How to document an insurance claim: photos, inventory, receipts

What does your policy require you to document?

Your policy spells out the paperwork. The sample ISO HO-3 homeowners form lists “Duties After Loss” that the insurer can hold you to if skipping them prejudices its position: give prompt notice, protect the property from further damage and “keep an accurate record of repair expenses,” prepare an inventory of damaged personal property “showing the quantity, description, actual cash value and amount of loss” with bills and receipts attached, show the damaged property as often as reasonably required, provide records on request, and send a signed, sworn proof of loss within 60 days after the insurer asks for one.

Everything below feeds those requirements. The insurance claims hub covers the claim process itself, and our water damage claim guide follows one claim from start to finish.

How do you photograph and video the damage?

Shoot before you touch anything. FloodSmart says to take clear pictures and videos of damaged items before cleaning, fixing or throwing them out, and to capture wide shots and close-ups of walls, floors and furniture. The NAIC gives the same instruction for any homeowners claim: take photos and videos of the damage and make a list of all damaged property before you meet the adjuster.

A simple sequence covers it. Start outside and photograph every side of the house, the roof from the ground, and the yard. Move inside and shoot each room from the doorway, then medium shots of each damaged area, then close-ups of the damage itself and its source: the roof opening, the split hose, the water line. FloodSmart says to record water levels on walls, furniture and appliances, and structural damage to floors, ceilings and foundations. A tape measure in the frame helps.

FloodSmart also says to record serial numbers from electronics and appliances, which supports the contents inventory. A narrated walkthrough video, room by room, catches what still photos miss. Most phones timestamp images automatically; leave that setting on. If the damage came from a storm, our storm damage claim guide lists the exterior shots to add.

How do you build the damaged-items inventory?

The sample HO-3 asks for four columns: quantity, description, actual cash value and amount of loss. Triple-I suggests adding the approximate purchase date and the cost to repair or replace, with receipts attached when you have them. Many policies pay replacement cost only after you replace the item and submit the receipt, so United Policyholders says to keep receipts for replacements too.

Tools help. The NAIC offers a free Home Inventory app that captures photos, scans barcodes, sorts items by room or category and exports the list. United Policyholders links a sample spreadsheet and suggests a timesaver: a store’s wedding registry scanner can list and price items you owned. Price replacements at standard retailers, not discount ones, to find true replacement cost, and research online what each item costs new.

On value, United Policyholders says there is no uniform or legally binding depreciation schedule, that you can ask the insurer for the schedule it used, and that depreciation can be negotiated item by item. Do not pad. The same guidance warns that claiming items you did not own is insurance fraud, and the HO-3’s Concealment or Fraud condition voids coverage for intentional misrepresentation. If you are unsure of a value, United Policyholders suggests writing “To Be Determined” rather than guessing.

Which receipts do you need to keep?

Three kinds. First, emergency repairs. The HO-3 requires you to protect the property from further damage and keep an accurate record of repair expenses, and its Reasonable Repairs provision pays the reasonable cost of necessary measures taken solely to protect covered property from further damage. Triple-I notes those costs count toward your total settlement, so the receipts matter twice. Our guide to the duty to mitigate explains what counts as reasonable.

Second, living expenses. If a covered loss makes the home unfit to live in, the HO-3’s proof of loss asks for “receipts for additional living expenses incurred.” United Policyholders says to submit receipts for meals, lodging and purchases, and the Texas Department of Insurance notes your policy may cover hotel costs if you cannot stay home. See additional living expenses for what typically qualifies.

Third, proof of ownership and value. Florida DFS advises keeping receipts for high-value items such as televisions and computers because the insurer may require proof of cost. For items you already replaced, FloodSmart says to save receipts for repair costs and newly purchased items, and to keep warranty or manufacturer details for replaced appliances. Florida’s Homeowner Claims Bill of Rights sums it up: keep all receipts, and take photographs or video of damage before and after any repairs.

What goes in the claim diary?

A claim diary is a running record of every contact with the insurer. United Policyholders says to document every communication in a notebook or diary, and to follow any promise made by phone or in person with a short email or letter so there is a paper trail. Its general tips add the names and job titles of everyone you speak with, and the names of their supervisors.

