3D SCANNING ESTIMATING
3D scan technology like Matterport and DocuSketch have probably had the biggest impact on our business over the past five-six years, eliminating the need for hundreds of photos and manual upload. The larger the loss, the more critical it is that we have a virtual walkthrough at our disposal.
Many of the 3D scan software platforms will spit out a full sketch, and while they still need some tweaking and verification of measurements, they save hours of time for someone building an estimate and square footages. Additionally, these platforms often have virtual measurement tools that will allow you to measure building material with a few clicks of a mouse.
Not only do these scans help us with estimating, but they have done equally as much for communication and customer service. If an adjuster is across the country, a scan like this will give them a much clearer picture of the loss, expediting an often-arduous process.
At our location, we take three or four scans per large loss. One initial scan of the damage and property, one after mitigation and demolition, one after framing and rough-in (for Certificate of Occupancy and code compliance recordkeeping) and one final scan of the completed project.
As far as technological impact goes, it is hard to say anything holds a candle to this advancement. These scans have allowed us to make our processes and documentation more scalable and have saved countless hours.
In addition, these scans greatly increase our accuracy of reconstruction estimates due to the detail it allows increasing our profit margins. Not to mention, we do not have to drive a half an hour to take a single photo of recessed light fixtures anymore.
THE FIRE DUDES LLC/ NETWORK