Fire Damage Restoration Software in 2026 — Estimates, Claims & Documentation

Fire and smoke damage claims are among the most complex in property restoration. Unlike water damage — where you follow a drying protocol and the scope is relatively predictable — fire and smoke damage requires itemizing hundreds of individual line items across every affected area of a structure: char removal, odor treatment, content cleaning, structural replacement, and finish work.

Getting the estimate right the first time is critical. Supplements take weeks, and carriers push back harder on fire claims than almost any other loss type.

This guide covers the software tools restoration contractors use to document fire and smoke damage, produce insurance-grade estimates, and manage the job through completion.

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Why Fire Damage Estimating Is Uniquely Challenging Smoke travels everywhere. A kitchen fire affects the kitchen, but smoke infiltrates every room through HVAC ducts, under doors, and through wall cavities. Your estimate has to account for cleaning, deodorizing, or replacing contents and finishes in areas that weren't directly burned. Content inventory is time-consuming. Fire claims often include personal property: furniture, electronics, clothing, appliances. Inventorying, pricing, and documenting each item for contents coverage takes hours. Hidden damage is common. Heat damages framing, electrical wiring, and HVAC components that look intact from the outside. A thorough estimate requires demolition and inspection of concealed areas. O&P disputes. Insurance carriers frequently try to exclude general contractor overhead and profit (O&P) on fire claims, arguing that no GC is needed. You need documentation to defend the O&P line.

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Software Tools for Fire Damage Restoration

Xactimate (Verisk)

Xactimate is the estimating standard for fire and smoke damage. It has a comprehensive code library covering every aspect of fire restoration:

• Fire damage codes: char/soot removal by surface type, odor neutralization, ozone treatment
• Demo codes: remove and replace by material (drywall, flooring, cabinets, trim)
• Content manipulation: pack-out, cleaning by item type, storage
• O&P line items: built into the pricing engine

  For fire claims, Xactimate's line item accuracy is unmatched. The challenge is that building a full estimate for a 2,000 SF house fire takes 4–8 hours for an experienced estimator. Cost: $250–$400/license/month

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  Encircle

  Encircle is the field documentation tool of choice for fire restoration. Its photo management and room-by-room documentation workflow makes it easier to build the evidence file that supports a large fire claim:

  • Photo capture with automatic GPS and timestamp
  • Room-by-room documentation workflow
  • Affected materials tagging by room
  • Content inventory with photo per item
  • Direct sync to Xactimate and insurance platforms

    For fire claims specifically, Encircle's content inventory module is valuable — photographing and cataloging hundreds of items is painful without a systematic tool. Cost: $150–$300/month

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    CoreLogic / Symbility

    Like Xactimate, Symbility is a full insurance estimating platform. Some carriers (particularly for commercial losses) prefer Symbility. Less common than Xactimate for residential fire claims.

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    Ontrakt — AI-Powered Fire Damage Estimates

    Ontrakt uses vision AI to analyze fire and smoke damage photos and generate a structured estimate with Xactimate-style line items. For restoration contractors who want to move faster without the Xactimate learning curve: How it works for fire damage:

    1. Upload photos from each affected room and area

    2. AI categorizes damage by type: structural (charred framing, drywall), finish (paint, cabinets, flooring), mechanical (HVAC, electrical), and contents

    3. Generates line items with quantities, material costs, and labor

    4. Calculates RCV, depreciation (if applicable), ACV, and O&P

    5. Produces a formatted insurance estimate PDF What it handles well:

    • Room-by-room photo analysis with area tagging
    • Common fire damage line items (demo, clean, replace, deodorize)
    • Insurance PDF format with claim number and carrier fields
    • Fast (30–60 minutes vs 4–8 hours) Where Xactimate is still better:
      • Very large or complex losses (commercial, multi-family)
      • Carriers that require Xactimate format specifically
      • Detailed content inventory with third-party pricing Cost: $97–$397/month (includes job management, CRM, invoicing, e-signatures) Start free trial →

