For estimators
Write the estimate.
We'll keep the file.
As an estimator, the estimate itself is only part of the job; there is also the inspection to schedule, the file to keep track of, and the invoice to send once the estimate goes out. The Claim King keeps all of that on one file, from the day the file comes in to the day it is invoiced, and tracks what you are paid for estimating separately from any appraisal fees, so the two never get mixed together.
Example estimator file
Close & invoice- File receivedMar 3
- Inspection scheduledMar 5
- Inspection completedMar 11
- Estimate submittedMar 16
- File invoicedPending
Received to estimate submitted in 13 days
Sound familiar?
The estimator file, before.
Most of the estimators I have worked with seemed to keep their files the way most everyone in this line of work does, with a spreadsheet and an inbox. These are the struggles that seemed to come up over and over.
- Which files are waiting on me?Files come in from several appraisers at once, and without one list it is easy to lose track of which ones still need an inspection scheduled and which are waiting on the estimate.
- The estimate went out, the invoice didn'tOnce the estimate is submitted the file feels finished, and the invoice is the step that seems to slip, sometimes for weeks.
- Estimating money mixed in with everything elseIf you also work appraisals, estimating fees and appraisal fees end up in the same spreadsheet, and it is hard to say what the estimating side of the business actually brings in.
- No idea how long any of it takesWithout the dates written down anywhere, you cannot say how long it takes you to get from a file coming in to an inspection, or from the estimate to getting paid.
The estimator timeline
File received to invoiced, one date at a time.
Every estimator file gets its own timeline. Record each date as it happens and the days between them are counted for you, and the Estimator Performance report averages them across every file so you can see where your work slows down.
- 01File received
- 02Inspection scheduled
- 03Inspection completed
- 04Estimate submitted
- 05File invoiced
Getting paid
Estimating money, kept on its own.
The estimate invoice and the payments against it are tracked separately from any appraisal fees on the same claim, so you can always see what the estimating work has been paid and what is still owed.
- Its own invoice, its own paymentsInvoice estimating work on its own terms and log each payment against it as it comes in.
- Unpaid invoices chase themselvesTurn on invoice reminders and an unpaid estimating invoice is emailed on a schedule you set, until it is marked paid.
- One answer to “who owes me?”The payment tracker shows invoiced, collected and outstanding across every open file.
Claim King Connect
Files arrive from the appraisers you work for.
If the appraisers who send you work also use The Claim King, they can send you the file through Connect instead of an email with attachments. It lands in your inbox to accept or decline, arrives on your side as its own job, and the shared details stay in sync in both directions, so neither of you is retyping what the other already entered.
- Accept, start, completeWork each assignment from your inbox, and the appraiser sees where it stands without having to ask.
- Their notes, on your fileInstructions sent with the assignment come across with it, along with the contacts and dates.
Questions
Estimators usually ask.
I also work appraisals. Do I need two accounts?
No. The role is set on each file, not on your account, so your estimating files and your appraisal files live side by side, each with the fields, timeline and reports that fit the work, and the money from each is tracked separately.
I write engineering reports or do expert witness work. Does that fit?
Yes. Engineer and Expert Witness are roles you can switch on in your settings. They follow the same steps as an estimator file under their own names, so a report is delivered rather than an estimate submitted, and Expert Witness adds deposition and court testimony dates.
Can I bring over the files I already have?
Yes. Claims import from a CSV, and contacts import the same way, with a preview showing which records are new and which already exist so you don't create duplicates.
What does it cost?
Claim King Core is $250 a month for your company, with 5 employee accounts and 10 client portal accounts included, and the first 30 days are free. Every price is published on the pricing page.
Get started
Bring one estimator file over this afternoon.
Thirty days free. Put your next estimator file in and see whether it feels like it was built for you.