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Estimate Types

Fire estimates

Describe the fire loss and Wave writes the mitigation or smoke cleaning estimate, adds drying when water was used, and prices the rebuild as a separate Fire Rebuild estimate on the same job when you're ready.

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A fire loss usually turns into more than one document: the mitigation or the smoke cleaning now, and the rebuild later. Wave writes each one as its own estimate on the same job, so each can be sent and approved on its own timeline.

What a fire estimate covers

A fire estimate is one of two things:

  • Fire mitigation: the tear-out and dry-down after a fire, when damaged materials have to come out.
  • Smoke cleaning: lighter smoke damage, cleaned in place.

One fire estimate carries one of these. If the loss needs both, ask Wave for a second fire estimate on the same job.

The rebuild (new drywall, paint, flooring and everything that gets reinstalled) is its own Fire Rebuild estimate, explained below.

Start a fire estimate

  1. On Home, type or dictate what happened in the command box, or open the job and tell Wave in the chat beside it. For example: "Fire mitigation estimate for the Garza house at 12 Elm, kitchen and hall."
  2. If you only say "fire," Wave asks which part of the fire job you're writing.
  3. Answer Wave's questions. Wave asks only what it needs, and it uses the job's notes so you don't repeat what your team already wrote down.
  4. When Wave adds work because it goes with what you described, it tells you in a short line. Delete anything that doesn't apply.

Starting the estimate uses one estimate credit. Wave needs a valid US ZIP code or Canadian postal code to price the estimate.

You can attach photos in the chat. Wave describes what's visible and compares it with the estimate, and testing decisions stay with you and your qualified professionals.

For specialty work, add a subcontractor's written scope and price. Wave puts it on the estimate as its own custom line at the sub's number.

Water and drying on a fire job

Fires are often put out with a lot of water. On a fire mitigation estimate, Wave can include drying equipment for that water. When it does, the job gets a drying log, the same way a water job does.

  • Drying logs come with Basic and above, and with the free trial. Starter includes 5 free drying logs.
  • Wave generates sample dry logs based on what real drying science would be, to help anyone on your team who is new to drying understand drying goals for the job. Enter readings daily in the grid on the Drying tab or tell Wave, and spot-check readings on site.
  • Already have a drying log? Attach it in a chat from Home or in a job's chat, and Wave reads it, answers questions about it and records any readings you tell it.
  • A smoke cleaning estimate is cleaned in place, so it has no drying equipment and no drying log.
  • A job has one drying log. Later estimates on the job share it.

If the water side of the loss is its own scope, ask Wave for a water estimate on the same job. See Water mitigation estimates.

The rebuild: a Fire Rebuild estimate

When you're ready to price the put-back, ask Wave in the job's chat: "start the fire rebuild." The Fire Rebuild estimate uses one estimate credit, and Wave tells you when it has started it.

A Fire Rebuild is a repairs estimate for a fire loss. You work through it the same way as any put-back. See Repairs estimates.

On a job with a fire estimate, you choose what comes next and ask for it, whether that's a second fire estimate, a water estimate, contents or the rebuild.

Minimum charges and overhead and profit

When the work on a fire estimate comes in under a trade's minimum, Wave adds a minimum charge line and tells you it did. If you don't want it, remove it with a line edit. You can also ask Wave to add overhead and profit to any estimate. See Overhead & Profit and minimum charges.

Export and share

Use the job's Export button:

  • PDF: build the fire estimate as an estimate or an invoice, and add the job's other estimates and the drying log to make one packet.
  • QuickBooks: if your company invoices through QuickBooks, send a draft invoice, on Basic and above.

To give a customer or adjuster a live view, create a share link. See Share an estimate.

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