Import the file into the project dashboard
An ESX is a Xactimate project file. To work on the estimate, import it into Xactimate desktop or online and open the resulting project. If you only need to read the estimate, ask the sender for a PDF as well. The PDF is useful for checking what arrived; the ESX is the file you need to continue editing.
Save the original attachment before you make changes. Keep the source PDF, if you have one, alongside it. A clear filename with the job and estimate version makes it easier to distinguish the carrier's original from the working copy your team revises.
Open an ESX in Xactimate desktop
In the desktop project dashboard, go to Tools, then Data Transfer, and choose Import. Use the folder control to locate the source folder, then Select Data to choose the ESX. Complete the import and open the project from your project list.
Verisk's desktop import instructions cover this workflow. Use the instructions for your installed version if its controls differ.
Open an ESX in Xactimate online
From Projects, choose +New Project and switch to the Import tab. Select a file from your computer, choose the ESX, open it, and select Import. Verisk also documents dragging an ESX directly onto the Projects page.
These steps are for Xactimate online. The official online import guide includes the interface screenshots. Importing the file creates the project you can then open; selecting a file in your browser alone doesn't finish the import.
Check the estimate before you work from it
A successful import tells you the file opened. Your reviewer still needs to check that the estimate represents the intended job and version. Compare a few identifiable rooms and line items with the source before treating the imported file as your working estimate.
Check room names, units, quantities, line-item activities and notes. Look for any sketch or supporting material you expected to receive. Don't assume that every ESX from every source contains the same information. Confirm the applicable price list and taxes in Xactimate before relying on the total.
If two versions produce different totals, compare the underlying scope and pricing assumptions. The estimate comparison guide walks through a review that keeps quantity changes separate from price differences.
If the ESX won't import
Start with the actual downloaded file. Confirm that the attachment finished downloading and that you selected the ESX rather than a PDF or an email preview. Renaming a PDF with an .esx extension doesn't convert its contents.
Keep the original file and record the exact import error. Ask the sender for a fresh export and identify the source application and estimate version. If the new file still fails, give that information to the sender or Xactimate support so they can investigate the file itself. Repeatedly changing its name won't repair its contents.
When the only file you have is a PDF
Ask for the original ESX first. If it isn't available, Axiom's PDF-to-ESX converter starts from the existing estimate PDF, extracts the rows into an editable draft, and lets you review the result before exporting a native ESX.
Check room assignments, descriptions, codes, units and quantities against the PDF before adding or removing scope. Then import the exported file into Xactimate and check the result there. Axiom's current pricing includes a first PDF conversion free for new accounts, then $20 per conversion; monthly plans have separate allowances.
