and AI-powered sketch tools, he can generate a complete carrier compliant water sketch, scope, and moisture map documentation set on his own. “It’s not because he’s the world’s best tech,” Byrom admitted. “It’s because he had the right tool.” That’s the new reality: High-skill outputs from low-skill labor—when paired with the right tech. You don’t need a black belt in restoration to deliver a perfect sketch and inspection anymore. AI is doing the heavy lifting. “You don’t have to be afraid of AI. You just have to be better than it.” Speed, accuracy, and the estimate gap At some point in your business, you’ve likely been told that claims need to be processed faster; that carriers expect a three-day turnaround on estimates. And if you’re like most contractors, you’re actually averaging nine. “They say we need to speed up,” Byrom said. “But really, what they mean is this: We will be mandated to speed us up, if we don’t start doing it fast enough.” Carriers and private equity groups are already investing heavily in AI for estimate generation and review technology. Byrom named tools like Yembo and Hosta A.I., which scan rooms, calculate costs, and even initiate homeowner payouts—all before you get on site. Some of these are coming out of academic leaders like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “That check’s going straight into their account,” he said. “And then what? The homeowner calls around, looks for someone cheaper, and now you’re stuck supplementing.” Does that sound familiar? The auto body industry has seen how this changes up the business process since they have already seen this shift in auto claims. and estimate built automatically,” he said. “That’s where this is going.” Still, AI won’t know if the sofa’s medium-density fiberboard (MDF) is swollen from water damage. It won’t catch the nuance of customer distress. It won’t interpret context as well as you can. “AI won’t get you paid faster,” Byrom clarified, “but it can help you submit faster. And submission speed is directly tied to payment speed.” Who’s training whom? Byrom provided one final takeaway: The best AI won’t come from big tech or software vendors—it’ll come from you. “The algorithm only gets smarter when you feed it,” he explained. “If you build your own workflows, train your own models, and set up your own logic, it works for you—not against you.” His app, Restoration-OS, is designed with that in mind: choose the materials, conditions, and damage levels, and the app automatically fills recommended equipment and scope line items. You’re not just guessing—you’re guiding. And when you’re guiding, you’re still in charge. How the bots really think If you think AI is always accurate, think again. “Garbage in, garbage out,” Byrom said. “AI is only as smart as the data it gets.” So, double-check everything, especially if you’re relying on tech to build your sketch or pick your line items. “Is it fiberglass reinforced plastic or drywall?” Byrom asked. “Is it Category 3 or Category 2? Was it after hours? Weighted extraction? The AI won’t know unless you tell it.” Even when an AI system recommends line items, you’re still the quality control. “You’re not the estimator anymore,” Byrom explained. “You’re the auditor.” The future is fast—and human Yes, AI is here. It’s scanning rooms. It’s building estimates. It’s replacing pencil sketches with phone scans and turning technicians into data collectors. But as Byrom reminded us, “AI doesn’t replace judgment. It replaces repetition.” The real challenge isn’t learning how to use it. It’s knowing when not to. So next time someone says you’re behind the curve, remember what Byrom said: “You don’t have to be afraid of AI. You just have to be better than it.” Context is king Byrom shared a story about working with RICOH, the global tech company behind some of the best 360-degree cameras on the market. He convinced them to integrate their imaging into his app, and now they’re exploring ways to teach AI how to recognize furniture by its cubic volume, weight, and even SKU (stock-keeping unit) numbers. “Imagine scanning a room and instantly knowing how many vaults you’ll need or getting a suggested contents list Jeff Cross is the media director of ISSA Media, which includes ISSA Today, Cleaning & Maintenance Management, and Cleanfax. He can be reached at JeffCross@ISSA.com or 740-973-4236. 24 | CLEANFAX ® FALL 2025
Cleanfax Cleanfax Fall Edition: Page 24
