Florida Insurance Claim Documentation Checklist

How to use this checklist

Print it. Tape it to the kitchen wall. Work through it stage by stage. Every item missed at one stage costs you negotiating leverage at the next. If you are working with a licensed Florida public adjuster, your PA will drive most of this — but the items you can only capture yourself (the loss moment, the moments before mitigation, the timeline) cannot be reconstructed later.

Stage 0 — Before any loss (annual)

• Current declarations page from carrier (full, all endorsements)
• Full policy form including all endorsements and amendments
• Inventory of contents — room-by-room video walkthrough (re-shoot annually)
• Photographs of every room, every interior elevation
• Photographs of every exterior elevation
• Photographs of the roof from ground level and (if accessible) from above
• Receipts for all major recent improvements (kitchens, roofs, bathrooms, HVAC)
• Insurance card for water/sewer/utility carriers (for backflow / coverage questions)
• Mortgagee information (carrier needs it on every claim)
• Carrier claim-reporting phone numbers stored in your phone
• Local licensed Florida public adjuster identified and saved (intake pre-vetted)

Stage 1 — Loss event (minutes to 48 hours)

At the moment of loss (if safe to do so)

• Stop the loss source — shutoff, board-up, tarp
• Photographs / video of the active loss before mitigation begins
• Photographs of all damaged areas before cleanup
• Photographs of the source of damage (broken pipe, missing roof section, fire origin)
• Photographs of the high-water mark (for water claims — at multiple wall locations)
• Photographs of debris fields (for storm/hurricane claims)
• Video walking through the loss with narration of what you see
• Time-stamped photographs (most phones do this automatically — verify)

Within 24-48 hours

• Notice to carrier — file the claim. Note the date/time, claim number, person who took the call
• Note carrier statements about coverage during the FNOL call (write down what they said)
• Begin a claim journal — every call, every email, every visit, dated
• Retain a licensed mitigation contractor if needed (NOT an AOB-on-clipboard restoration shop)
• Pay mitigation invoices directly OR have invoices go to the carrier — do NOT sign AOBs
• Preserve damaged property for inspection — do NOT discard items until adjuster has seen
• Photograph items before they are removed for cleanup
• Save receipts for everything you spend: tarps, fans, hotel, meals out, replacement clothing

Stage 2 — Adjuster scheduling and inspection (days 1-30)

• Carrier's acknowledgment of the claim (per Fla. Stat. 627.70131, within 7 days)
• Carrier's assignment of an adjuster — note name, license number, contact info
• Scheduled inspection date — confirm in writing
• Pre-inspection: walk the property yourself with a checklist and photos
• During inspection: be present. Take your own photos parallel to theirs
• Take notes of everything the adjuster says about coverage, scope, or causation
• After inspection: request the adjuster's scope notes and photographs (you have the right to ask)
• Note any verbal commitments and follow up in writing

Stage 3 — Estimate, decision, and settlement offer (days 14-60)

• Adjuster's scope of loss — request the written scope document
• Xactimate or other estimate — request the line-item estimate
• Coverage decision letter — denial, partial denial, or settlement offer
• Reserve any check for an under-settlement — do NOT cash without reviewing
• If denied: request the denial in writing with the specific policy provisions cited
• If partial: request the reason for the scope reductions
• Confirm whether the carrier is invoking the hurricane deductible or standard
• Confirm depreciation/RCV holdback amount and what's required to release it
• Confirm whether ordinance-or-law coverage was applied
• Confirm whether matching (Fla. Stat. 626.9744) was applied

Stage 4 — Dispute / negotiation (days 30-180)

• Independent estimate from a qualified estimator or your public adjuster
• Side-by-side comparison: carrier estimate vs independent
• Re-inspection if scope was clearly under-documented
• Engineer report if causation is contested (forensic engineering)
• Specialty contractor opinions where relevant (roofer, plumber, electrician, mold remediator)
• Photographic evidence organized by elevation / room / damage type
• Manufacturer specifications for damaged finishes (for matching claims)
• Demand letter identifying scope and pricing disputes, statute-grounded
• Appraisal demand if invoking the policy's appraisal clause
• Civil Remedy Notice if carrier is in statutory non-compliance or bad faith

Stage 5 — Resolution and post-settlement (within 18 months of loss)

• Final settlement statement
• Release language reviewed before signing
• All checks cashed and reconciled to settlement
• Mortgagee endorsement obtained on any building-coverage check
• Repair contracts with licensed contractors
• Repair photographs (before / during / after)
• Receipts for repairs preserved
• Supplemental claim filed within 18 months (Fla. Stat. 627.70132) if additional damage emerges
• Final close-out letter from carrier

Documents to maintain throughout

• Claim journal — chronological log of every call, email, inspection, and decision
• Photo archive — organized by date and area; backed up to cloud
• Receipt file — every expense related to the loss
• Email archive — all correspondence with carrier, adjuster, contractors, PA, attorney
• Estimate archive — every version of every estimate from every party

Statutory dates to track

• Day 0: Date of loss
• Day 7: Carrier acknowledgment due (Fla. Stat. 627.70131(1))
• Day 30: Carrier inspection initiation due
• Day 60: Carrier pay/deny decision due
• Day 365 / Year 1: Deadline to file a new claim from date of loss (Fla. Stat. 627.70132)
• Day 540 / 18 months: Deadline to file a supplemental claim
• CRN cure period: 60 days from CRN filing (Fla. Stat. 624.155)

What NOT to do

• Do NOT sign an Assignment of Benefits with an emergency contractor without legal review
• Do NOT cash an early settlement check without confirming it doesn't release the claim
• Do NOT discard damaged items before the adjuster inspection
• Do NOT make permanent repairs before the inspection (mitigation is fine and required)
• Do NOT communicate exclusively by phone — use email or follow up calls with emails
• Do NOT give a recorded statement without understanding what you'll be asked
• Do NOT miss statutory deadlines while waiting for the carrier to act