Photos for an insurance claim
How to photograph damage, receipts, and belongings for an insurance claim and keep those records organized and private.
Water on the floor, a dented car door, a window that will not close after a break-in. Before you start cleaning up, photograph things exactly as they are. Insurers usually want to see the damage before anything is moved, unless moving it is needed to stay safe.
The next ten minutes
- Make sure everyone is safe. Turn off water or power if that is needed and safe to do.
- Take wide photos first, from the doorway, so the room or scene is clear.
- Then take close-ups of each damaged item, with something for scale if you can.
- Record a short, slow video walking through the area. It catches things photos miss.
- If there was a break-in or a crash, note the police report number when you get one.
Later that day
Find receipts, bank statements or product boxes for damaged items. Photograph them clearly. Write a list of what was damaged or taken, with rough ages and prices. Keep everything until the claim is fully closed.
Call your insurer or use their app to start the claim. Ask what they need and how they want it sent. Keep a short log of each call: the date, who you spoke to, and what they said.
Next time, before anything happens
A home inventory takes an evening. Walk through each room filming slowly, open cupboards, and photograph serial numbers on electronics. Store a copy off the phone. If the phone is lost along with everything else, the inventory is still there.
Privacy
Claim photos can include receipts, ID and your address. They do not need to sit in a camera roll that friends scroll through. A locked album or a vault such as VaultWell (coming soon) can keep them separate. When you send photos to an insurer, use the channel they give you, and keep your own originals.