Claim Checklists
Insurance claims are won on paperwork. These checklists cover every stage — documenting your home before anything happens, filing the claim, preparing for the adjuster's visit, proving your losses, and appealing if you're denied.
- The 30-Minute Home Documentation Routine
A repeatable 30-minute home documentation routine: timestamped photos, serial numbers, receipts, and offsite storage to beat insufficient-documentation denials.
- Photo Inventory Checklist: Documenting Every Room
Room-by-room photo inventory checklist: what to photograph in every room, wide shots plus serial plates, and a yearly re-shoot cadence for a claim-ready record.
- Claim-Filing Checklist: What to Have Before You Call Your Insurer
Claim-filing checklist: the policy details, photos, and mitigation records to gather before calling your insurer, and what to say on that crucial first call.
- Adjuster Visit Checklist: Preparing for the Inspection
Adjuster visit checklist: build a walkthrough packet, point out all damage, take your own photos, get findings in writing, and back it with your own estimate.
- ALE Expense Tracker: Documenting Additional Living Expenses
ALE expense tracker: what additional living expenses cover, how to log receipts daily, spreadsheet columns to use, and how to submit in clean batches.
- Damaged-Property Inventory Guide: Listing Every Loss
Adjusters require a room-by-room list of everything damaged. Learn the columns your inventory needs and what never to throw away before the adjuster arrives.
- Proof of Loss Checklist: The Sworn Statement, Done Right
Proof of loss is a sworn statement of your claim. Learn what it must include, how deadlines work, and why accuracy is everything before you sign anything.
- Denial Appeal Checklist: Fighting Back Step by Step
A denied claim isn't the end — it's the start of the appeal. Get the claim file, an independent estimate, and appeal in writing with this ordered checklist.
- Emergency Document Grab-List: What to Take When You Evacuate
When evacuation orders come, you have minutes. Build your document go-bag now: IDs, insurance policies, inventory, medical records, deeds, and cash today.
- Annual Policy Review Checklist: Reading Your Policy Before You Need It
Most homeowners never read their policy until after a loss. Use this annual checklist to review declarations, exclusions, deductibles, and sublimits now.
Common questions
What's the single most important checklist here?
The home documentation routine. Almost every denial we've covered traces back to missing evidence — photos, receipts, inventories assembled before the loss. Do that one first.
Should I use these checklists before or after a loss?
Both. The documentation and grab-list checklists are pre-loss preparation; the filing, adjuster, proof-of-loss, and appeal checklists are for after. The earlier you start, the stronger your position.
Is this legal advice?
No. These are educational checklists about the claims process. For your specific situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
Insurance rules change — verify current requirements with the NAIC or your state’s insurance department.
Educational content, not legal advice. Deadlines, rules, and coverage vary by state, carrier, and policy — read your policy and consult a licensed professional for your situation.