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Insurance claim documentation checklist

Claims are rarely lost on cover. They are lost on evidence that went out with the debris. This runs in the order a claim actually happens, from the first hour to the settlement figure.

Your ticks stay in your browser. Nothing is sent to us, and this is general guidance, not advice.

Your policy and your carrier come first. This is general guidance on documentation, not advice, and it is not a statement of what any policy covers. Follow the instructions your carrier gives you, and read your own policy wording. If the two disagree with anything here, go with the policy.

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Stage 1 — Immediately

Safety first, then stop the loss getting worse. Both come before any paperwork.

Make sure everyone is safe and out of the building or vehicleCall the emergency services if anyone is hurt, or if there is gas, fire, structural damage or live water near electrics.
Shut off water, gas or power at the source if it is safe to do soIf reaching the shut-off is not safe, leave it and tell the carrier that is why.
Take reasonable steps to prevent further damageTarp the roof, board a window, lift soft furnishings out of water, move undamaged items clear. Most policies require this, and most also pay for it.
Do not start permanent repairs yetTemporary and emergency work is expected. Permanent repairs before the adjuster has seen the damage can cost you part of the claim.
Write down what happened while it is freshDate, time, weather, where you were, what you heard or saw first, who else was present. One paragraph is enough, written the same day.
Get names and contact details of anyone who saw itNeighbours, other drivers, passengers, contractors on site.

Stage 3 — Report the claim

Report promptly. Most policies require prompt notice, and a delay is one of the few things a carrier can decline on regardless of the damage.

Find your policy number and the declarations page before you callThe declarations page shows your limits, deductibles and what is actually on the policy.
Contact your agency or carrier claims lineYour agency can tell you whether a claim is worth filing at all, which matters when the damage is close to the deductible.
Write down the claim numberEvery later call, email and document should carry it.
Note the date and time you reported it, and who you spoke toName, role, direct number or extension if there is one.
Get the adjuster name, phone number and emailAlso ask whether they are a staff adjuster for the carrier or an independent contractor, and who their supervisor is.
Ask what happens next and whenWhen the adjuster will inspect, what forms you must return, any deadline for a proof of loss, and whether emergency repairs need pre-approval.
Ask for the carrier instructions in writing and follow themWhere they conflict with anything on this page, the policy and the carrier instructions come first.

Stage 4 — While the claim is open

Assume you will have to reconstruct the whole process months later. A log makes that possible; memory does not.

Keep a log of every call and messageDate, time, who, what was said, what they agreed to do and by when. One page, kept with the claim.
Confirm important conversations by emailA short "as I understand it, you said..." note creates a written record of a phone call.
Keep every receipt for temporary and emergency repairsTarps, board-up, water extraction, drying equipment, locksmith, tree removal for access.
Keep receipts for accommodation, meals and travel if you cannot live thereThis is the additional living expense or loss-of-use part of the policy. Ask what it covers and what the daily or total limit is before you book anything.
Dispose of nothing before the adjuster has seen itIf anything has to go sooner, photograph it, note why, and tell the adjuster in writing on the same day.
Be present at the inspection and take your own photos of itWalk the adjuster through your list. Point out anything they have not opened, lifted or looked behind.
Get your own written estimates from licensed contractorsItemised, with materials and labour separated. Two is better than one if the damage is significant.
Keep copies of everything you send, in one placeA single folder, physical or digital, named with the claim number.

Stage 5 — Settlement

The estimate is a document to be read, not a verdict. Most disagreements come down to a line item, a measurement or a depreciation figure.

Read the estimate line by line against your own listCheck room measurements, quantities, material grade and whether anything on your list is simply missing.
Ask how depreciation was calculated on each itemAsk for the age and useful-life figures used. Depreciation applied to something nearly new is worth questioning.
Ask whether the depreciation is recoverable, and how to claim itUnder replacement cost cover, the held-back depreciation is usually paid once repairs are done and invoiced. There is normally a deadline for claiming it.
Check which parts settled at replacement cost and which at actual cash valueRoofs, contents and outbuildings are the usual places a policy switches to actual cash value.
Check the deductible applied is the one on your declarations pageWatch for percentage wind, hail or hurricane deductibles applied where a flat one belongs.
Ask for any denial or reduction in writing, with the policy wording it relies onA specific clause can be checked. A general reason cannot.
If you disagree, ask what the review, appraisal and complaint routes areMost policies set out an appraisal or dispute process, and every state has an insurance department that takes complaints.
Keep copies of everything after the claim closesThe estimate, the payments, the invoices and your log. Claim history follows you to your next policy, and recoverable depreciation may still be outstanding.

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How this works

The stages are ordered by how long you have to act, not by importance. Stage 2 is the one that cannot be repeated: once the clean-up starts, the damage you did not photograph is gone.

Immediately — safety, stop further damage, note what happened.
Document — photos and video before anything is moved or binned.
Report — claim number, adjuster, dates, written instructions.
During — a log of every call, and every receipt kept.
Settlement — read the estimate line by line.

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