---
title: "Review guideline findings"
description: "Wave audits a finished estimate against the carrier program you attached and flags lines that need attention — with the program's own words beside a suggested response."
group: "estimates"
lane: "how-to"
status: "published"
publishedAt: 2026-07-31
sidebarOrder: 157
tags: ["guidelines", "audit", "how-to"]
relatedSlugs:
  - "account/set-up-guidelines"
  - "estimates/standards-rationale"
  - "estimates/add-note-to-line-item"
sidebarLabel: "Guideline findings"
---

When an estimate with an attached carrier program is finished, Wave audits it against that program's actual terms — before it goes out, not after it bounces.

## Attach a program

Pick the program when you start the job (the picker on the home composer), or anytime from the clipboard chip on the chat input. Programs come from your company's guideline library — see [Set up carrier guidelines](/docs/account/set-up-guidelines).

## Read the findings

After the audit runs, the workspace shows:

- **A coverage band** — how many rules were evaluated, and which need facts or a manual look
- **Amber indicators** on the specific line items that were flagged
- **The findings panel** — one card per flagged clause

Each finding shows the **program's own words** next to **Wave's suggested response**, grounded in your drying log and industry standards. If the suggestion holds up, one click adds it to the line's note — so the justification travels with the estimate. See [Add a note to a line item](/docs/estimates/add-note-to-line-item).

## Findings stay internal — and so do your guidelines

Findings are working notes for your team. They never appear on exported PDFs, shared links, or anything a carrier or customer sees. What *can* go out is the line note you chose to add.

The same goes for the guidelines themselves: Wave is not trained on carrier guidelines — yours or anyone's. Uploaded guidelines are read only to audit your own estimates, for the programs you attach. See [Set up carrier guidelines](/docs/account/set-up-guidelines).

## Re-running

Changed the estimate after the audit? The coverage band flags that the findings are stale and offers a re-review. Findings you've already resolved stay resolved.

## Availability

Guideline review is available on **Basic and above**, and included in the free trial. Without it, none of these surfaces appear. See [Plans and limits](/docs/billing/plan-comparison).

## Related

- [Set up carrier guidelines](/docs/account/set-up-guidelines): the library-side half
- [Standards rationale](/docs/estimates/standards-rationale): defensibility beyond any one program
- [Add a note to a line item](/docs/estimates/add-note-to-line-item)