ESX File
An ESX file is the native project file format for Xactimate, containing the complete estimate - including editable line items, pricing, sketch data, photos, and notes. ESX is the required format for submitting estimates through XactAnalysis to insurance carriers.
The File Format That Runs Insurance Estimating
An ESX file is the native Xactimate project file format - the only format insurance carriers accept for estimate submissions through XactAnalysis (according to Verisk). Unlike a PDF - which is static, read-only, and cannot be edited - an ESX file contains the full estimate with editable line items, pricing data, sketch information, photos, notes, and category assignments. It is the working file that adjusters, supplement writers, and appraisers all need to do their jobs.
When someone sends you a PDF of an insurance estimate, they have sent you a picture of the data. When they send you an ESX file, they have sent you the data itself.
Why PDFs Create a Bottleneck
The single biggest time drain in the supplement workflow is converting PDF estimates into Xactimate. Here is the typical scenario: the carrier's adjuster writes a scope in Xactimate, exports it as a PDF, and sends it to the contractor. The contractor needs to write a supplement. To do that, they need the data back in Xactimate as an ESX file. But they only have a PDF.
| Task | Manual Re-Key Time | With PDF-to-ESX Tool |
|---|---|---|
| 30-line residential roof | 2-3 hours | Minutes |
| 50-line complex residential | 3-4 hours | Minutes |
| 70+ line commercial scope | 4-8 hours | Minutes |
Manual re-keying means typing every line item, quantity, unit, and price from the PDF into Xactimate. Every typo, every misread number, every wrong category assignment introduces errors that can delay the supplement or trigger a rejection.
What Is Inside an ESX File
An ESX file is a complete project container. It includes:
- Line items with selector codes, descriptions, quantities, units, and pricing
- Categories organizing items by trade (RFG, EXT, PNT, etc.)
- Sketch data with measurements and room/area definitions
- Photos attached to specific rooms or damage areas
- Notes including adjuster comments and claim narrative
- Pricing tied to the Verisk regional pricing database
- Depreciation schedules applied to each line item
All of this data is structured and editable. That is what makes it useful for supplementing - you can add missing line items, correct quantities, adjust depreciation rates, and modify the scope without starting from scratch.
Getting ESX Files When You Only Have a PDF
Ask the carrier for the ESX file first. Some carriers will provide it if the contractor or public adjuster requests it directly. If the carrier will not release the ESX file, you need a conversion path. Manually re-keying is the slow way. CapOut eliminates the re-keying step entirely. Upload the PDF, and the parsed estimate lands directly in your Xactimate account via XactNet in seconds -- no file downloads, no manual imports. Line items are grouped by trade, with categories and pricing preserved so you can start supplementing immediately. Beyond the conversion, CapOut also generates a PreCap profit breakdown by trade, context-aware material and labor orders, and an AI Claim Assistant that pulls documented responses to adjuster denials from 50,000+ adjuster emails, manufacturer specs, building codes, and adjuster training handbooks.
Further reading
Frequently asked questions
Carriers accept ESX files, not PDFs. A PDF is a static document - read-only, no editable line items. An ESX file is the native Xactimate format with editable line items, pricing, sketch data, and everything needed for the carrier to review in XactAnalysis.
A typical residential insurance estimate with 30-50 line items takes 2-3 hours to manually re-key into Xactimate. Complex commercial scopes with 70+ line items can take 4-8 hours. CapOut automates this -- upload the PDF, and the parsed estimate lands in your Xactimate account via XactNet in seconds, with line items grouped by trade.
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