expert report quantifying each disputed item and total disputed amount
- Deposition and trial testimony on industry standards and billing practices
What I Identify in Your Client's Case
The specific overbilling patterns I find — and can testify to
Water mitigation invoice disputes follow predictable patterns. These are the line items I examine in every case — each one with a clear industry standard that defines what is legitimate and what is not.
| Pattern | Xactimate Code | What I Analyze | Industry Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equipment past dry standard | WTR LRGE / WTR AIRM | Moisture log vs. last billing day — excess days calculated | IICRC S500 — remove at ≤16% WME |
| Duplicate labor charges | HRLY TECH | Standalone labor vs. labor embedded in task line items | Labor is included in task unit prices — not billable twice |
| Ghost hours | HRLY TECH | Billed hours vs. crew log arrival/departure records | Hours billed must reflect time on site |
| Equipment inflation | WTR AIRM / WTR LRGE | Units billed vs. documented equipment count | Equipment must have been physically present |
| Unnecessary demolition | DEMO DW1/2 / DEMO FLRC | Pre-removal moisture readings vs. IICRC demolition criteria | IICRC S500 — in-place drying must be evaluated first |
| Over-demolition beyond wet zone | DEMO DW1/2 | Demolition SF vs. moisture-confirmed wet zone | Demo scope must be supported by readings |
| Reusable tools billed per job | EQUP THRM / EQUP MSTR | Standard trade tools billed as consumable per-job charges | Standard instruments are part of overhead — not billable separately |
| Unused materials billed | ANTMC / PROT BLKT | Materials listed but not used or reusable items billed as consumables | Materials must have been consumed in the work performed |
| O&P on inflated base | O&P | O&P recalculated on corrected subtotal after disputed items removed | O&P applies to legitimate charges only |
What You Receive
Deliverables designed for litigation
Every engagement produces work product designed to withstand the scrutiny of opposing counsel, deposition, and trial. Nothing vague. Nothing that cannot be defended with specific data and industry standard citation.
Written Expert Report
A structured report identifying each disputed line item, the specific basis for the dispute, the applicable industry standard, the data supporting the finding, and the corrected legitimate amount. Organized for use as a litigation exhibit.
Line-Item Dispute Summary
A clear table showing each Xactimate code, the invoiced amount, the supported amount, and the disputed amount — with the total disputed figure your client has grounds to challenge.
Industry Standard Citations
Every finding is cited to the relevant professional standard — the IICRC S500 for mitigation scope and drying protocols, Xactimate methodology documentation for billing practices, and professional industry standards for equipment and labor.
Deposition Testimony
Available for deposition in all cases where a written report has been produced. My testimony explains complex Xactimate and mitigation concepts in plain language that withstands rigorous cross-examination.
Trial Testimony
Available for trial in appropriate cases. Experienced communicating technical property damage concepts to lay judges and juries without jargon, while maintaining the precision that expert testimony requires.
Case Consultation
Hourly consultation available during case development — helping you understand the technical aspects of your client's claim, identify the strongest arguments, and prepare for opposing expert testimony.
Areas of Expertise
Specific knowledge your case can rely on
Xactimate Estimate Methodology
Deep familiarity with how Xactimate line items are structured, what each code includes, how quantities are determined, and where discretionary entries create opportunities for inflation or undervaluation.
Water Damage Mitigation Operations
Practical knowledge of how mitigation crews actually operate — what equipment a given loss requires, what dry-out timelines are reasonable, what a monitoring visit should document, and what crew deployment looks like on a legitimate job.
Water Damage Categories and Classification
IICRC Category 1, 2, and 3 classification — how water category determines appropriate scope, what documentation is required to support each category assignment, and how misclassification inflates invoices.
IICRC S500 Standard
The definitive professional standard for water damage restoration — governing equipment sizing, moisture protocols, dry standard requirements, demolition criteria, and the obligation to evaluate in-place drying before removal.
Property Insurance Claims Process
How carriers evaluate losses, how adjusters are trained and deployed, how Xactimate scopes are generated from carrier guidelines, and where the claims process produces inconsistent or deficient outcomes for policyholders.
Contractor Referal Practices and Conflicts of Interest
The kickback referral system between plumbers and mitigation contractors, Assignment of Benefits arrangements, and how financial incentive structures affect contractor billing practices and scope decisions.
Fee Schedule
Transparent, straightforward fees
Case Review & Report
$750–$2,500
Per engagement
Hourly Consultation
$150–$250
Per hour
Deposition & Trial
$200–$350
Per hour · Portal to portal
Retainer Arrangements
Discuss a Case
Expert Services
Xactimate review · Written reports · Deposition · Trial testimony · Case consultation
Geographic Coverage
Available nationally. Priority markets: Florida · Texas · California · Georgia · North Carolina · Louisiana
Response Time
All case inquiries responded to within one business day. Urgent matters accommodated where possible.
Homeowner Resource
Free dispute tools, Xactimate glossary, and letter templates for your clients at DeniedClaims.net
What Attorneys Receive
- Written report with specific findings and IICRC citations
- Line-item dispute summary with corrected totals
- Availability for deposition and trial testimony
- Consistent, defensible methodology across all cases
- Plain-language explanations of technical concepts
- Response to opposing expert positions
- Dual-perspective credibility — adjuster and contracto