The first 24–72 hours
Make sure the building is safe before you document anything
Safety Do not touch electrical equipment that is wet or while you are standing in water, and stay out of any area that authorities have not cleared. Wear protective clothing and a face covering if you are handling mold or debris. Photos can wait; injuries cannot be undone.[3]
Write down the date and, if you know it, the time you found the damage
Florida’s notice-of-claim statute counts from the date of loss, so record the exact date you discovered the damage and the date you believe it happened, even if those are different. If you do not know when it started, write “unknown” rather than guessing.[5]
Photograph everything as found, before cleaning or moving anything
Take clear pictures and videos of damaged items before cleaning, fixing or throwing them out, with wide shots and close-ups. Ready.gov’s hurricane guidance says the same thing in five words: document any property damage with photographs.[2][3]
Stop the damage from spreading, and photograph what you did
Cover a broken window, put a bucket under a leak, move undamaged items away from water. Photograph each step and note the time in your timeline; these become your mitigation record.
Start a receipt envelope today
Florida DFS tells storm-affected homeowners to keep all receipts, including repair and temporary living costs. Put every receipt in one place from the first day and write the room or item identifier on it.[1]
One identifier for every room and every item
Most documentation falls apart because the same kitchen is called “kitchen”, “the back room” and “where the leak is” in different places. Fix that on day one: give every affected area a short code and every damaged item a numbered code under that area. Reuse those codes in every photo caption, every timeline entry, every inventory row and every receipt. A reader who has never seen your home can then follow one item from the moment you found it to the moment you replaced it.
| Identifier | What it means | Where it appears |
|---|---|---|
| R2-KITCHEN | Second-floor kitchen, the affected area | Timeline, area photos, receipts |
| R2-01 | Kitchen ceiling drywall, first item under R2-KITCHEN | Photo captions, inventory |
| R2-02 | Under-sink cabinet | Photo captions, inventory |
| R2-03 | Dishwasher, serial number recorded | Photo captions, inventory, receipts |
| R1-LIVING | First-floor living room, water came through the ceiling | Timeline, area photos |
| R1-01 | Living room ceiling paint and drywall | Photo captions, inventory |
The scheme itself does not matter; consistency does. Floor plus room name for areas, and area prefix plus a two-digit number for items, is enough for a house. If you rent a single unit, drop the floor and use the room name alone.
What to photograph: the wide, context and detail triplet
For each area and each item, take three kinds of photo. The wide shot proves where the item is in the house. The context shot shows the item and the damage together. The detail shot shows the damage close enough to read. Capture wide shots and close-ups of walls, floors and furniture, and include water levels on walls, furniture and appliances when water is involved.[2]
| Shot | What is in the frame | Example caption |
|---|---|---|
| Wide | Whole room from the doorway, item visible, something fixed in view such as a window or door | R2-KITCHEN wide from hallway door, 2026-06-14 09:10 |
| Context | The item and the damaged surface around it, a tape measure or a familiar object for scale | R2-01 ceiling stain with tape measure, 2026-06-14 09:12 |
| Detail | The damage itself: the crack, the stain edge, the water line, the model plate | R2-03 dishwasher serial plate, 2026-06-14 09:15 |
- Record serial numbers from electronics and appliances; a detail photo of the plate is enough.
- Photograph the same stain or crack again a day later and keep both photos; spread over time is a fact worth recording.
- Keep the original files. Cropped or edited copies can accompany them but should never replace them.
- Dated photographs of your possessions taken before any damage are also useful, so keep any that you already have.
Build the timeline with three columns
A timeline is not a story; it is a list of dated facts. Keep three things apart for every entry: what you observed, what you recorded, and what you did. “Unknown” is a legitimate value. Writing “unknown” for the time the pipe started leaking is honest; writing a guessed time and later contradicting it is worse than nothing.
| Date and time | Observed | Recorded | Acted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown, before 2026-06-14 | Leak began under R2-03 dishwasher | Nothing | Nothing |
| 2026-06-14 09:05 | Water on R2-KITCHEN floor, R1-LIVING ceiling stain | Photos R2-KITCHEN wide, R2-01, R1-01 | Turned off dishwasher supply valve |
| 2026-06-14 11:30 | Stain on R1-01 larger than at 09:05 | Second photo set R1-01, tape measure | Placed bucket, moved sofa |
| 2026-06-15 10:00 | Plumber inspected R2-03 | Plumber’s written note, invoice number | Paid inspection fee, receipt filed |
Add an entry every time something changes or every time someone visits, including phone calls with a date, the name of the person and what was said. Do not summarise; a later reader can summarise for themselves.
