Glossary

Wave Intelligence

Wave's reasoning system — the part of the product that infers job context (residential vs. commercial, water category, scope) and shapes the estimate the way an experienced estimator would. Defensive bidding is one observable result.

Wave Team·May 15, 2026

Wave Intelligence is the reasoning system at the core of the Wave product. It's the difference between a chat-to-form-filler — which translates "I tore out drywall" into a drywall line item — and a system that decides what an experienced estimator would have put on the bid for this specific loss: residential vs. commercial, water category, structural specifics, scope.

What Wave Intelligence does in practice

Infers building type — residential losses get insulation removal and HEPA vacuuming; commercial losses skip insulation when the building type wouldn't have it
Adjusts to water category — Cat 1, Cat 2, and Cat 3 reshape PPE quantities, antimicrobial dosing, containment posture, and required documentation
Re-evaluates scope holistically — adding a room reprices other rooms because Wave re-evaluates the project, not because the UI re-rendered
Bids defensively — Wave errs in the direction of including more line items, since a missed line item is worse than a deletable one. Defensive bidding is one observable consequence of Wave Intelligence, not a separate feature.