How to document property damage for an insurance claim

Photograph and film the damage before you clean up, list what was damaged room by room, keep receipts and the damaged items, and write down every contact with the insurer. The insurer will ask for most of this. If your records were lost with the property, you can rebuild them.

What should you photograph and film?

The Minnesota Department of Commerce says to take pictures or video before you start to clean up. The Texas Department of Insurance says to do it before making any repairs. Florida’s Homeowner Claims Bill of Rights advises photos or video before and after any repairs.

What to capture:

• The building. The California Department of Insurance suggests listing everything you want to show the adjuster, such as cracks in walls, damage to floors and ceilings, and missing roof tiles. Include other structures like a garage or shed.
• Belongings. Photograph each damaged item. For appliances and electronics, FEMA’s flood claim page says to write down or photograph the make, model and serial number.
• When you found it. The Texas Department of Insurance suggests writing down the date and time you first saw the damage and what the weather was like.
• The home before the loss. The NAIC, the association of state insurance regulators, says to gather any photos or videos of the home and property from before the damage.

If you cannot see structural damage but think it is likely, the California department suggests raising it with the adjuster, who may recommend an inspection by a licensed engineer.

The North Dakota Insurance Department says photos and video are not required but are recommended, because they can help if a dispute comes up.

How do you make a room-by-room contents list?

A contents list, also called a home inventory, is a list of your personal property. The NAIC says the adjuster will ask for one if your belongings were damaged or destroyed.

Go through the home one room at a time. For each item, write down:

• what it is, with the brand and model number for appliances and electronics
• how many
• about how old it is
• where and when you bought it, and about how much you paid
• what it would cost to replace today
• what proof you have, such as a photo or receipt

That list of details comes from the California department, the North Dakota department and United Policyholders, a nonprofit.

The California department reminds owners to list clothing, sports equipment, tools, china, linens, outdoor furniture, holiday decorations and hobby materials.

What if your records were destroyed?

The NAIC says to work from memory. It suggests looking through photos on your phone, asking family and friends for photos taken inside your home, and searching online retailers to estimate costs. The California department suggests picturing each room and writing down what was in it. United Policyholders adds that credit card companies and retailers can help you reconstruct what you bought.

How long do you have?

The NAIC says the adjuster will give you some time to make the list, and that you should ask how much. If you need longer, United Policyholders suggests asking for an extension in writing.

In California, after a total loss of a primary residence in a declared state of emergency, the insurer cannot require its own inventory form if yours has substantially the same information. It must also accept grouped categories, such as clothing, books or food items, where listing each item would be impractical. Rules differ by state, so check your state’s page.

How exact does the list need to be?

List what you had, as accurately as you can. United Policyholders says honest mistakes are common and are not fraud, but that claiming items you did not have can put the whole claim at risk.

Which receipts and records should you keep?

• Emergency repairs. The NAIC says to keep all receipts for emergency repairs to give to your insurer. Its guide has a simple repair log: the repair, the cost and the date. The North Dakota department says to record the time you and your family spend on repairs as well.
• Living costs. If you cannot stay in the home, the NAIC says to keep all receipts for the extra costs, because the insurer needs them to repay you. See Additional living expenses.
• Proof of what things cost. The California department suggests putting together old receipts, bills and photographs to show the price and age of what was damaged.
• Contractor bids. The NAIC says a useful written bid details materials, prices and labor line by line.
• Replacement receipts. The Texas department says that with replacement cost coverage you will have to show you replaced an item before the company pays for it in full. Actual cash value vs replacement cost explains why.
• A police report. If the loss came from a crime such as a burglary, the Washington insurance commissioner’s office says to notify the police and keep a copy of the report.

Should you keep the damaged items?

Yes, until the adjuster has seen them or says they can go.

• The California department says not to throw out damaged items until the adjuster tells you to.
• The Minnesota department says the same, with one exception: perishable food.
• The Texas department says to keep the damaged property for the adjuster to inspect.
• Florida’s Homeowner Claims Bill of Rights advises keeping the damaged property “if feasible”.

Some things are not safe to keep. For flood claims, FEMA says to throw away flood-damaged items that could be a health risk right away, once you have documented them. It also says to keep samples of items like carpet, flooring and curtains.

Policy wording can go further. The standard fire policy in California law asks the owner to separate damaged belongings from undamaged ones and to show the insurer what remains of the property.

What goes in a claim log?

A claim log is a running record of every contact about the claim. The NAIC’s version has five headings:

1. Who you talked to
2. The name of their company
3. The date and time
4. What you talked about
5. What happens next

Keep your claim number with it, along with the adjuster’s name, company, phone number and license number.

Three habits make the log more useful:

• The Texas department suggests following up phone calls with an email or letter.
• The California department says to keep copies of everything you send to or receive from the insurer.
• United Policyholders suggests confirming agreements in writing.

What can the insurer ask you for?

The NAIC lists two things to expect: a list of damaged or destroyed belongings with any receipts you have, and a list of damage to the home and other structures. The Washington office says to be ready with receipts and photos to prove your loss.

Your policy sets out the rest. The standard fire policy in California law, for example, lets the insurer ask for:

• an inventory showing quantities, costs and the amount claimed
• a signed, sworn statement of the claim, called a proof of loss
• a look at what remains of the property
• records such as bills and invoices
• answers to questions under oath

The North Dakota department gives a similar list of an owner’s duties. There are limits. The California department says its state’s rules restrict what an insurer can demand to information that is reasonably necessary to decide the claim. United Policyholders says you must cooperate with reasonable requests, and suggests understanding your rights before you give a recorded or sworn statement.

How to file a home insurance claim explains proof of loss and its deadlines.

Do you need help with the paperwork?

You can do all of it yourself. Photos, a list and a log need time, not a license. After a large loss the contents list can be a lot of work, and United Policyholders notes that a public adjuster can help if it is overwhelming. The NAIC points out that you pay a public adjuster’s fee yourself, so check the cost first with the fee calculator or take the two-minute quiz.