Knowledge base

36 of 36 rules

• KB-001

  Check every adjacent space

  High

  Take a moisture reading in every room sharing a wall, floor cavity, or ceiling plane with an affected room before closing that room.

  Trigger: any room marked affected

  S500 ch.10 Learned from a Jan 2026 job

• KB-002

  Water travels along the framing, not the floor

  High

  Where a loss originates at an exterior wall, check the sill plate along the full run of that wall, not just below the visible damage.

  Trigger: source of loss is exterior, ice, or intrusion

  S500 ch.10 Learned from a Jan 2026 job

• KB-003

  One failure point can reach six rooms

  High

  For a mechanical failure (HVAC, supply line, drain), trace the run of the line and check every room it passes through or under.

  Trigger: source of loss is HVAC, plumbing, or appliance

  S500 ch.10 Learned from a Oct 2025 job

• KB-004

  Contents are a separate line

  Advisory

  If contents must be moved to access the affected area, record it. It bills separately from mitigation.

  Trigger: any room with contents present

  Adds: CONTENT_MANIP, CONTENTS_MOVE_RESET

  Billing practice Learned from two of three jobs

• KB-005

  Structure age gates demolition

  Blocking

  For any structure built before 1981, identify suspect asbestos-containing materials and test before disturbing them. Demolition cannot begin until results are back.

  Trigger: structure.yearBuilt < 1981 AND any tear-out selected

  Adds: ASBESTOS_SURVEY_BASE, ASBESTOS_SAMPLE

  EPA NESHAP Learned from a Apr 2025 job

• KB-006

  Suspect material list

  High

  Flag 9" or 12" floor tile, sheet vinyl and its backing, popcorn or textured ceiling, pipe and duct wrap, and joint compound in pre-1981 structures.

  Trigger: structure.yearBuilt < 1981

  EPA NESHAP Learned from a Apr 2025 job

• KB-007

  Under 1% is not regulated

  Advisory

  When a composite analysis returns below 1%, the material is not regulated ACM. Do not scope abatement for it, and do record the result.

  Trigger: an asbestos result below 1% exists

  EPA NESHAP Learned from a Apr 2025 job

• KB-008

  Cause of loss must be photographed on day one

  High

  Before leaving the first visit, capture the point of entry, the path of water, the full affected elevation, and the roof or gutter line where relevant.

  Trigger: source of loss is exterior, storm, ice, or intrusion

  S500 ch.10 Learned from two of three jobs

• KB-009

  Opening a cavity commits you to cleaning it

  High

  If you drill, cut, or otherwise open a wall cavity on a Category 2 or 3 loss, scope cavity cleaning: HEPA vacuum and clean stud wall, or record why not.

  Trigger: drillHoles > 0 OR floodCut = true AND category >= 2

  Adds: HEPA_VAC_DETAILED, CLEAN_STUD_WALL

  S500 ch.12 Learned from a Oct 2025 job

• KB-010

  Cavity drying or flood cut, decide on purpose

  High

  Choose in-place cavity drying or a flood cut explicitly and record the reason. They produce different scopes and different drying times.

  Trigger: wet wall cavity confirmed

  S500 ch.12 Learned from all three jobs

• KB-011

  Category escalation is an event, not an opinion

  High

  Escalating category requires a reason code, a photograph, and a timestamp. It changes the tear-out line items, the PPE, and the containment requirement.

  Trigger: user proposes a category change

  S500 ch.10 Learned from a Jan 2026 job

• KB-012

  Microbial growth escalates the category

  High

  Visible microbial amplification on structural materials escalates the loss to Category 3. Confirm and record before proceeding.

  Trigger: technician marks a photo as showing microbial growth

  S500 ch.10 Learned from a Jan 2026 job

• KB-013

  Category 3 changes your tear-out lines

  Advisory

  On Category 3, tear-out lines take the Cat 3 rate and materials are bagged for disposal rather than salvaged.

  Trigger: category = 3

  S500 ch.12 Learned from a Apr 2025 job

• KB-014

  Category 3 requires PPE on the invoice

  High

  On Category 3, scope PPE, respirators, cartridges and HEPA filters. They are billable and they are expected by the carrier.

  Trigger: category = 3

  Adds: PPE_HAZ, PPE_GLOVES, RESPIRATOR_FULL_FACE, RESPIRATOR_CARTRIDGE, HEPA_FILTER_VAC

  S500 ch.8 Learned from a Jan 2026 job

• KB-015

  Containment on Category 3

  High

  Category 3 work areas require containment with a decon chamber or airlock, and negative air where microbial growth is present.

  Trigger: category = 3

  Adds: CONTAINMENT_BARRIER, TENSION_POST, PEEL_SEAL_ZIPPER, NEG_AIR_LARGE, HEPA_FILTER_NEG_AIR

  S500 ch.8 Learned from a Jan 2026 job

• KB-016

  Every affected material class needs a point

  High

  Place at least one monitoring point in each material class you intend to bill tear-out or drying for.

