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To document wildfire damage for homeowners insurance and your lender, photograph and inventory what is damaged before cleanup when it is safe, notify your insurer promptly, keep a complete claim file, and contact your mortgage servicer early about its rules for releasing repair money. There is no universal claim deadline or lender process: check your policy and get your servicer’s instructions in writing. This guide covers the general U.S. process; your policy, state rules, loan, and servicing arrangement control.
What should I do first after wildfire damage?
Protect people first, then preserve evidence. Do not enter a building or area that officials have declared unsafe, or that presents hazards such as unstable walls, damaged utilities, or falling debris. Follow evacuation, fire, and public-health instructions. Do not put yourself at risk to photograph property or make temporary repairs.
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When authorities say it is safe and access is allowed, begin a record before cleaning, moving, or discarding damaged property. A useful file has two audiences: the insurer needs evidence of the damage and the loss; the mortgage servicer may need repair scopes, contractor bids, and progress documentation before releasing funds tied to the home.
- Make a dated record. Record when you first inspected the property, where you were able to go, and any areas you could not access. If a location remains unsafe, note that rather than entering it.
- Photograph and video the scene. Start with wide exterior views, then move room by room and capture close-ups. Include visible fire, heat, soot, smoke residue, stained surfaces, broken windows, roof damage, and damaged belongings.
- Preserve the original evidence. Keep the original image files and make a backup. If you share copies, retain a record of what you sent, when, and to whom.
- Do not discard damaged items before inspection unless safety or official instructions require it. If something must be moved, photograph its condition and original location first when safe. Keep receipts or other records for disposal or emergency work.
Wildfire damage is not limited to what is visibly burned. Smoke odor, soot, and residue can affect belongings and parts of a home that do not appear charred. Washington’s insurance regulator recommends documenting smoke odor, soot, staining, and affected belongings before cleaning. See its wildfire smoke-damage guidance.
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What photos should I take after a wildfire?
Take enough photos and video to show both the overall location and the specific condition of each damaged area or item. A single picture of a burned room rarely establishes what was in it, how extensive the damage is, or whether smoke affected nearby spaces.
- Exterior and structures: Photograph each side of the home and any detached structures, then capture damaged roofing, siding, windows, doors, fences, decks, and other visible components.
- Each room: Take a wide view from the doorway or corners, then closer images of damaged walls, ceilings, floors, cabinets, fixtures, and contents. Identify the room in your notes or file name.
- Smoke and residue: Record soot, staining, residue, and discoloration, plus affected belongings. Make a note of smoke odor even if a camera cannot capture it.
- Less visible spaces and systems: If safe and accessible, document concerns in attics, crawl spaces, insulation, and HVAC equipment. Do not open or enter a hazardous space just to take a picture; instead, tell the adjuster about the concern and ask for an inspection.
- Contents: Photograph items individually where practical, including labels, model or serial numbers, and damage. Group images may help show quantity, but do not rely on a group shot alone for valuable or distinctive items.
- Temporary work: Photograph conditions before and after emergency work, such as covering an opening, and keep dated receipts and a brief work log.
Use a consistent approach: take the wide view first, then mid-range views, then close-ups. Keep a note with the date, address, room or location, and what the image shows. If an adjuster visits before smoke or residue becomes apparent, or new damage appears after the first inspection, send dated photos and ask in writing for a reinspection.
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Contact the insurer promptly using the claim-reporting method in your policy or on the insurer’s official website. Ask for the claim number, the adjuster’s name and contact details, the applicable forms and coverages, and any deadlines or inspection requirements. Policies and state rules differ, so do not assume a general online deadline applies to your claim.
Ask these questions during the first contact, then save the answers:
- Does the policy require a proof-of-loss statement or other form by a particular date?
- Which buildings, rooms, systems, and personal-property categories will be inspected?
- What should remain in place for inspection, and what can be removed for safety or cleanup?
- How should you submit photographs, inventories, receipts, estimates, and additional damage found later?
- What does an initial payment cover, and how does the policy treat replacement cost, actual cash value, depreciation, and the deductible?
- Who should you contact if the adjuster’s scope omits damage or if new evidence appears?
Write down the claim number and the date you reported the loss. Save copies of every form and attachment. The California Department of Insurance’s Residential Property Claims Guide recommends keeping a call and correspondence log and copies of correspondence. That is practical advice even if your state has a different claims process.
What should I include in a home inventory for an insurance claim?
List damaged or destroyed contents room by room, with enough detail for someone else to understand what each item is and how you estimated its value. Support the list with photos and records when available; if records were destroyed, reconstruct what you can and clearly label uncertain amounts as estimates.
