Contractor estimate higher than the insurance estimate?

The real question is why they differ

An estimate is a description of work. Two descriptions of the same damage can differ in what they include, how much of it they include, how it is priced, and how the work is sequenced. Every one of those differences is identifiable.

• Quantities — measurements, areas, and counts
• Scope — what work is described at all
• Labor hours and labor rates
• Material selection and grade
• Unit pricing and pricing database differences
• Code and code-upgrade requirements
• Access, staging, and site conditions
• Detach and reset versus replacement
• Repair methodology and required procedures
• Sequencing and trade dependencies
• Complexity and coordination where appropriate
• Work omitted entirely from one estimate
• Damage documentation supporting each position

What a line-by-line comparison produces

A written reconciliation: items in both estimates, items in only one, quantity and pricing variances, and the documentation that supports or fails to support each. That reconciliation is what makes a scope disagreement discussable instead of a standoff.

For contractors and property owners

Contractors bring us estimates where a supplement was denied without explanation. Owners bring us two documents that don't resemble each other. In both cases the starting point is the same — read both, then find where they part ways.

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