How to Write an Xactimate Supplement From a PDF Estimate
How-To
Sep 14, 2026
Zach Gardner, CEO @ClaimsFlow
Short answer: Xactimate can’t open a PDF, so supplementing from an adjuster’s PDF usually starts with hours of re-entry. Convert the PDF to ESX instead, confirm the RCV matches the adjuster’s total, then add your missing scope inside their estimate and send it back with each change marked and noted. The re-entry drops from hours to minutes, and the supplement can go out the same day.
This guide covers what a supplement is, why supplementing from a PDF is slow, the step-by-step workflow, and a short worked example.
What is a Xactimate supplement?
A supplement is a revision to an existing insurance estimate that adds scope, quantities, or pricing that the original estimate did not include. Supplements are a normal part of the claims process. The adjuster writes the initial estimate from an inspection. The contractor opens walls, finds additional damage, or identifies work required by code, and documents what was missed.
A well-written supplement does three things:
Adds the missing line items in the room and group where the work belongs
Shows what changed so the reviewer can find the additions without re-reading the whole estimate
Documents why with notes, photos, and references that tie each addition to the work required
The supplement is easier to review, and faster to approve, when it lives inside the adjuster’s estimate rather than alongside it.
Why supplementing from a PDF takes so long
Adjusters send estimates as PDFs. A PDF keeps the line item descriptions and prices but drops everything Xactimate needs to work with them: category and selector codes, the project tree, trade and activity codes, F9 notes, and dimensions.
That leaves an estimator with two options, and neither is good.
Option one: rebuild the adjuster’s estimate in Xactimate. Create a project, rebuild each room, search for each line item, match quantities and prices, then start supplementing. On a 400-line-item water loss this is three to four hours before the first added line item. On a large fire loss it can be a full day.
Option two: write a separate supplement estimate. Skip the rebuild and write only the additions in a new Xactimate project. This is faster to produce, but the reviewer now has two files that do not reference each other. The adjuster has to figure out where each added item belongs, whether it duplicates something already in scope, and how the new total reconciles with the original. Most of the questions that come back are about that reconciliation, not about the work.
Both options put the estimator in the position of manually bridging a format gap. The estimating work is the same either way. The re-entry is overhead.
How to write a supplement from a PDF estimate
The workflow has two phases. Phase 1 (Steps 1–3) gets the adjuster’s estimate into Xactimate and replaces the manual rebuild. Phase 2 (Steps 4–7) is the supplement itself.
Phase 1: Get the adjuster’s estimate into Xactimate
1. Convert the PDF to ESX. Upload the adjuster’s PDF to a PDF-to-ESX converter. Conversion takes minutes, including on large-loss files. See How to Convert a PDF to ESX for Xactimate for how the process works.
2. Verify the baseline before you download. Check that the RCV matches the adjuster’s PDF to the dollar, the line item count matches, and the rooms appear in the same structure. Review any items flagged as custom or non-standard. This is your baseline: if it doesn’t match the PDF, your supplement total won’t reconcile either. See: What to do when RCV doesn’t match.
3. Import the ESX into Xactimate. Open the converted file in Xactimate. You’re now working in the adjuster’s estimate, with their project tree and line items, not a reconstruction of it.
Phase 2: Write the supplement
4. Add the missing scope in place. Go room by room and add line items where the work belongs: demo that wasn’t included, drywall on the wall that was opened, paint masking, content manipulation, code-required items. Each addition sits next to the scope it relates to. If you already wrote your own estimate for the loss, reconcile it against the adjuster’s estimate first to find the missing scope room by room.
5. Mark your changes. Bold added and adjusted line items so a reviewer can scan for them. Leave the adjuster’s original items untouched unless you’re adjusting a quantity, and note the adjustment when you do.
6. Document each addition. Add an F9 note to each new line item explaining the work and referencing the photo, moisture reading, code section, or measurement that supports it. The note answers the reviewer’s question before they ask it.
7. Export and send. The reviewer receives one file, in their own structure, with additions marked and documented. Reviewing it means scanning for bold items and reading the notes, not reconciling two files.
Worked example: a kitchen water loss
Illustrative numbers.
An adjuster sends a 400-line PDF estimate for a water loss, with an RCV of $48,213. After demo, the restorer finds wet drywall behind the kitchen base cabinets that the estimate doesn’t include.
Phase 1 (about 10 minutes). The restorer converts the PDF to ESX and confirms the RCV reads $48,213 and the line count is 400. The adjuster’s project tree is intact, with the Kitchen under Main Level, so they import the ESX into Xactimate.