Inventory: one row per damaged item
Florida DFS recommends an itemized list of belongings that includes costs, purchase dates and serial numbers, with receipts attached for big-ticket items. Your damage inventory is that list restricted to what was affected, one row per item, with the item identifier in the first column.[1]
| Item ID | Description | Purchase date | Purchase price | Serial or model | Condition found | Photos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R2-03 | Dishwasher, 24 inch, stainless | 2023-03 | $749 (receipt attached) | Plate photographed | Leaking from door seal | 3 |
| R2-02 | Under-sink cabinet base | Unknown, original to house | Unknown | None | Swollen, veneer lifting | 3 |
| R1-01 | Living room ceiling, drywall and paint | Not applicable | Not applicable | None | Stain 40 by 60 cm, sagging | 6 over two days |
- Write “unknown” for a purchase date or price you cannot find; leave nothing blank.
- Keep small samples of damaged materials, such as a piece of flooring or carpet, labelled with the item identifier.
- Do not throw an item away until it has been photographed in place and, where possible, seen by whoever inspects the damage.
Receipts and estimates: keep them apart
An estimate is what someone thinks a repair will cost. A receipt is what you paid. Both matter, but mixing them in one column makes your record unreliable. Log each document with its date, who issued it, the identifier it relates to, and whether it is an estimate or a paid receipt. If you start repairs early, save every receipt for repair costs and newly purchased items.[2]
| Date | Issued by | Relates to | Type | Amount | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-15 | Plumbing company | R2-03 | Paid receipt | $145.00 | Yes, card |
| 2026-06-17 | Drywall contractor | R1-01, R2-01 | Estimate | $2,300.00 | No |
| 2026-06-18 | Hardware store | R2-KITCHEN | Paid receipt | $62.40 | Yes, cash |
Why the date of loss matters in Florida
Florida’s notice-of-claim statute (section 627.70132, 2025 text) sets a one-year window from the date of loss for notice of a claim and 18 months for a supplemental claim. Read the current statute and your policy; ClaimPrep does not interpret deadlines for you. The practical lesson for documentation is simple: record the exact date of loss, and the date you discovered it, because statutes and policies count from it.[5]
Florida law also creates a Homeowner Claims Bill of Rights (section 627.7142, 2024 text). As published by the Florida Senate, an insurer must provide it to a policyholder within 14 days after receiving an initial communication about a claim, and it summarises existing Florida law in plain terms. Note the date you first contacted your insurer in your timeline; it is the kind of date that document refers to. Read the current text rather than relying on this summary.[4]
Florida DFS also publishes consumer guides on post-disaster claims and on what to expect after a homeowners claim, and its Insurance Consumer Helpline can answer questions about the process. Before calling, have your company name, policy number, agent name, home address and contact details ready.[6]
What to document
| Item | Why it matters | Where it appears in your report |
|---|---|---|
| Area and item identifiers written down before the first photo | Every later record hangs on them | Affected Areas |
| Wide, context and detail photos for every area and item, captioned with the identifier and date | Proves location, extent and detail without a site visit | Photo Documentation |
| Date of loss and date discovered, written separately, with “unknown” where honest | Florida statutes and policies count from the date of loss | Claim Summary |
| Timeline with observed, recorded and acted columns | Separates facts from actions and keeps the record consistent | Timeline of Events |
| Inventory row for each damaged item with purchase date, price and serial number | Matches what Florida DFS recommends for a home inventory | Detailed Documentation |
| Serial and model plate photos for appliances and electronics | Identifies the exact item without relying on memory | Documented Details |
| Receipt and estimate log with estimates and paid amounts in separate rows | Keeps what you paid distinct from what you were quoted | Additional Documentation |
| Photos and timeline entries for each step you took to stop the damage spreading | Records mitigation with dates | Mitigation Actions |
| Follow-up photos of the same spot on later days | Shows change over time as a fact, not a claim | Damage Summary |
What your documentation report will contain
A ClaimPrep documentation report organises what you recorded into these sections. It records facts; it does not value your loss or interpret your policy.
