How to document damage before you file a claim

The single biggest thing you can do for a claim happens before you file it: capture the evidence while the damage is fresh. Adjusters weren't there when it happened. Your documentation is how they see it. Days later, after cleanup and temporary repairs, that proof is gone. Here's how to get it right, in order.

Before you touch anything

1. 1

   Confirm it's safe

   Check for structural damage, gas, and electrical hazards. Shut off utilities if you need to and it's safe to do so. Get people and pets out of harm's way first.

2. 2

   Stop the damage from getting worse

   Most policies require you to take reasonable steps to prevent further loss: tarp a roof, shut off the water, board a broken window. This is your "duty to mitigate." Keep every receipt; these costs are often reimbursable.

3. 3

   Don't throw anything away yet

   Damaged belongings are evidence. Set them aside rather than hauling them to the curb. An adjuster may want to see them, and photos of an empty room prove nothing.

Build your evidence

1. 1

   Photograph and film everything

   Wide shots to establish the room, then close-ups of each damaged item and area. Capture serial numbers and labels. Video narrated as you walk through is fast and hard to argue with. More is better. You can't go back.

2. 2

   Make an itemized inventory

   List each damaged item with its age, brand and model, and a rough replacement value. Attach receipts, manuals, or order confirmations where you have them. A spreadsheet or a notes app is plenty.

3. 3

   Get independent repair estimates

   Where you can, get a written estimate from a licensed contractor or shop. It gives you an independent number to compare against the insurer's. The two rarely match.

4. 4

   Keep every receipt

   Temporary repairs and, if your home is unlivable, hotel, meals, and other extra costs may be covered under Additional Living Expenses (ALE). You can only claim what you can document.

Set up your paper trail

1. 1

   Notify your insurer promptly

   Report the loss and get a claim number. Prompt notice is a policy condition. The sooner you file, the fewer arguments about timing later.

2. 2

   Start a claim journal

   Log every call and email: the date, who you spoke to, and what was said or promised. When a claim drags on, this record is often what breaks the tie.

None of this requires special tools: a phone camera, a notes app, and a folder for receipts cover most of it. The households that get paid fairly are almost always the ones that documented early and kept a clean record. Do that first, and everything after it gets easier.