Restoration Software Glossary: What Every Tool Does

AccuLynx is a cloud-based business management platform primarily designed for roofing contractors, with features for lead management, job tracking, estimating, and production management. It is occasionally evaluated by restoration companies performing large storm losses with significant roofing components. AccuLynx is not purpose-built for insurance restoration (no Xactimate integration, no drying log support) and is not recommended as a primary job management tool for mitigation-focused restoration companies. It is most relevant when a restoration company's storm work overlaps substantially with roofing replacement.

ADP (Automatic Data Processing) is one of the largest payroll processing and human resources platforms in the United States, serving businesses from small to enterprise. ADP's RUN platform (for small businesses) and ADP Workforce Now (for mid-market) handle payroll calculation, tax deposits, W-2 and 1099 preparation, and workers' comp reporting. ADP integrates with QuickBooks Online via direct sync. For restoration companies, ADP provides more comprehensive compliance support than Gusto for multi-state workforces or companies with complex workers' comp classifications. Pricing is per-payroll-run and per-employee; generally more expensive than Gusto.

Albi is a job management platform purpose-built for restoration contractors, covering the full job lifecycle: lead management, CRM, Xactimate estimate integration, work order management, crew scheduling, field documentation, subcontractor coordination, and QBO synchronization. Albi's restoration-specific design means it understands the insurance claims workflow — TPA program tracking, supplement documentation, and carrier communication features are built in rather than adapted. Integration with QuickBooks Online allows job revenue and costs to sync into accounting with job-level detail. Pricing: subscription-based, approximately $200–$600/month depending on tier and user count.

Beacon Pro+ is the digital ordering and pricing platform for Beacon Building Products, one of the largest building materials distributors in the U.S. Restoration contractors doing roofing or exterior work use Beacon Pro+ to price materials, submit orders, and generate takeoff quantities. It integrates with estimating platforms to pull current pricing for roofing materials. Beacon Pro+ is a materials procurement tool, not a job management or estimating platform — its value is in streamlining material ordering and ensuring current pricing is used in estimates.

BILL (formerly BILL.com) is a cloud-based accounts payable and receivable automation platform that digitizes the full AP cycle: invoice capture, approval routing, payment scheduling, and payment disbursement. BILL integrates natively with QuickBooks Online, syncing approved bills into QBO after payment. For restoration companies with high subcontractor invoice volumes, BILL reduces manual AP entry, enforces approval workflows, and provides a digital record of all vendor payments. Pricing: per-user per-month, approximately $45–$55/user/month for the small business tier.

Buildertrend is a construction project management platform designed for home builders and general contractors — offering features for project scheduling, budget tracking, client communication, and document management. Some restoration companies doing substantial reconstruction work evaluate Buildertrend for the reconstruction phase. It is not designed for the mitigation phase (no drying log, no Xactimate integration, no TPA program tracking) and is not recommended as a primary platform for mitigation-focused restoration companies.

BuildOps is a field service management platform designed for commercial mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) contractors, with features for dispatching, work order management, invoicing, and project management. BuildOps is not purpose-built for insurance restoration — it lacks insurance claims workflow, TPA program management, drying documentation, and Xactimate integration. Restoration companies evaluating BuildOps should note these gaps before committing.

CompanyCam is a cloud-based photo documentation and organization platform used across the construction and restoration trades. Restoration companies use CompanyCam to: organize photos by project and location, add annotations and markers, share photo reports with clients and carriers, and create timestamped documentation of job conditions. CompanyCam is a general photo management tool — unlike Encircle, it doesn't include drying log recording or psychrometric data entry. It excels at photo organization and team sharing. CompanyCam integrates with several job management platforms. Pricing: per-user subscription, approximately $19–$29/user/month.

