Cloud-Based Insurance Appraisal & Estimating Software Development

We built Craftsman’s flagship SaaS platform for insurance estimating and appraisal.
Craftsman Book Company is a trusted U.S. publisher and provider of professional construction cost data, estimating references, and appraisal tools used by contractors, appraisers, insurers, and building industry professionals. With decades of authoritative cost datasets and manuals, they serve a broad audience seeking accuracy and speed in valuation and estimating workflows.

To modernize their legacy estimation tools for today’s cloud era, Craftsman engaged our team to reimagine their core software as a robust, subscription-driven online platform tailored for appraisal and insurance cost reporting.
Roxosoft built a cloud-native solution for insurance appraisal and replacement cost estimating.
Challenge
Craftsman’s flagship National Appraisal Estimator and related estimating solutions were traditionally delivered as desktop-licensed software or regional cost books. Over time, this posed key challenges:

  • Legacy architecture limited accessibility, OS compatibility, and cloud integration.  
  • Evolving insurance market needs demanded real-time, web-accessible cost and valuation tools.
  • Professional users needed fast, browser-based workflows for insurance replacement cost reports and single-family home appraisals.  
  • Ensuring data integrity and reliability while scaling into a SaaS model was mission critical — especially for insurance and appraisal professionals who relied on accuracy and regulatory compliance.

Craftsman selected us to transform their comprehensive cost databases into an intuitive, secure, maintenance-friendly cloud platform designed for modern users.
Project Stats
This multi-year engagement reflects a deep partnership built on trust and continuous delivery — critical for a regulated domain like insurance estimates and appraisal reporting.
  • 3
    Team Size
  • 8+ years
    Project Duration
  • Support
    Current Status
Roxosoft Solution
  • Gathered Requirements
    For the success of this project, it was crucial to collect detailed and specific requirements for the new SaaS system. Craftman's main objective was to provide their users with the exact tools they needed. They simply could not afford to go through the trial-and-error development process. The new application had to be released as a production-ready, bug-free instrument that performed exactly as it was supposed to.
  • Planned Cloud Architecture
    Craftsman had developed their data gathering and publishing processes a while ago, before the cloud era. The architecture of the new cloud ecosystem needed to be carefully planned to ensure that the existing processes were preserved when necessary while also enabling cloud migration.
  • Designed Web-based UI/UX
    Craftsman had a legacy estimator product, which was designed to work on desktop computers. This product had a large and dedicated user base. However, with the shift towards cloud-based software, the Legacy Estimator was going to be discontinued. To enable a smooth transition from the desktop app to the cloud, a modern user interface was needed for the new cloud-based application.
  • Set Up Development Process
    In order to guarantee rapid and tangible advancements during the development phase, it was crucial to establish a CI/CD process at the outset of the project. We subsequently implemented a development methodology centered around weekly sprints. At the end of each week, we would conduct a review session with the client's product team and demonstrate the latest features in the same way that end users would experience them.
Portugal
R. Brito e Cunha 603
4450-088 Matosinhos
+351 911 150 764
United States
702 San Conrado Terrace, Unit 1
Sunnyvale, CA 94085
+1 650 741 1272
+1 571 335 7755
Spain
Passeig de Gracia, 17, Unit 51
Barcelona, 08007
+34 655 738 377
Contact us
Contact us to request a proposal or get a quote for your company's software development needs.