  Trigger: tear-out scoped for a material with no corresponding monitoring point

  S500 ch.10 Learned from all three jobs

• KB-017

  Unaffected baseline is mandatory

  High

  Record a dry-standard reading in an unaffected area of the same material before setting drying goals.

  Trigger: always, once any room is marked affected

  S500 ch.10 Learned from all three jobs

• KB-018

  Daily monitoring, or a written reason

  High

  Take readings daily while equipment is on site. If a day is missed, write the reason into the monitoring log, not into the estimate.

  Trigger: daysSinceLastReading >= 1 with active equipment

  S500 ch.13 Learned from two of three jobs

• KB-019

  Stabilization holds must be justified in the field record

  High

  If equipment runs in a hold pattern (pending testing, access, or approval), record the reason daily in the monitoring log.

  Trigger: equipment active AND a blocking gate is unresolved

  S500 ch.13 Learned from a Apr 2025 job

• KB-020

  Photograph the meter with the reading visible

  Advisory

  Every moisture reading needs a photo showing the meter display and the material it is on.

  Trigger: any reading recorded

  S500 ch.10 Learned from all three jobs

• KB-021

  Match the equipment to the calculator

  High

  Compare placed equipment against the calculated recommendation before leaving. Under-equipping extends the job, and every extra day is a day the carrier can question.

  Trigger: placedAirMovers < recommendedMin OR placedDehuCapacity < ahamRecommended

  S500 ch.13 Learned from a Jan 2026 job

• KB-022

  Size the dehumidifier from chamber volume and class

  High

  Calculate AHAM pints per day from the chamber volume and class of water, and place capacity at or above it.

  Trigger: always, at the equipment step

  S500 ch.13 Learned from all three jobs

• KB-023

  Photos must be attached to something

  High

  Every photo lands in a typed slot bound to a room, a material, and a checklist item.

  Trigger: always

  S500 ch.10 Learned from all three jobs

• KB-024

  Required photo slots per room

  High

  Each affected room needs, at minimum, an overview, a damage detail, a meter-in-frame shot, and a material transition shot.

  Trigger: any room marked affected

  S500 ch.10 Learned from all three jobs

• KB-025

  Signed authorization before work begins

  High

  Work authorization must be signed before mitigation starts.

  Trigger: always, before the job can move to active

  Contractual Learned from a Jan 2026 job

• KB-026

  Name the adjuster and the project manager

  Advisory

  Capture the adjuster name and direct contact, and assign a project manager, at intake.

  Trigger: always

  Claims practice Learned from a Jan 2026 job

• KB-027

  Record the price list version at intake

  Advisory

  Capture the Xactimate price list version for the zip and month of service at the start of the job.

  Trigger: always

  Contractual Learned from all three jobs

• KB-028

  Note pre-existing damage before you touch anything

  High

  Photograph and describe pre-existing damage and construction defects at intake.

  Trigger: always

  Contractual Learned from a Jan 2026 job

• KB-029

  Emergency call timing changes the rate

  Advisory

  Record the actual arrival time. After-hours arrival bills at a materially higher rate.

  Trigger: always

  Billing practice Learned from two of three jobs

• KB-030

  Separate regular from after-hours labour

  Advisory

  Log setup, take-down, monitoring and travel hours split by regular and after-hours.

  Trigger: always

  Billing practice Learned from all three jobs

• KB-031

  Every point reaches goal or carries an exception

  High

  A room cannot be closed while any monitoring point sits above its drying goal.

  Trigger: anyPoint.reading > dryingGoal at completion

  S500 ch.13 Learned from all three jobs

• KB-032

  Confirm before pulling equipment

  High

  Take a final confirming reading at every point before equipment is removed.

  Trigger: user attempts to mark equipment removed

  S500 ch.13 Learned from the warranty terms

• KB-033

  No job closes with an open point

  High

  A job cannot be marked complete while a monitoring point has no final status.

  Trigger: anyPoint.status = 'unknown' at completion

  S500 ch.13 Learned from a Oct 2025 job

• KB-034

  Photograph equipment placement and removal

  Advisory

  Photograph each unit in place at setup and record placement and removal timestamps.

  Trigger: equipment added

  S500 ch.13 Learned from all three jobs

• KB-035

  Capture the reconstruction lead on site

  Advisory

  Before leaving the final visit, ask about reconstruction and record the answer.

  Trigger: job marked complete

  Commercial Learned from all three jobs

• KB-036

  Mitigation pricing is a range, not a quote

  High

  Present a range with its drivers named. Do not present a fixed mitigation price on site.

  Trigger: always, at the scope step

  Contractual Learned from all three jobs

S500 references are paraphrased at chapter level. Production indexes your licensed copy. One rule blocks with no override: KB-005.