Dash (by Cotality, formerly part of the CoreLogic family) is a job management and business intelligence platform built specifically for restoration contractors. Dash covers: lead management, marketing ROI tracking, CRM, job documentation, TPA program tracking, Xactimate integration, and operational reporting. Dash's business intelligence layer — dashboards and KPIs around lead source, job margin, and TPA performance — differentiates it from simpler job management tools. Dash integrates with QuickBooks Online. Pricing: subscription-based, varying by company size and feature tier.

Dext (formerly Receipt Bank) is a document capture and data extraction platform that uses OCR (optical character recognition) to extract data from receipts, bills, and invoices and push them into accounting systems including QBO. For restoration companies with field technicians submitting receipts and subcontractors sending invoices, Dext reduces manual data entry and improves AP accuracy. Dext integrates directly with QBO — extracted transactions map to the correct accounts and vendors. Pricing: per-user per-month subscription.

Encircle is a cloud-based, mobile-first field documentation platform purpose-built for restoration. Core features: photo documentation with geotagging and timestamps, drying log recording (psychrometric readings, equipment placement, daily monitoring), moisture mapping, IICRC S500-compliant documentation reports, pack-out documentation, and equipment tracking. Encircle generates professional documentation reports that can be attached to Xactimate claims and supplement packages. It integrates with several job management platforms and exports drying data in IICRC-compliant formats. Pricing: subscription per company, approximately $200–$600/month.

Expensify is an expense management platform that automates employee expense reporting: workers photograph receipts, Expensify uses OCR to extract data, managers approve, and reimbursements are processed. Expensify integrates with QuickBooks Online, pushing approved expense reports as bills into QBO. For restoration companies with field teams incurring job-related expenses (materials, fuel, supplies), Expensify provides a mobile-friendly expense capture workflow. Pricing: free for limited use; paid plans approximately $10–$20/user/month.

Gusto is a cloud-based payroll, HR, and benefits administration platform designed for small and medium businesses. Gusto handles: payroll calculation and processing, federal and state tax deposits, W-2 and 1099 preparation, employee onboarding, PTO tracking, and employee benefits administration. Gusto integrates natively with QuickBooks Online — payroll journal entries sync automatically into QBO. For restoration companies, Gusto is typically the right choice for single-state operations under 50 employees. Multi-state companies with complex workers' comp classifications may benefit from ADP's more comprehensive compliance support. Pricing: per-employee per-month, approximately $6–$12/employee + $40–$80/month base.

HOVER is a technology platform that uses photogrammetry to convert smartphone photos of a structure into an accurate 3D model with measured dimensions and takeoff quantities. Insurance adjusters and restoration contractors photograph the exterior of a property from multiple angles; HOVER's software generates: roof measurements, wall square footage, window and door counts, and a 3D rendered model. HOVER is primarily used for exterior losses (hail damage, wind damage, fire) where accurate roof and siding measurements are needed for estimates. HOVER integrates with Xactimate, allowing measurements to flow directly into the estimate. Pricing: per-report fee, approximately $55–$100/property depending on scope.

Hubdoc is a document collection and data extraction platform (acquired by Xero in 2018 but still widely used with QBO) that automatically fetches bank statements, utility bills, and recurring vendor documents from online accounts — plus manual photo capture of receipts. Hubdoc extracts transaction data and pushes it into QBO with the source document attached to each transaction. For restoration companies, Hubdoc is most useful for: automating collection of recurring vendor statements, attaching source documents to QBO transactions for audit trails, and reducing manual bill entry. Pricing: typically bundled with Xero plans; standalone pricing approximately $25–$35/month.

JobNimbus is a cloud-based job management and CRM platform used across roofing, restoration, and other trades. For restoration, JobNimbus provides: lead management, contact and job tracking, document storage, workflow automation, communication tools, and financial reporting. JobNimbus is more general-purpose than Albi or Dash — it doesn't have restoration-specific features like TPA program tracking or drying log integration — but its flexibility and lower price point make it a common choice for restoration companies in earlier growth stages. QBO integration is available. Pricing: per-user per-month, approximately $25–$75/user/month.