Claim Summary Property Details Damage Summary Timeline of Events Affected Areas Detailed Documentation Mitigation Actions Documented Details Additional Documentation Photo Documentation
See a sample documentation report (a fictional example) or read how ClaimPrep works.
Who to contact
- Your insurance company or agent
- They receive notice of the loss and explain their own process; note the date and the name of the person you spoke to in your timeline.[3]
- Florida DFS Insurance Consumer Helpline, 1-877-MY-FL-CFO (1-877-693-5236), out of state (850) 413-3089
- The state consumer helpline for insurance questions; insurance assistance is available 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM EST, Monday through Friday.[6]
- A licensed plumber, roofer, electrician or restoration contractor
- Whoever inspects or repairs the source of the damage; ask for a written note with the date, and log their invoice or estimate.
- Your landlord or property manager, if you rent
- They are responsible for the building and usually keep their own records of the incident; give them your identifiers so the two records line up.
Common documentation mistakes
- Cleaning up or throwing items away before photographing them
- Photograph everything as found first; NFIP’s guidance is explicit that pictures come before cleaning, fixing or discarding.
- Calling the same room by different names in photos, notes and receipts
- Assign one identifier per area and per item and use it everywhere.
- Guessing a date or time you do not actually know
- Write “unknown” and, if useful, the range you are sure of, such as “between 2 June and 14 June”.
- Mixing contractor estimates with paid receipts in one total
- Log each document with its type and whether it was paid; never add an estimate to a total of payments.
- Keeping only edited or cropped photos
- Keep the originals with their metadata and add edited copies alongside them if needed.
Questions
What photos do I need to document property damage?
Three per area and per item: a wide shot showing where it is, a context shot showing the item and the surrounding damage with something for scale, and a detail shot of the damage itself. Add a photo of the serial or model plate for appliances and electronics, and repeat the detail shot on later days if the damage changes.[2]
How do I document damage when I do not know when it started?
Record the date you discovered it and write “unknown” for the start date, together with the last date you are sure the area was undamaged. That is an honest, usable record. Florida’s notice statute counts from the date of loss, so the discovery date and any evidence of when it began both matter; read the current statute and your policy.[5]
Should I keep the damaged items or throw them away?
Photograph them in place first, then keep small samples of damaged materials labelled with the item identifier where you can. Do not discard an item until it has been photographed and, where possible, seen by whoever inspects the damage.[2]
What is the difference between a documentation report and an estimate?
An estimate is a contractor’s prediction of repair cost. A documentation report is a record of what happened, what was damaged and what you did, with photos, dates and receipts. ClaimPrep produces the second kind; it does not value your loss or tell you what your policy provides.
Sources
- Hurricane Ready, Florida Department of Financial Services. Accessed Home inventory, dated photographs, keeping receipts, and the note on assignment-of-benefits agreements.
- Document Flood Damage, National Flood Insurance Program (FEMA). Accessed Photograph before cleaning, wide shots and close-ups, serial numbers, samples and receipts.
- Hurricanes, Ready.gov (FEMA). Accessed Document damage with photographs; electrical and flood-water safety.
- Florida Statutes section 627.7142, Homeowner Claims Bill of Rights (2024), The Florida Senate. Accessed Verify against the current statute text; ClaimPrep does not interpret it.
- Florida Statutes section 627.70132, Notice of property insurance claim (2025), The Florida Senate. Accessed Verify against the current statute text and your policy; ClaimPrep does not interpret deadlines.
- Hurricane Resources, Florida Department of Financial Services, Consumer Services. Accessed Insurance Consumer Helpline number, hours and what to have ready before calling.
How this guide was produced. Written and maintained by ClaimPrep’s editorial team from the sources listed above. Drafting used AI writing assistance; a person checked every statement against the cited sources before publication and at each review date. ClaimPrep sells the documentation service linked on this page. Documentation guidance only, not legal, insurance, public-adjusting or financial advice. Found an error? Read the corrections policy.