Insurance claim documentation for damaged homes

What we do and what we do not do

It helps to be precise, because the law is. A contractor is not a public adjuster. In Texas, the Insurance Code forbids contractors from doing the work of a public adjuster or advertising that they will; California courts have held the same line. So we do not represent you with your insurer, interpret your policy for you, or argue the amount of the claim. If you want someone to act for you in a claim, you can hire a licensed public adjuster or an attorney, or ask your state's insurance department for help.

What we do is the part that belongs to the people doing the work: recording the damage accurately, explaining the work in terms an adjuster expects, and answering the adjuster's questions about the job when you ask us to.

What the documentation file contains

• Photographs. Wide shots of every affected room, close-ups of the damage, and photos at each stage: before tear-out, with walls open, during drying, and after the rebuild.
• Moisture readings and drying logs. A sketch of each room with readings marked, repeated on each visit, showing where materials were wet and when they reached a dry reading.
• A room-by-room scope. What was removed, what was cleaned, what was dried in place, and why.
• Line-item estimates. Each task and material on its own line, in the estimating format most insurers use, so the adjuster can compare it with their own estimate item by item.
• Lists of items discarded. Building materials and contents taken out, each photographed before disposal.

What California tells homeowners to keep

The California Department of Insurance's residential claims guide gives practical advice that holds for any loss. Make a list of every damaged item, with brand names and model numbers for appliances and electronics, and photograph the damage. Keep a claim diary of every conversation with your insurer and adjuster. Do not throw out damaged items until the adjuster tells you that you may. If the home is not safe to live in, keep receipts for relocation costs such as temporary housing and meals, because those may be covered under the policy's loss-of-use section. And avoid extensive permanent repairs before the adjuster has seen the damage.

What Texas tells homeowners to do

The Texas Department of Insurance gives similar advice for Texas claims. Take photos or video and list the damage inside and outside the house. Keep damaged items until the adjuster has had a chance to see them. Make only temporary repairs to protect the house, such as a tarp or a board over a window, and keep those receipts; permanent repairs before the insurer has seen the damage can put the claim at risk. When the settlement offer arrives, TDI suggests asking the adjuster to explain it and how the costs were calculated, and it describes an appraisal process for disputes about the amount, as opposed to whether the policy covers the loss.

How the paperwork follows the work

1. First visit. Photographs of every room before anything is moved, readings, and a sketch of the affected area.
2. Mitigation. A record of the water removal, tear-out, drying and cleaning, with daily readings.
3. Estimate. A line-item estimate for the mitigation, and one for the rebuild, written from what was actually found.
4. Adjuster's visit. If you want us there, we walk the house with the adjuster and show what we recorded.
5. Changes. Hidden damage found later is photographed and added as a supplement, with the reason it was not visible before.
6. Close-out. A final set of photos and the completed scope for your records.

Why moisture readings matter so much

Water damage is mostly invisible, and an adjuster arriving after drying has started cannot see what the walls looked like on the first day. Readings and photos fill that gap. They show why drywall was cut at a certain height, why carpet pad was removed in one room and left in another, and why the equipment stayed for the days it did. A file built this way also protects you if questions come up later about mold or a floor that cupped after the job.

Common mistakes that slow a claim

• Throwing away damaged materials or belongings before they are photographed and listed.
• Waiting for the adjuster before stopping the damage, then finding mold the next week.
• Making permanent repairs, such as a new roof or new flooring, before the insurer has inspected.
• Signing a contract that gives a contractor control over your claim or its payments.
• Losing receipts for supplies, temporary repairs and extra living costs.

Our guides on water damage restoration, fire and smoke damage and storm damage repair describe the work this paperwork records.

Sources: California Department of Insurance, Residential Property Claims Guide; Texas Department of Insurance, Home insurance guide, Tips for filing a claim and After hail or windstorms; Texas Insurance Code, Chapter 4102 (section 4102.163).