How to Document Damage for an Insurance Claim: Photo & Video Guide
The 40-day clock on your insurer doesn't start when you call. Under California's claims regulations it starts when the insurer has proof of claim — the documentation that establishes what was lost and what it was worth.
Which means your photographs aren't a formality. They're the thing that starts the clock, sets the settlement value, and — when a claim goes sideways — determines whether you can prove what was there before.
Here's how to do it properly, in the right order, with a printable checklist at the end.
The one rule that governs everything
Document before you clean up, before you throw anything away, and before any permanent repair.
You are required by your policy to protect the property from further damage — tarp the roof, extract the water, board the window. Do that. But photograph first, and photograph the mitigation as it happens too.
Once the debris is at the kerb, the claim rests on your word. Once it's photographed, it rests on evidence.
Before you shoot: three settings
Turn on timestamps and location. Most phones embed date, time, and GPS in the file metadata automatically. Don't strip it — email and some messaging apps do. Send photos as file attachments or share the original album, not compressed images in a chat.
Shoot in landscape for video, and don't zoom. Walk closer instead. Digital zoom degrades exactly the detail an adjuster needs.
Get a scale reference into the frame. A tape measure, a ruler, a coin, a dollar bill. A crack with a tape measure next to it is measurable; a crack alone is an opinion.
The four-layer photo method
Adjusters and estimators think in layers. Give them all four for every damaged area.
Layer 1 — Context (where is this?)
Wide shots that establish location and orientation. From the street. From each corner of the room, in the doorway, showing all four walls. The purpose is to let someone who has never been there understand the layout.
Layer 2 — Overview (what's the extent?)
Medium shots showing the whole damaged area in one frame. The full wall, the entire roof slope, the whole vehicle panel.
Layer 3 — Detail (what exactly is wrong?)
Close-ups of each individual point of damage, with a scale reference. Every crack, stain, burn, dent, and break — separately.
Layer 4 — Identity and value (what was it worth?)
Serial numbers, model plates, brand labels, receipts, and the underside of furniture where manufacturer tags live. On appliances and equipment, the data plate. This layer is what turns "a TV" into "a 65-inch model X, serial Y, purchased on date Z."
Do the video walkthrough — and narrate it
A slow walkthrough video with narration is the single most persuasive document in a large claim, and it takes ten minutes.
Walk at half your natural speed. Pause 3–5 seconds on each damaged area.
Say what you're seeing out loud — the date, the room, what happened, what's damaged, what's in the cabinets and drawers, and what the item is. Audio narration is testimony contemporaneous with the loss.
Open everything. Closets, cabinets, drawers, the pantry, the garage, the shed, the attic. Contents claims are lost in the places nobody filmed.
Do exterior separately: all four elevations, the roof from ground level (never climb a damaged roof), fences, outbuildings, landscaping, and vehicles.
By claim type
Water damage
Source of the water; the path it travelled; standing water depth against a ruler; wet drywall, insulation, and subfloor; baseboards; the underside of cabinets; anything absorbent. Photograph moisture meter readings if a mitigation company takes them. Photograph the drying equipment, and log the days it runs. Mould appears within 24–48 hours — photograph any growth immediately and separately, because mould is usually sublimited.
Fire and smoke
Point of origin if it's identifiable and safe. Char and burn patterns. Smoke and soot damage in rooms that didn't burn — this is routinely underclaimed and it affects contents throughout the structure. Water and chemical damage from firefighting. Odour-affected soft goods. Keep the fire department report.
Storm, wind, and hail
Roof damage from the ground and, if a professional inspects, from their report. Missing shingles, lifted flashing, damaged vents. Debris and its source. Water intrusion points. Photograph the date on a news weather report for the storm — it establishes the date of loss.
Vehicle
All four corners plus straight-on front and rear. Each damaged panel individually. The VIN plate. Odometer. Interior, including deployed airbags. The other vehicle. The scene, skid marks, signals, and signage. Full guide at filing an auto insurance claim.
Business property
Everything above, plus: inventory and stock with quantities visible, equipment data plates and serial numbers, the server room, POS terminals, and — critically — anything that proves what your operations looked like before. See filing a business insurance claim.
