Shared drives with your spouse or roommate

You’re at the adjuster walk. They’re at the hotel with the kids. The photos are on your phone, which is at 4 percent.

That’s a bad system. Flood week splits people across cars, shelters, and job sites. The files have to live where both of you can grab them.

Pick a drive you already use. Share it. Put the claim number in the title.

Do this now

1. Create one shared folder and put the other adult on it tonight. Test that they can open it.
2. Drop in photos, the inventory, the contract, and the claim email.
3. Agree who uploads each day’s work shots so you don’t get two messy piles.
4. Turn on backup on both phones. A single cable in a wet kitchen is not a plan.
5. Write the folder link in a paper notebook too. Logins fail when you’re exhausted.

Who counts as “both of you”

Spouse, partner, roommate, the sister handling calls, the bilingual cousin talking to the crew. Anyone who might be asked “can you send the photos” at 9 p.m. If you don’t want a contractor in that folder, don’t put them in that folder. Share a smaller album for the crew.

Naming that saves a fight

Use room names and dates, not IMG_4982. Before, after, and work-in-progress as separate subfolders. If two people upload the same doorway, that’s fine. Duplicates beat a gap. Don’t sit in the hotel arguing about whose phone is the real archive.

When you don’t live together anymore

Breakups and roommate splits still have a joint claim. Share the evidence folder. Don’t hold photos hostage. If you can’t stand a joint drive, each person keeps a full copy and you send the same packet to the adjuster. The carrier does not care who is angrier.

Do this next

1. Photo and video walkthrough before cleanup erases proof
2. Room-by-room inventory spreadsheet that adjusters accept
3. Commercial providers hub

More in Document damage for claims.