Justworks is a Professional Employer Organization (PEO) that provides payroll processing, employee benefits, HR compliance support, and workers' compensation insurance through a co-employment arrangement. As a PEO, Justworks pools multiple companies' employees together for benefits purchasing leverage — enabling smaller restoration companies to offer competitive health insurance and other benefits. The co-employment model also provides HR compliance support and streamlines workers' comp reporting. Justworks is not a traditional payroll provider — the co-employment relationship has specific legal and administrative implications that restoration owners should understand before enrolling.

Lasso CRM (also known as Lasso) is a contact relationship management platform used by some restoration companies for tracking and nurturing business development relationships — property managers, real estate professionals, insurance agents, and adjusters. Unlike job management CRM features (which track claim-specific contacts), Lasso focuses on ongoing relationship management with referral sources. It is not a job management platform and does not integrate with Xactimate or QBO for job-level tracking.

Magicplan is a mobile app that uses smartphone cameras and augmented reality to generate accurate floor plans and room measurements. Restoration contractors use Magicplan for: generating floor plan diagrams for Xactimate estimates, documenting room dimensions and layouts after water or fire damage, and producing property sketches for supplement documentation. Magicplan integrates with Xactimate via sketch import. It's particularly useful for interior losses where accurate room dimensions are needed for materials takeoffs. Pricing: subscription-based, approximately $25–$100/month depending on tier.

MICA (Moisture Inspection and Collection Application) is a field application for recording, organizing, and reporting moisture readings in water-damaged structures. MICA enables restoration technicians to log readings from moisture meters at defined grid points across a structure, generating color-coded moisture maps and inspection reports. MICA's documentation output is used to support the scope of work (showing moisture migration extent), billing documentation (showing the need for equipment deployment), and carrier audit defense. It is a documentation tool, not a full field management platform.

MoistureMapper is a cloud-based field software platform for water damage restoration technicians, providing: digital moisture mapping with color-coded overlays, psychrometric data recording, equipment placement logging, drying progress tracking, and IICRC S500-compliant documentation report generation. MoistureMapper generates the formal drying reports that adjuster and carrier review requires. It is a specialized field documentation tool — not a full job management platform. Some restoration companies use MoistureMapper alongside a separate job management tool (Albi, Dash, JobNimbus) for full operational coverage.

PSA (Canam Restoration Software) is a job management platform with specific focus on the restoration and insurance claims workflow — including CRM, estimating workflow, Xactimate connectivity, subcontractor management, and accounting integration. PSA (formerly known under other names in the Canam platform ecosystem) is used primarily by mid-to-large restoration companies requiring more enterprise-level job management capabilities. It is less commonly encountered at small-to-mid-size operators than Albi, Dash, or JobNimbus.

QuickBooks Desktop (QBD) is the installed, non-cloud version of Intuit's QuickBooks accounting software. QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise is the highest-tier Desktop version, offering advanced inventory management, enhanced job costing, more granular user permissions, and more robust reporting than QBO. Some restoration companies — particularly those above $5M with in-house accounting staff — prefer Desktop for its job costing depth and data processing speed. QuickBooks Desktop requires local installation (or Hosted Desktop service), annual subscription, and does not have the same real-time multi-user cloud access as QBO. Intuit has been actively encouraging Desktop users to migrate to QBO.

QuickBooks Online (QBO) is Intuit's cloud-based accounting platform, accessible via web browser and mobile app. QBO is the most widely used accounting software among restoration companies. For restoration, the minimum recommended tier is QBO Plus (which includes class tracking for job-type segmentation and project tracking for job costing). QBO integrates with most job management platforms (Albi, Dash, JobNimbus), payroll platforms (Gusto, QuickBooks Payroll, ADP), and AP tools (BILL, Hubdoc, Dext). The QBO integration ecosystem is the primary reason most restoration companies standardize on it. Pricing: $100–$200/month depending on tier.