Theft and vandalism
Point of entry, damage to locks and doors, empty spaces where items were, and the police report number. Prior photographs matter more here than anywhere else, which is the entire argument for a home inventory checklist kept before anything happens.
Not sure you've got what the adjuster needs? Send us the photos before you send them to the carrier. TSM will tell you what's missing while it's still there to shoot. (209) 524-6366 Modesto · (530) 221-3031 Redding.
Beyond photographs
Keep the damaged property until the adjuster releases it, or until you have written permission to dispose of it. If you must dispose of something hazardous or unsanitary, photograph it thoroughly first and note the date and reason.
Keep every receipt — mitigation, temporary repairs, hotel, meals, replacement essentials, equipment rental, mileage. Reasonable protective costs are generally reimbursable and additional living expenses are a separate coverage most people under-claim.
Build the inventory spreadsheet. Item, description, brand, model, quantity, purchase date, purchase price, source of value, condition, and status. Attach receipts, bank or card statements, warranty cards, and old photographs that happen to show the item in the background — birthday and holiday photos are legitimate, effective proof of contents.
Keep a claim log. One page. Date, who you spoke to, what was said, what was promised. It is what turns "they've been ignoring me" into a documented pattern.
FREE DOWNLOAD — Insurance Claim Documentation Checklist
(This is the Series 3 lead magnet. Gate it behind name + email + phone + "type of claim", or offer it ungated with a prominent review CTA — ungated performs better for links, gated performs better for lead volume. Recommendation: ungated PDF with an inline "have us review your documentation" form, since the BOR letter template proved the ungated model works on this site.)
Within 24 hours
☐ Everyone safe; emergency services called if needed
☐ Property protected from further damage — and the mitigation photographed
☐ Wide, overview, detail, and identity photos taken of every damaged area
☐ Narrated video walkthrough recorded, interior and exterior
☐ Cabinets, closets, drawers, garage, and attic opened and filmed
☐ Police / fire report number obtained
☐ Claim reported — by phone and confirmed by email
☐ Claim number, adjuster name, direct line, and supervisor recorded
Within the first week
☐ Item-by-item inventory spreadsheet started
☐ Receipts, statements, and old photos gathered as proof of ownership
☐ Serial and model numbers captured for all major items
☐ Two independent repair or replacement estimates requested
☐ All mitigation and out-of-pocket receipts filed together
☐ Additional living expenses / extra expense log started
☐ Damaged property retained pending adjuster inspection
☐ Claim log started
Before the adjuster's visit
☐ Photos and video organised by room or area
☐ Inventory printed with supporting documents attached
☐ Your policy declarations page to hand
☐ A written list of questions
☐ Someone available to walk the adjuster through it
Do not
☐ Throw anything away before it's documented and released
☐ Make permanent repairs before inspection
☐ Strip metadata by sending photos through compressing chat apps
☐ Guess at values — say "I don't know" and then find out
☐ Sign a release before you know the full extent of the loss
FAQs
What photos does an insurance adjuster need?
Four layers per damaged area: a wide contextual shot, an overview of the full extent, close-ups of each individual point of damage with a scale reference, and identity shots of serial numbers, model plates, and labels.
Should I take video for an insurance claim?
Yes — a slow, narrated walkthrough with cabinets and closets opened is the most useful single document in a contents claim.
What if I already threw things away?
Document what you can: receipts, bank statements, old photographs showing the items, and a written statement of what was disposed of and why. It's weaker than photographs but it isn't nothing.
Do timestamps on photos matter?
Yes. Keep the original files with their metadata intact and avoid sending them through apps that compress and strip it.
How long should I keep claim documentation?
Until the claim is fully closed and paid, including any recoverable depreciation — and ideally several years beyond.
Photograph it before you clean it up.
If you've had a loss, send us what you've shot before you send it to the carrier. We'll tell you what's missing while it's still there — and then we'll work the claim with you.
Modesto (209) 524-6366 · Redding (530) 221-3031 · Claims Center · Talk to a TSM advisor
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