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For each item, record:
- a plain description, including brand, model, or serial number if known;
- quantity and the room or location where it was kept;
- approximate purchase date and original price or current estimated value, as applicable;
- whether it is damaged or destroyed, and a brief description of the condition; and
- any supporting photo, receipt, bill, appraisal, warranty, or other ownership record.
Do not limit the inventory to large appliances and electronics. Include clothing, shoes, linens, tools, decorations, outdoor furniture, hobby equipment, and other ordinary household contents. Work through one room at a time and mark each room complete to reduce omissions.
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If receipts or records are gone, use what remains: photographs, account statements, purchase confirmations, warranty documents, appraisals, or your own recollection. Distinguish an exact documented amount from a remembered or estimated one. The California guide and Oklahoma Insurance Department’s after-the-disaster guidance describe documenting losses and retaining supporting records. Your insurer can tell you which forms and proof it requires for your policy.
How do I document the house and repair scope?
Make a separate building-damage list so the claim does not depend on photographs alone. For each room, structure, or visible component, note what appears damaged, where it is, and what needs inspection. Record concerns that may not be obvious on an initial walk-through, especially smoke odor or residue in attics, crawl spaces, insulation, and HVAC equipment.
Ask the insurer whether those areas and systems are included in the inspection. The California guide says an adjuster’s scope should capture the degree of damage, material quality, and measurements needed to determine quantities. Keep the adjuster’s scope and estimate, and compare them against your own room-by-room list.
When an estimate appears incomplete, identify the specific omission rather than sending a general objection. For example: “The attic insulation is not listed; soot is visible near the access opening in the attached dated photos. Please confirm whether this area and the HVAC system will be inspected.” Ask for clarification in writing about omitted rooms, materials, line items, or quantities. If smoke damage or residue becomes apparent after the visit, request a reinspection and provide the new evidence.
How should I handle temporary repairs and living expenses?
Temporary mitigation and permanent repairs are different decisions. Reasonable, safe temporary work may help prevent additional damage, but extensive permanent repairs can make it harder to inspect the original condition. Ask the insurer what it wants inspected before beginning non-emergency repairs.
If a safe temporary measure is needed, such as covering an opening, document the condition before and after, keep dated receipts, record who did the work and when, and tell the insurer what was done. Do not attempt dangerous work yourself. Temporary repair payments may count toward the overall claim settlement; ask the insurer how they will be treated under your policy and retain the supporting records.
If the home is unsafe to occupy, ask whether the policy includes Additional Living Expense or loss-of-use coverage and what documentation is required. Keep itemized receipts for temporary housing and other expenses, and maintain a dated log explaining why each expense was necessary. Do not assume every extra expense is covered or reimbursable: the policy’s terms and limits matter. Washington’s smoke-damage guidance advises saving temporary housing and meal receipts, and the California and Oklahoma materials discuss documenting eligible additional living expenses.
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Why is my mortgage lender on the insurance check?
A mortgage lender or servicer may be named on a dwelling-loss check because it has a financial interest in the home securing the loan. The insurer may issue separate payments for the dwelling, personal belongings, and additional living expenses, and those payments can follow different handling rules.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says a homeowner’s insurance settlement is generally paid with a check made out to both the borrower and the mortgage servicer or lender. That is a common arrangement, not a promise that every check will have the same payees or that every servicer follows the same process. See the CFPB’s explanation of how insurance companies pay claims.
Call the servicer listed on your mortgage statement as soon as you have a claim number, or sooner if you need to report the damage. Ask how to submit the check and repair documents, whether proceeds will be held in a loss-draft or escrow account, and what must happen before funds are released. Get the instructions in writing before you promise a contractor a deposit or rely on the check to pay for work.
How do I get my lender to release insurance money for repairs?
Follow your own servicer’s loss-draft procedure rather than relying on another homeowner’s experience or a generic checklist. Some servicers release funds in stages as repairs progress and may inspect the work before final payment; the exact documents, thresholds, and timing depend on the loan and servicer.
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- Check handling: Who must endorse the insurance check, and where should it be sent? Can it be deposited, or must it be sent to the servicer?
- Required documents: Does the servicer need the insurer’s estimate, contractor’s itemized bid, signed contract, permits, proof of insurance, or other documents before processing?
- Initial release: How much, if any, may be released before repairs begin, and what conditions apply?
- Progress payments: Does the servicer require inspections, photographs, invoices, or evidence that a particular portion of the work is complete before each draw?
