MODULE 1: DOCUMENTATION FUNDAMENTALS

Initial Assessments

Lesson 1.5 - The Billing Blueprint

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The Initial Assessment Is Your Baseline

It documents conditions before you start work
and determines everything that follows.
Equipment needs • Billing categories • Scope of work

All flow from what you find and document during the initial assessment.
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Before You Touch Anything

When you arrive on site,
before you start extracting water or setting equipment,
you need to assess and document.
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Assessment Components

  1. Identify the water source - Burst pipe, water heater, toilet, roof leak?
  2. Document the timeline - When did it occur? When discovered? How long?
  3. Map affected areas - Which rooms? Square footage? Materials involved?
  4. Take initial moisture readings - Baseline proving how wet it was
  5. Photograph everything - Foundation for your entire claim
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Water Categories

Critical for billing - each category affects how you bill the job

Category 1
CLEAN WATER
Sanitary source, no health risk

Supply lines, ice makers, rainwater

Lowest billing rate
Category 2
GRAY WATER
Significant contamination

Dishwasher, washing machine, toilet (urine only)

Medium billing rate
Category 3
BLACK WATER
Grossly contaminated

Sewage, flood water, toilet (feces)

Highest billing rate
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Critical Rule: Categories Only Go Up

Water category can only go UP,
never down.
Category 1 water sitting 48+ hours → Category 2

Category 2 water sitting long enough → Category 3

Contamination increases over time as bacteria grows.
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Timeline Documentation Example

Homeowner says: "The pipe broke 3 days ago"
Your documentation:

"Loss occurred 72 hours prior to arrival. Per IICRC standards,
water has been reclassified to Category 2 due to elapsed time."
This justifies Category 2 billing even though
the source was a clean water supply line.
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Equipment Calculation

IICRC S500 Standard Guidelines

1
Air mover per
10-16 sq ft
of affected floor space
1
Dehumidifier per
1,000-1,200 cu ft
of affected volume
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Show Your Math

Example Calculation:

200 sq ft affected area × 8 ft ceilings = 1,600 cubic feet

Air movers: 200 ÷ 13 (avg) = 12-15 units
Dehumidifiers: 1,600 ÷ 1,100 (avg) = 1-2 units
Document your calculations.

When adjusters see equipment counts matching industry standard formulas,
they approve. Random numbers get questioned.
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Initial Assessment Checklist

  1. Identify and photograph the water source
  2. Interview property owner about timeline
  3. Walk property with moisture meter - map all affected areas
  4. Document initial moisture readings at multiple locations
  5. Photograph all affected areas, damage, and meter readings
  6. Classify water category based on source and elapsed time
  7. Calculate equipment needs based on affected area
  8. Document everything on initial assessment form
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Time Investment

This entire process takes
30-45 minutes
on a typical job.
That 30-45 minutes protects thousands of dollars in billing.
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Module 1 Summary

How all the pieces fit together

Work Authorization
Legal standing
Initial Assessment
Baseline
Dry Logs
Process proof
Photos
Visual evidence
Together, these create a documentation package that justifies full payment.
Missing any one creates gaps that adjusters exploit.
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Coming Up: Module 2

Xactimate Mastery

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MODULE 1 COMPLETE

End of Lesson 1.5

Initial Assessments

See you in Module 2!
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MODULE 1: DOCUMENTATION FUNDAMENTALS

Module 1 Complete!

You now understand the four pillars of documentation:

Authorization • Process • Evidence • Assessment
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