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Home inventory and insurance documentation, explained.
Practical, plain-language guides on documenting your home, navigating contents claims, and preparing for the disasters most likely to hit your area. Written for homeowners, not adjusters.
Home inventory basics
How to build a record of what you own, and what makes one hold up later.
How to Make a Home Inventory for Insurance
How to create a home inventory for insurance, step by step: where to start, what to record for each item, how to film each room, and where to keep it.
8 min readRead articleHome Inventory List: What to Document in Every Room
A household inventory list for insurance, by room: what to record in each one, which items need serial numbers or appraisals, and what usually gets missed.
7 min readRead articleDigital Home Inventory vs. Paper Records: Why Timestamped Video Holds Up Better
Durability, completeness, and verifiability compared, and why a paper list often doesn't survive the loss it was created to document.
6 min readRead articleRenters Insurance Inventory: What Renters Need to Document
A renters insurance inventory checklist: what to list in a rental, what to leave out, how roommates change it, plus a free printable room-by-room list.
6 min readRead article
Coverage and policy limits
What your policy actually pays, and the limits that decide how much.
How to Read Your Homeowners Declarations Page
Coverage A through F, your deductibles, and endorsements, decoded line by line, so you know what you actually carry before a loss.
7 min readRead articleActual Cash Value vs. Replacement Cost: What the Difference Means
Two policies can insure the same sofa for very different amounts. How ACV and RCV settle differently, and which one your policy uses.
8 min readRead articleRecoverable Depreciation: Why a Contents Claim Pays in Two Checks
Replacement-cost policies often pay actual cash value first and the rest after you replace the item. How the second check works.
7 min readRead articleUnderinsured on Contents: How Personal Property Coverage Limits Work
Most homeowners are underinsured on contents without knowing it. Overall limits and sub-limits work differently. Use our calculator to find your gap.
7 min readRead articleHow to Document Jewelry for Insurance
Standard home policies generally cap jewelry theft at about $1,500, per Triple-I. What to photograph, when to get an appraisal, and how to schedule pieces.
6 min readRead articleAdditional Living Expenses (ALE): What It Covers and What to Keep
Additional living expenses coverage pays the extra cost of living elsewhere while your home is unlivable. What qualifies, typical limits, receipts to keep.
7 min readRead article
Disasters and perils
What each kind of loss involves, and what to document before and after.
What to Document Before Wildfire, Hurricane, or Flood Season
Disaster seasons arrive on a calendar. What to capture before each one, and how to store the record so it survives the event it documents.
7 min readRead articleWater Damage vs. Flood Damage: Why the Distinction Decides Coverage
What insurers consider flood damage versus covered water damage, why homeowners policies exclude flood, and gray areas like sewer backup and seepage.
8 min readRead articleAfter a House Fire: What to Do in the First 72 Hours
The steps that shape a fire claim happen early. Safety, notification, temporary housing, and the documentation to capture before cleanup.
8 min readRead articleWildfire Smoke and Soot Damage Claims
How smoke and soot damage claims work after a wildfire, even if the fire never reached your home, why they are often disputed, and what to document.
7 min readRead articleHurricane Deductibles: What a Percentage Deductible Actually Costs
A hurricane deductible is a percentage of your dwelling limit, not a flat fee. How it is calculated, what triggers it, and a state table in dollars.
7 min readRead articleHail and Wind Damage Claims: What to Document
Hail damage is easy to miss and easy to dispute. What adjusters look for, how roof age affects settlement, and what to capture.
7 min readRead articleFrozen Pipe Insurance Claim: What's Covered and What Isn't
Frozen pipe claims are often covered when a pipe bursts suddenly. What policies exclude (gradual leaks, unheated vacant homes) and what to document.
7 min readRead articleTheft and Burglary Claims: What Insurers Ask For
How to claim stolen property on homeowners or renters insurance: the police report, what insurers ask, and how to prove ownership without receipts.
6 min readRead article
The claims process
Filing, substantiating, and challenging a contents claim.
Proof of Loss Form: What It Is and How to Fill One Out
A proof of loss is a sworn statement of what you lost and what it was worth. Where to get the form, what it asks for, how to fill it out, and the deadline.
9 min readRead articleWhat to Do If Your Home Insurance Claim Is Denied
Denial letters aren't always final. The written-reason request, internal appeal, state complaint, and when a public adjuster or attorney fits.
9 min readRead article
For business
Documenting business property, equipment, and income exposure before a loss.
Small Business Contents Insurance: What to Document Before a Loss
Business personal property coverage explained, plus what to document in an office, retail store, restaurant, or warehouse before a loss.
7 min readRead articleBusiness Interruption Claims: The Documentation They Require
BI coverage pays for income you didn't earn, which has to be proven from records. What insurers ask for and what to keep ready.
9 min readRead articleDocumenting Contractor Tools and Equipment for Insurance
Contractors equipment insurance, a form of inland marine, covers tools in trucks and on job sites. Per-item caps, scheduling, and the records claims need.
7 min readRead articleHome-Based Business: Why Your Homeowners Policy Won't Cover It
Homeowners policies commonly cap business property around $2,500 and exclude business liability. Who is exposed, three ways to close the gap, what to log.
6 min readRead articleRestaurant Equipment and Food Spoilage Claims
What spoilage insurance covers when a walk-in or freezer fails, why power outages and equipment breakdown are treated differently, and what to log.
7 min readRead article
Get the free home inventory checklist.
A room-by-room checklist you can print and work through today, plus occasional product news and tips on documenting your home or business for insurance.
- The room-by-room inventory checklist, ready to print
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