What to do before the insurance adjuster arrives

Get your photos, receipts and notes into one place, and write down what you personally observed. Speed matters because memory fades and cleanup removes evidence, and the visit goes better when your record is ready. Separate what you saw from what a contractor told you, and be ready to say plainly when you do not know a cause or a date.

Do this now

1
Put every photo and video in one place, oldest first.
Before cleanup, during cleanup, and now.
2
Write a short timeline in your own words.
When you found it, what you did, who came, and what each person said.
3
Gather receipts and invoices for anything already spent.
Emergency work, materials, lodging, replacement of necessities.
4
List damaged property, room by room.
What it is, roughly when you got it, and a photo of each item where you can.
5
Read your policy's duties after loss section before the visit.
It describes your side of the paperwork, including records and proof of loss.

Your situation

A few quick questions

Answer what you know. Not sure is a real answer.

Has the loss been reported?

Has cleanup started?

Do you have photos from before cleanup?

Why your policy matters

Different provisions in your own policy may apply to a situation like this, and they are not all in the same place in the document.

After reads the documents you upload and shows you the wording, word for word, with the page it came from.

After does not decide coverage. Your policy, the facts of the loss, applicable law and your insurer decide how a claim is handled.

How the water entered, which is usually written as its own provision.
Tear out and replace, meaning opening walls or floors to reach the damage.
The mold or fungi limit, which is often a separate figure.
Your deductible, including any separate wind or named storm deductible.
Loss of Use, the wording about living somewhere else.
Duties after loss, meaning prompt notice, records and receipts.

See what your policy actually says

Free to start. Private policy analysis. No insurance jargon.

Questions people ask

Can I record the adjuster visit?

Recording rules vary by state and by the people present. A simpler practice is to take your own notes and photos during the visit, and to write down who attended and what was discussed.

Should my contractor be there?

Many homeowners ask the contractor or restoration crew to attend so the scope of work can be discussed directly. That is your call. Keep each person's findings recorded separately.

What if I do not know what caused it?

Say that. Tell them what you know and do not guess about cause or timing. Clearly separate what you saw from what a plumber, inspector or engineer told you.

What if professionals disagree about the cause?

Keep each finding separate, with who said what and when. After organizes those findings side by side. It does not decide which one is correct.

Keep reading

Informational only. Not legal or insurance advice. After never states what your insurer will decide.