CA
    ClaimArchitect

    The Claims Gap

    Why the "official" rebuild estimate often isn't the whole picture.

    The Hidden Engine Behind Most Rebuild Estimates

    When you file a property claim, your insurer doesn't guess your rebuild cost.

    They typically run everything through a carrier-focused estimating system that:

    • •Is used by many major insurance companies
    • •Relies on standardized assumptions and broad averages
    • •Helps set reference prices for labor, materials, and line items
    • •Standardizes estimates across regions and vendors

    On paper, it looks neutral and data-driven.
    In practice, it can produce estimates that don't always match current, local rebuild costs—especially after major disasters.

    Why the System Can Miss Real Rebuild Costs

    The pricing data behind many estimates may be influenced by:

    • •The economics and processes of insurance carriers
    • •Preferred vendor networks who agree to work at certain rates
    • •Surveys and samples that may not reflect current, local conditions
    • •Data that can lag behind spikes in labor and materials after wildfires, hurricanes, and freezes

    Contractors see the disconnect every day:

    The system's "standard" price

    What the software suggests a task should cost

    The actual cost on the ground

    What it really costs to get the work done right now

    Those two numbers are often very different—especially in high-value, custom homes.

    What That Means for You

    When the rebuild estimate is built on this system, most homeowners are facing:

    Underpaid claims

    The number on paper isn't enough to rebuild as-was

    Delayed projects

    Scope arguments, supplements, and back-and-forth drag on

    Financial strain

    Dipping into savings, loans, or downsizing the rebuild

    Abandoned plans

    Some families walk away or accept a smaller, compromised home

    And if they want help, the typical options are:

    • •Attorneys
    • •Public adjusters
    • •Specialized claims consultants

    They can add value—but they often charge 8–15% of total recovery, and the process is still slow, opaque, and stressful.

    The net result:

    The system is highly optimized—for carriers.
    Not for families.

    Why Disasters Make the Gap Worse

    In the wake of catastrophes like wildfires or regional disasters:

    • •Material prices spike
    • •Skilled labor becomes scarce
    • •Timelines stretch
    • •Competing demand pushes real costs up fast

    But the estimating systems used for many claims:

    • •Update slowly
    • •Don't fully reflect surge conditions
    • •Continue to standardize pricing as if nothing major has changed

    So the bigger and more complex your rebuild is, the more dangerous it is to rely on that "standard" number.

    The Unserved Market

    Despite billions of dollars in underpaid claims each year, there has been no scalable, homeowner-centric solution to:

    • •Independently verify rebuild costs
    • •Correct biased or outdated pricing
    • •Translate dense policy and estimate documents into clear, actionable information

    Until now, your choices have been:

    • •Accept the number
    • •Spend months or years fighting it
    • •Pay a large percentage of your recovery for help

    ClaimArchitect exists to change that.

    Where ClaimArchitect Fits In

    ClaimArchitect doesn't control the carrier's system.

    What we do is build a parallel system for homeowners:

    • •AI that reads your full policy and estimate
    • •Digital reconstruction of your actual home
    • •Precise takeoffs and local pricing
    • •Identification of missing or undervalued line items
    • •A builder-signed, carrier-ready valuation package

    Instead of relying entirely on a number generated for the carrier, you have a second, independent rebuild valuation built to protect you.

    What You Can Do About the Gap

    If you're looking at a rebuild estimate and thinking, "There's no way this is enough to rebuild what we had," you're probably right to question it.

    You can:

    • •Ask your contractor what it would actually cost to rebuild
    • •Talk to a public adjuster or attorney
    • •Dig into your policy and try to decode it yourself

    Or you can put a dedicated system to work for you: