Claim Documentation Requirements

Policy documents

• Declarations page (current)
• Full policy form (current)
• All endorsements
• Any personal articles floaters or schedules
• Prior year's policy if the loss occurred shortly before renewal

Loss notification

• Date, time, and description of the event
• First-notice-of-loss confirmation from the carrier
• Claim number
• Any incident reports (police, fire department)

Damage documentation

• Photographs: wide, medium, and close-up of every affected area
• Video walkthrough with narration
• Date- and timestamped
• Taken before any mitigation or repair
• Drone imagery for roofs and large-scale exterior losses
• Matterport 3D capture for total losses

Scope and measurements

• Room-by-room measurements
• Xactimate sketch (or contractor equivalent)
• Specific materials identified (make, model, SKU where possible)
• Discontinued materials noted (triggers matching statute)

Expert reports when warranted

• Industrial hygienist (mold and water)
• Structural engineer (collapse, sinkhole, foundation)
• Forensic engineer (cause and origin)
• Fire investigator (fire origin and cause)
• Electrician (lightning/surge)
• Plumber (leak source)

Contents inventory

• Room-by-room list
• Descriptions with brand, model, age where known
• Purchase receipts when available
• Replacement cost quotes for non-trivial items
• Photographs of each item where possible

Mitigation and repair records

• Mitigation contractor invoices
• Emergency repair receipts
• Tarps, board-up, water extraction, dry-out
• Daily drying log with moisture readings
• Any temporary relocation costs (ALE)

Communications

• Every email to/from the carrier
• Phone log with dates, names, and summary
• Any correspondence from the carrier (estimate, denial, settlement letter)

Financial records (commercial / BI)

• 3 years of monthly P&Ls
• Monthly bank statements
• Tax returns
• Payroll registers
• Customer / invoice history

How to organize it

Create a single claim binder or cloud folder with:

1. 1Policy folder
2. 2Event / Loss folder
3. 3Photos & Video folder
4. 4Scope & Estimate folder
5. 5Expert Reports folder
6. 6Contents folder
7. 7Mitigation / Repair folder
8. 8Communications folder (dated chronologically)
9. 9Financial folder (commercial only)