Document a water damage claim the right way

Before you clean up

• Photos and video of every affected room, wide and close up. Show the water line on walls, wet flooring, ceilings and furniture.
• The source: the split pipe, the failed fitting or the leaking tank, with something for scale.
• The date and time you found it, and the weather. After a freeze, note the overnight low and how long it stayed below 32°F. The freeze center shows recent NWS data.

While you dry out

• Keep receipts for fans, dehumidifier rental, tarps, plumbing repairs, and hotel stays and meals if you cannot stay in the house.
• Do not throw away damaged items until the adjuster has seen them, or until you have photographed and listed them. For bulky items like carpet pad, cut and keep a sample.
• Keep the failed pipe or part.

The inventory

List each damaged item with a description, its age, where it was bought and an estimated price. The SC Department of Insurance recommends making a home inventory before a loss, and points to free tools such as the NAIC's home inventory app; if you made one, use it now.

Keep a claim log

• Your claim number and the adjuster's name and contact details.
• Every call and email: the date, who you spoke with and what was said.
• Copies of everything you send.

If the claim stalls

Ask the adjuster in writing what else they need and when to expect a decision. If you cannot resolve it, contact the South Carolina Department of Insurance Office of Consumer Services at 803-737-6180 or 1-800-768-3467 (toll-free in SC) or [email protected]. The department's post-disaster claims guide walks through the process.

Watch for pressure to sign

After a widespread freeze, door-to-door contractors may offer to handle everything. Do not sign anything that gives a contractor control of your insurance payment until you understand it. Hiring a plumber after a freeze.