QuickBooks Time (formerly TSheets, acquired by Intuit in 2017) is a mobile time tracking platform that integrates natively with QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Payroll. Restoration field technicians use the mobile app to clock in and out by job — and optionally by job phase (mitigation, demo, reconstruction). Time entries sync directly into QBO, feeding payroll calculations and job cost reports. QuickBooks Time is the most direct solution for restoration job-level labor tracking when QBO is the accounting platform. Pricing: approximately $10/user/month plus $20/month base.

Restoration Manager is one of the longer-tenured job management platforms built specifically for restoration contractors, covering the full business cycle: CRM and lead tracking, estimating and scope management, production management, billing, accounts receivable, and QBO integration. Restoration Manager's deep restoration-specific features reflect years of development for the industry — including TPA program tracking, drying documentation, and supplement workflow. It tends to be used by more established operators who have been in the industry long enough to have adopted earlier software generations.

ServiceTitan is a comprehensive field service management platform designed primarily for residential service contractors in HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and similar trades. ServiceTitan is sometimes evaluated by restoration companies because of its strong marketing, large user base, and general operational features. However, ServiceTitan is not built for insurance restoration — it lacks: Xactimate integration, insurance claims workflow, TPA program tracking, drying log documentation, and supplement management. Restoration companies that have adopted ServiceTitan report significant workflow gaps for insurance work and typically require supplemental tools or manual processes to fill them. Not recommended as a primary platform for insurance-focused restoration companies.

Symbility (now Symbility Elements, owned by CoreLogic) is an insurance claims estimating platform that competes with Xactimate. Symbility is used primarily by insurance carriers that have standardized on the CoreLogic ecosystem — a larger share in Canada and certain U.S. markets. Like Xactimate, Symbility generates line-item estimates with carrier-approved pricing. For restoration contractors, Symbility competency is secondary to Xactimate proficiency but may be required for specific carrier relationships. Symbility's mobile estimating capabilities were historically a differentiator vs. the desktop-first Xactimate, though Xactimate has expanded its mobile tools.

Xcelerate is a restoration-specific job management platform built for mid-to-large restoration companies, covering CRM, estimating workflow, job production management, and accounting integrations. Xcelerate includes features specific to the restoration claims process: TPA program management, supplement tracking, drying documentation, and carrier communication workflows. It is positioned as an enterprise-tier job management solution for multi-crew, multi-service-line restoration operations.

Xactimate is the dominant insurance industry estimating platform, developed and maintained by Verisk. Adjusters and restoration contractors use Xactimate to build line-item property damage repair estimates from a library of thousands of pricing codes (the "price list"), updated quarterly by geographic market. The platform generates formatted estimates in a standard structure that insurance carriers accept for claims processing. Xactimate's market share (approximately 65–75% of restoration companies use it as their primary estimating platform) means proficiency with Xactimate is essentially a requirement for working with major carriers and TPA programs. Pricing: $150–$350/user/month (subscription), with enterprise pricing for high-volume users.

Xactanalysis is Verisk's web-based platform for insurance carriers, TPAs, and adjusters to manage, review, and analyze Xactimate estimates submitted by contractors. Within Xactanalysis, carriers can track estimate status, review specific line items, send reviewer notes back to contractors, approve estimates, and generate contractor performance metrics (scorecards). Restoration contractors who are preferred vendors for carrier programs submit their Xactimate estimates into the Xactanalysis system for review. Understanding that estimate patterns are visible to carrier reviewers in Xactanalysis — including O&P usage, specific line item choices, and estimate-to-payment variances — helps contractors anticipate audit scrutiny.

Xactcontents is Verisk's contents claim management platform, integrated with the Xactimate ecosystem. It provides: item-by-item inventory management for personal property losses, ACV and RCV valuation for each item, restoration vs. replacement decision tracking, settlement generation, and integration with Xactimate structural estimates. For contents restoration companies, Xactcontents is the carrier-side contents management tool — knowing how Xactcontents values items helps contractors understand carrier settlement calculations. Xactcontents is used by carriers and adjusters; restoration contractors typically use their own contents management software (or spreadsheets) to track the same data.