How to Open an ESX File: The Xactimate Project Format Explained
An ESX file is a Xactimate project saved as a compressed archive. How to open one in Xactimate desktop and online, what comes out when you rename it to .zip, and why the import fails.
An ESX file is a Xactimate project, and opening it properly requires Xactimate desktop or Xactimate online, where the file imports into the projects list and then opens like any estimate written on that machine. The file is a ZIP-compressed archive underneath, so renaming a copy to .zip and extracting it will pull out the attached photos, but the estimate data itself stays locked in a Verisk XML format that no general viewer reads.
That distinction matters when a carrier ESX lands in an inbox at 6pm. Photos are recoverable without a license. The line items, quantities, sketch geometry and pricing are not.
What is actually inside an ESX file
An ESX contains a complete project rather than a printed report: the sketch geometry, every line item with its category, selector and calculation, the price list the estimate was written against, claim and policy information, deductibles, notes, and the photo set.
Extract a copy and the contents look like this:
- XACTDOC.ZIPXML, the estimate itself, stored as compressed XML
- Numbered image files (1.JPG, 2.JPG and so on), the project photos
- Supporting entries for anything else attached to the project
Xactimate also imports .chx, the older project extension from the Xactimate 27 and 28 era, and treats it the same way on import. Line item audio (.wav, .mp3, .m4a, .wma) and line item documents (.pdf, .docx) attach inside a project, so a well-documented ESX carries voice notes and supporting paperwork alongside the scope.
How to open an ESX file in Xactimate desktop
Two paths get the same result.
Drag and drop. Open Xactimate desktop to the projects page and drag the .esx file from the folder onto that page. Wait for the "Import Successful" confirmation, then double-click the project to open it. This is the fastest route for a single file from an adjuster.
Data Transfer. From the Project Dashboard, select Tools. Under Data Transfer, select Import. Click the folder icon to open the Browse For Folder dialog, navigate to the folder holding the .esx file, and select OK. Return to the Tools page, select Select Data to open the Data Transfer dialog, choose the data to import, and select Import.
Data Transfer is not visible to every user. If the option is missing, the account's security group needs updating in Xactimate Admin.
How to open an ESX file in Xactimate online
Xactimate online requires the Xactware ClickOnce browser extension installed before projects will launch. With the extension in place, go to the Project tab and either double-click the project or single-click it and select Open. Drag and drop importing works the same way it does on desktop.
Files checked out by another user lock to prevent two people writing over each other. An administrator can override the lock, which can leave duplicate versions of the same project in the list.
How to open an ESX file without Xactimate
No general file viewer reads a Xactimate estimate. Three approaches recover something useful.
- Rename a duplicate to .zip and extract it. Copy the file first, rename the copy from .esx to .zip, and open it. The JPGs extract cleanly and can be reviewed immediately. XACTDOC.ZIPXML will not render as readable text in a standard editor. Never rename or edit the working copy that needs to go back to the carrier, because repackaging an archive by hand corrupts the project.
- Ask the sender for the PDF. Any Xactimate license can export the estimate to PDF in a few clicks. For reading a scope, checking quantities, or reviewing what an adjuster wrote, the PDF answers the question.
- Route it through someone with a license. A partner estimator or a third-party estimating service can import the file and export the PDF.
Why an ESX import fails
Four causes cover almost every failed import.
Version mismatch. An estimate written in a newer release will not open in an older one. A file from current X1 dropped into an older installation returns an error rather than a project. Running the Xactimate update usually clears it.
Profile unavailable. The profile the estimate was written under has to exist on the importing machine. When it does not, Xactimate returns a "Profile unavailable" message. Carrier profiles are pushed through XactAdmin, so this usually means the contractor is not on that carrier's program.
Price list not installed. Pricing resolves against the price lists available locally, so an estimate written on a region and month that was never downloaded can reprice on open. Checking the price list code on the estimate before reading any dollar figure avoids a false comparison.
Corrupted transfer. Files that traveled through an email system that repackaged the attachment, or that were partially downloaded from a claims portal, fail on import. Re-downloading from the source resolves it.
ESX or PDF: ask for the right one
A carrier estimate arriving as a PDF is read-only. Rebuilding a supplement from one means retyping every line item and remeasuring every room off the printed sketch.
The ESX imports as a live project with the sketch, the quantities and the price list intact. Adding the missed WTR codes, correcting a flood cut measured in linear feet that should have been square feet, and resubmitting all happen inside the original file. Requesting the ESX rather than the PDF on any claim likely to need a supplement saves the rebuild entirely. Assignments that arrive through XactAnalysis return the same way, with the finished estimate flowing back over the network to the carrier.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can an ESX file be converted to PDF without Xactimate?
No. The PDF export runs inside Xactimate, which reads the proprietary estimate data and renders the standard reports. Converters that claim to handle the file outside Xactimate typically return partial data, dropping line items, pricing, or notes.
Does opening someone else's ESX change the pricing?
It can. Pricing resolves against the price lists installed locally, so an estimate written on a price list that is not on the importing machine may display different figures than the sender sees. Confirm the price list code on the estimate before disputing a number.
What is the difference between an ESX file and a CHX file?
CHX is the project extension from Xactimate 27 and 28. ESX is the current project format. Xactimate desktop imports both and treats either one as a normal project once it lands in the projects list.
Why does a carrier ESX open with no photos?
Photos live inside the archive, so a project that opens without them was usually exported without the images attached, or the transfer was incomplete. Requesting a fresh export, or extracting a renamed copy to confirm whether the JPGs are present, separates the two cases.
Getting the file open is the short part of the evening. Rebuilding the scope room by room, correcting the quantities, and adding every code the original estimate missed is where the hours go. Wave automates that step by turning voice notes from the job site into a full Xactimate estimate in minutes. Learn more at buildwithwave.com.
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