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        Fire Restoration Documentation Checklist

        Good documentation is what separates an approved claim from a disputed one. Here's what you need for every fire job: At time of loss:

        • [ ] Interior and exterior photos of all fire, smoke, and soot-affected areas
        • [ ] Close-up photos of charred framing, damaged mechanicals, compromised structural elements
        • [ ] Content inventory: photograph and list every damaged personal property item
        • [ ] HVAC inspection photos (smoke travels through ducts)
        • [ ] Pre-demo photos before any stabilization or debris removal Scope documentation:
          • [ ] Room-by-room scope breakdown (affected areas, damage type, required work)
          • [ ] Demolition scope: what's being removed vs. cleaned vs. left in place
          • [ ] Structural report if framing or foundation is affected
          • [ ] Environmental testing if asbestos, lead, or hazardous materials are present During mitigation:
            • [ ] Before-and-after photos for each work task
            • [ ] Odor treatment documentation (type, coverage, dwell time)
            • [ ] Equipment logs if temporary HVAC or structural support is placed Insurance claim file:
              • [ ] Estimate with RCV/ACV/depreciation/O&P
              • [ ] Proof of loss signed by homeowner
              • [ ] Subcontractor invoices if applicable
              • [ ] Supplement documentation for missed items

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                The O&P Battle

                Every restoration contractor doing insurance work knows the O&P fight. Carriers routinely try to remove the 10% overhead + 10% profit line item from fire restoration estimates, claiming the homeowner can manage their own contractors. Why you're entitled to O&P:

                O&P is appropriate when the restoration project requires coordination of multiple trades (demo crew, framer, drywall, painter, flooring, electrical, plumbing, HVAC). Fire claims almost always require this level of coordination. Documentation that supports O&P:

                • Show that you are managing multiple subcontractors or trades
                • Document scheduling, safety compliance, inspections, and warranty responsibilities
                • Reference Xactimate's pricing methodology which includes O&P for GC-managed work
                • Use your State Contractor License number on the estimate

                  If a carrier removes O&P from your estimate, submit a supplement with a cover letter explaining the coordination scope and citing the standard industry practice. Most carriers will restore it with proper documentation.

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                  Comparing Restoration Software for Fire Damage

                  | Feature | Xactimate | Encircle | Ontrakt |

                  |---|---|---|---|

                  | Insurance line item database | ★★★★★ | N/A | ★★★★ |

                  | Fire-specific scope generation | ★★★★★ | ★★★ | ★★★★ |

                  | Photo documentation | ★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★ |

                  | Content inventory | ★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★ |

                  | AI-assisted scoping | ★★ | ★★ | ★★★★★ |

                  | Job management | ★★ | ★★ | ★★★★★ |

                  | Mobile app | ★★★ | ★★★★ | ★★★★ |

                  | Monthly cost | $250–$400/user | $150–$300 | $97–$397 |

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                  Recommended Stack by Business Size Solo operator / first year:

                  Use Ontrakt for estimates, job management, and documentation. It handles 80% of fire restoration workflows at a fraction of the cost. Add Xactimate if you start getting pushback from carriers on specific line item formats. Growing firm (2–10 employees):

                  Ontrakt for job and client management. Xactimate for final estimate production on large claims. Encircle if field crews are documenting separately from the estimator. Established restoration company ($2M+):

                  Full Xactimate + Encircle + DASH stack. The complexity justifies the cost at scale.

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                  Getting Started

                  If you're a restoration contractor spending 4–8 hours per fire estimate, AI-assisted photo estimation cuts that to 45–90 minutes without sacrificing accuracy. The first claim where you recover an additional $2,000–$5,000 in missed line items pays for a year of software. Try Ontrakt free for 14 days →

                  Carrier questions? See how Ontrakt handles insurance estimates →