Short answer: Don't submit a Proof of Loss until you've documented the full scope of damage and confirmed the claim amount with a complete Xactimate estimate. A POL is sworn under penalty of perjury: once submitted, the amount is binding, and later increases require substantial justification.
What a POL is
A Proof of Loss is a formal, sworn document listing:
- The damaged property
- The amount claimed
- The date and cause of loss
- Your ownership interest
Signed under penalty of perjury. Notarized.
Why carriers request it
Most Florida policies require POL submission within 60 days of the carrier's request. It's an administrative step, but also a tactical one, because once sworn, the amount is harder to change upward.
What to do before submitting
- Full scope documentation: every damaged item, photographed and measured
- Complete Xactimate estimate: capturing all scope
- All coverage analysis: ALE, code upgrades, matching, contents, BI
- Itemized claim amount, not a round number
What NOT to do
- Don't submit a rough estimate
- Don't submit the carrier's low estimate (that locks in their number)
- Don't miss the deadline (that supports denial)
- Don't swear to an amount you haven't fully documented
How Ocean Point handles POLs
We prepare POLs with the full Xactimate estimate as the underlying detail. The sworn amount reflects the actual scope.