Document damage for claims
Photos before cleanup, inventories, water lines, serials, and reconstructing proof.
Home / Document damage for claims
Status, maps, and claim portals change by the hour. Open the org site. Do not trust a screenshot from last night.
- Texas Department of Insurance storm resources Claim FAQs and complaints. Help line 800-252-3439 if you cannot find your carrier.
- FEMA flood insurance claims NFIP claim steps. Deadlines are policy- and disaster-specific. Do not reuse a Harvey date.
- DisasterAssistance.gov Apply when a declaration covers your county. Aid generally cannot duplicate insurance.
Before photos from old listings or phone backups
You still have a "before." Old listing shots, camera rolls, and holiday photos beat a blank claim.
Commercial tenants: TI and inventory proof
Your lease decides who owns the buildout. Your photos and inventory decide whether anyone believes what was inside.
If you already threw things out: reconstructing evidence
The curb pile is gone. You can still rebuild a file from photos, statements, and people who saw the rooms.
Photo and video walkthrough before cleanup erases proof
Shoot the house before anyone tears a wall. Cleanup is good. Cleanup without proof is a weaker claim.
Room-by-room inventory spreadsheet that adjusters accept
List items by room with a name, age, and a photo. "Lots of stuff" is not an inventory.
Saving voicemails and claim emails in one place
One folder for the claim number, every voicemail, and every email. Your phone is not an archive.
Serial numbers on appliances worth claiming
Shoot the model and serial plate before the fridge goes to the curb. That sticker is the claim.
Shared drives with your spouse or roommate
One shared folder both of you can open. A claim dies when the only copy sits on a drowned laptop.
Water lines on walls: measure and shoot
The stain on the drywall is evidence. Measure it, photograph it, and don't paint it away yet.
What not to discard until the adjuster signs off
Document first. Toss what is a health hazard after you shoot it. Don't empty the house into a dumpster on a rumor.