It’s your job to document what items you had in your house, what was damaged, and how badly. But first things first, return to your property only when it is safe to do so.

Walking & inspecting the property. You need to prepare your home and belongings for inspection by walking the property and inspecting both physical structure and its contents. Be sure to take pictures of the items and the room they came from to capture the extent of the damage. If you move them outside, do not throw them away without talking to your adjuster or insurance carrier.

Separating damaged items. Next, separate your damaged items from your undamaged items into two distinct areas. This way, you and your adjuster will have an easier time reviewing the damage. If you need to, you can move all damaged items outside (AFTER you’ve taken photos to document the damage), and further separate them into various categories.

Cataloging damaged items. Once you’ve separated your damaged contents, it’s time to catalog. This step makes a huge difference for adjusters as they are reviewing your claim. Make a list of all the items that were damaged by the flood and take pictures, when you can. If possible, include: quantity, purchase date, replacement cost, description, and total loss claimed. Documentation like receipts, the photographs you took, bills, and other related documents should be attached to your list to help support your claim.

Confirm next steps for debris removal. If your city is involved with debris removal, check with your local municipality, your flood claim adjuster, and/or your flood insurance carrer about your next steps.