Phase 2 (about 40 minutes). They add four bolded line items in the rooms where the work belongs, each with an F9 note referencing a moisture reading or photo:
Room | Added line item | Amount |
|---|---|---|
Kitchen | Flood cut wet drywall, 2 ft (38 LF) | $418 |
Kitchen | Drywall, hung, taped and finished (76 SF) | $312 |
Kitchen | Paint walls, two coats (290 SF) | $406 |
Hallway | Mask and prep for paint | $64 |
Total additions, before tax and O&P | $1,200 |
Because the baseline matched to the dollar, every dollar between $48,213 and the new total is the restorer’s addition, and the adjuster can see exactly where each one sits. The supplement goes out the same afternoon the PDF arrived, rather than waiting for an evening rebuild.
Rebuilding vs. converting: what changes in the supplement workflow
Rebuild the PDF manually | Convert PDF to ESX | |
|---|---|---|
Time before first added line item | 2–5 hours | Under 10 minutes |
Baseline matches adjuster’s estimate | Depends on re-entry accuracy | Verified against the PDF before download |
Adjuster’s project tree | Rebuilt by hand | Preserved |
F9 notes and dimensions | Re-typed or skipped | Transferred |
Custom items in the original | Easy to miss | Flagged |
Supplement turnaround | Days, fit around field work | Same day |
The estimating judgment is identical in both columns. What changes is how much of the day is spent on re-entry before that judgment can be applied.
What to check before you send a supplement
Five minutes on this list prevents most of the back-and-forth that follows a supplement.
The baseline reconciles. Your starting RCV equals the adjuster’s PDF total. Every dollar of difference in your final total is your addition, and you can account for it.
Additions are in the right room. A line item in the wrong room reads as a duplicate.
Nothing duplicates existing scope. Search the converted estimate before adding. The item may already be there under a different description.
Every addition has a note. If you cannot write one sentence explaining why the item is needed, the reviewer will not be able to either.
Changes are visible. Bolded, grouped, or otherwise marked so the reviewer can find them in under a minute.
Photos and documentation are attached or referenced in the notes.
Common mistakes when supplementing from a PDF
Supplementing from an unverified baseline. If the re-entered or converted estimate does not match the adjuster’s total, the discrepancy shows up as a dispute about your supplement, even though the difference has nothing to do with your additions. Verify first.
Writing the supplement as a separate estimate. It is faster to produce and slower to approve. The reviewer has to do the integration work you skipped.
Adding scope without notes. Un-documented line items are the ones that get questioned. A note that references a photo or a code section usually closes the question before it opens.
Losing the adjuster’s custom items. Adjusters modify line items too. A PDF hides those modifications. If the rebuild maps them to standard items, your baseline is wrong before you start.
Waiting for a window. A four-hour rebuild gets pushed to evenings and weekends. The claim sits until then. A ten-minute conversion fits between site visits, and the supplement goes out the same day the PDF arrives.
Frequently asked questions
What is a supplement in Xactimate? A supplement is a revision to an existing estimate that adds line items, quantities, or pricing the original did not include. In Xactimate, it is written by adding to the original estimate file and marking the changes, or by writing a separate estimate that references the original. Adding to the original file is easier for a reviewer to approve.
Can you supplement an estimate directly from a PDF? Not in Xactimate. Xactimate cannot open a PDF. To supplement inside the adjuster’s estimate, you either rebuild the PDF manually in Xactimate or convert it to an ESX file and import it. Converting preserves the adjuster’s project tree, codes, and notes so your additions sit in their structure.
How long does it take to write a supplement from a PDF? Manual rebuild adds two to five hours before the first line item is added, so supplements often wait days for an open block of time. With the PDF converted to ESX in minutes, the supplement itself typically takes thirty minutes to two hours depending on scope, and can go out the same day.
Should I write a supplement as a separate estimate or add to the adjuster’s? Add to the adjuster’s estimate where possible. A separate supplement estimate forces the reviewer to reconcile two files, locate where each addition belongs, and check for duplicates. Additions marked inside the original file are faster to review and produce fewer questions.
How do I show my changes in a Xactimate supplement? Bold added and adjusted line items, keep them in the room where the work belongs, and attach an F9 note to each one explaining the addition and referencing supporting documentation. Leave the original line items unchanged so the reviewer can see exactly what is new.
Does converting a PDF to ESX preserve the adjuster’s pricing? A good conversion reproduces the PDF’s line item prices and total. Verify the Replacement Cost Value matches the PDF before you download, and review any items flagged as custom or non-standard pricing. Those are the items most likely to differ from the standard Xactimate price list.
What does PDF to ESX conversion cost compared to rebuilding? Rebuilding costs estimator hours per file, usually the most expensive hours on the team. Conversion is priced per line item or by subscription. ClaimsFlow includes the first 150 line items free, then bills per line item, with a monthly plan for higher volume.
Write your next supplement from the adjuster’s file
The supplement is the part of the job that requires an estimator. The re-entry is not. Converting the adjuster’s PDF to ESX moves the estimator’s time from transcription to scope, and moves the supplement out the same day the PDF arrives.
Upload the adjuster’s PDF, verify the conversion, and download the ESX. Your first 150 line items are free at claimsflow.io.
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