What photos to take after home damage
Photograph wide first, then close, and do it before cleanup when it is safe and practical. Speed matters because the condition of the home changes the moment crews arrive, and no one can recreate a room after it has been torn out. Capture every affected room, the source of the damage, each damaged item, and the parts of the house that are still fine for comparison.
Do this now
- 1
Stand in each doorway and film the room slowly, then take stills.
Wide shots establish where everything was.
- 2
Photograph the source of the damage.
The pipe, the appliance, the roof line, the broken window, the ceiling opening.
- 3
Photograph each damaged item on its own.
Include labels, serial numbers and model plates where you can see them.
- 4
Photograph undamaged areas and materials for comparison.
Flooring and trim that continue into another room matter later.
- 5
Keep the photos in order and back them up.
Before cleanup, during, and after. After keeps them on a timeline for you.
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.
- Duties after loss, meaning prompt notice, records and cooperation.
- Any requirement to preserve damaged property for inspection.
- Tear out and replace, since photos show what was behind the wall.
- How the damage happened, which the photos help describe.
- Your deductible.
- Loss of Use, if the conditions in the photos are why you left.
Free to start. Private policy analysis. No insurance jargon.
Questions people ask
Is video better than photos?
Both help. Video captures a whole room and your spoken notes. Stills are easier to attach to an item list. Take a slow video of each room and stills of each damaged item.
What if crews already removed things?
Photograph what remains today, and ask anyone who worked in the home for their photos and moisture logs. Note the date the work happened.
Should I photograph the whole house or just the damage?
Include both. Undamaged rooms and continuing materials give context that damaged rooms alone do not.
Where should the photos live?
Somewhere you control, backed up, in order. After keeps them on a private timeline with dates so the sequence stays clear, and lets you share a redacted view when you choose to.
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Informational only. Not legal or insurance advice. After never states what your insurer will decide.