Florida DFS suggests the format: the date and time of each call, the reason, and whether you reached someone or left a message. DFS also says to use email as much as possible, because statutes require insurers to acknowledge claim correspondence and decide claims within set periods, and email proves the dates. Under Fla. Stat. 627.70131, every communication about your claim must include the name and license number of the adjuster handling it, so write those down too. FloodSmart’s checklist asks flood policyholders to log every conversation with insurer, adjuster and contractors the same way.

Keep the diary with copies of everything you send and receive. Triple-I says to keep copies of all documents you submit and everything the insurer gives you. Our guide to dealing with the adjuster explains how that record helps when you disagree.

Should you keep samples and damaged items?

Keep what you safely can until the adjuster has seen it. FloodSmart says not to discard anything before the adjuster sees it unless it is a health hazard or local law requires disposal. The Texas Department of Insurance says not to throw anything away until the insurer tells you to, and Florida’s Homeowner Claims Bill of Rights says to keep the damaged property if feasible. Separate damaged items from undamaged ones; the NFIP policy form asks for that so the adjuster can examine them.

Some things cannot wait. FloodSmart says that after taking photos, you should immediately throw away anything that could be a health risk, such as spoiled food or moldy clothing, cushions and pillows. Wet carpet, drywall and insulation often cannot wait for an inspection either. That is where samples come in. FloodSmart’s claims checklist says to keep samples of carpet, flooring, blinds and similar materials if they must be discarded, and its documentation page suggests small pieces of damaged carpet, drywall or insulation to help prove your losses.

Cut a piece a few inches across, bag it, and label the room and location. For mold claims, United Policyholders notes you may need to hold onto contaminated items until they can be lab tested. Our what to throw away after a flood guide covers the health side of the decision.

What if you already threw things away?

You can still document the loss. Triple-I says to work from memory if records are gone. The NAIC suggests reviewing photos on your phone and photos from family and friends, and checking online retailers to estimate costs. United Policyholders adds that credit card companies and retailers can help reconstruct purchases and identify replacement costs, that friends and family may have photos taken inside your home, and that your descriptions along with those of witnesses and family members should generally suffice when written or photographic proof was destroyed.

Go room by room from memory and use every list you can find. United Policyholders says it is better to have an incomplete list than none at all, and to start with recent purchases and the most valuable items. If you need more time, it suggests a written request for a reasonable extension.

Be honest about what is an estimate. Note where your recollection is uncertain, and keep the reconstruction separate from items you can prove. For flood claims, FEMA’s answer to whether you must document items before removing them is yes, so if removal is still ahead of you, photograph first.

How do you store and back up the claim file?

Keep two copies in two places. The NAIC suggests storing the inventory somewhere safe off-site, such as a safe deposit box or online, and reviewing it yearly. United Policyholders recommends keeping the photos, video and list on your computer and a copy on a USB drive or external hard drive in a fireproof safe or safe deposit box. Florida DFS says to keep insurance and financial papers, including inventory records, in a secure, accessible place such as a safe deposit box or with a relative or friend, and to take the records with you if you evacuate.

Cloud storage does the same job for photos and scans. Export the inventory from whatever app you use; the NAIC app allows export at any time. Keep the originals. Florida DFS says never to give original documents or photos to anyone; send copies and keep the source files.

What are Florida’s documentation deadlines?

Florida does not tell you what to photograph, but it sets the outer clock. Under Fla. Stat. 627.70132, notice of a new or reopened property claim must reach the insurer within one year after the date of loss, and a supplemental claim within 18 months. For hurricanes, the date of loss is the landfall date. Your policy may require faster notice.

Your documentation also drives the insurer’s deadlines. Under Fla. Stat. 627.70131, the insurer must begin its investigation within 7 days and finish any physical inspection within 30 days after it receives your proof-of-loss statements, and its clock pauses if you do not answer a request for material claim information within 10 days. The insurer must send you the Homeowner Claims Bill of Rights within 14 days of your first claim communication (Fla. Stat. 627.7142); its advice on photos, receipts and damaged property matches the list above. We explain the rules; for your own claim, ask your insurer, Florida DFS, a licensed public adjuster or an attorney.