- Final release: What inspection, lien waivers, completion records, or other proof is required to release the remaining funds?
- Timing and escalation: How long does each review or release normally take under its process, and who handles an overdue or disputed loss-draft request?
For loans serviced under its rules, Fannie Mae’s Insured Loss Events guidance describes servicing requirements for insurance proceeds. It is not a universal rulebook for all mortgages. Your servicer’s instructions and the terms applicable to your loan control; ask it to identify any requirements that apply to your situation.
Keep the insurer’s dwelling estimate separate from the contents and living-expense records. Ask the insurer what each payment represents, whether any amount is an advance, and how replacement-cost or actual-cash-value terms affect the settlement. The CFPB explains that these are different settlement bases; the policy determines which applies and how the claim is calculated. A payment you receive is not necessarily the total amount available for repairs or the amount the servicer will release immediately.
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How should I compare repair estimates and contractors?
Compare bids for equivalent work, not just the bottom-line total. A low estimate may omit rooms, quantities, materials, cleanup, or necessary steps. A useful written estimate identifies the work scope, materials, labor, quantities, and expected schedule.
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Compare each bid against the insurer’s estimate and your damage list. Look for differences in:
- rooms, structures, and damaged components included;
- measurements, quantities, and material quality;
- labor and material line items, cleanup, and temporary work;
- proposed schedule and payment milestones; and
- work that may require insurer clarification or servicer approval.
Check applicable contractor licenses and references, and use a detailed written contract. Oklahoma’s insurance department warns consumers not to pay the full amount up front or sign over the settlement check. Coordinate the proposed contractor, scope, and schedule with both the insurer and the servicer; neither should be assumed to approve a specific bid automatically.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Do I still have to pay my mortgage after wildfire damage?
Property damage alone does not automatically pause mortgage payments. Keep paying if you can, and contact the servicer promptly if displacement, lost income, or other disaster effects make payment difficult. Ask what relief options may be available for your loan, such as forbearance or payment adjustments, and request the terms in writing.
Do not assume that a payment pause is automatic or that an insurance claim changes the mortgage contract. Options depend on the loan and servicer. The CFPB’s disaster and mortgage-payment guidance recommends contacting the servicer if you are unable to make a payment. The CFPB also offers general steps to protect finances and property after a disaster.
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Keep the issue-specific evidence together and make a clear written request. For a claim-scope dispute, send the adjuster a focused list of omitted rooms, items, or quantities with dated photographs, relevant estimates, and a request for reinspection or a written explanation. Keep proof of submission.
If the insurer does not address the issue, ask for the claims manager and contact your state insurance department for the appropriate consumer assistance process. State procedures and rights vary. If the problem concerns delayed or withheld mortgage proceeds, ask the servicer for its written loss-draft requirements, the status of each missing document or inspection, and an escalation contact. Retain dates and copies of every response.
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A concise communication log should include the date and time, the person and department, phone number or email, what was discussed, any promised action, and the next step or deadline. Keep copies of every claim form, estimate, receipt, photo set, email, letter, contractor bid, and document submitted or received. Use the submission method the insurer or servicer requests and save confirmation, tracking, or a sent-message copy.
What should be in my wildfire claim file?
A well-organized file lets you answer questions without reconstructing the loss from memory. Keep a digital backup and, if useful, a paper copy of the essential records. Organize by date or category so you can quickly find evidence for the insurer and separate lender requirements.
- Claim basics: policy information, claim number, date reported, adjuster contact details, and insurer instructions.
- Damage evidence: original photos and videos, dated location notes, room-by-room building list, and contents inventory.
- Supporting records: receipts, bills, appraisals, ownership records, contractor bids, repair contracts, and temporary-work receipts.
- Payments and estimates: insurer scopes and estimates, payment explanations, deductible information, and records of checks received or submitted.
- Displacement: itemized temporary-housing and other expense receipts, plus the dated reason each expense was necessary.
- Communications: call log, emails, letters, forms, submission confirmations, servicer loss-draft instructions, and inspection records.
Do not send irreplaceable originals unless the insurer or servicer specifically requires them and explains how they will be returned. Keep a copy of anything you provide, and note the date and method of delivery.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I clean soot or smoke residue before the insurance adjuster visits?
Ask the insurer before cleaning if the area is safe to leave as-is. If cleanup is needed for health or safety, follow official guidance, document the condition first when safe, and keep records of the work and any items removed.
What if I cannot safely inspect part of my home after a wildfire?
Do not enter an unsafe area to collect evidence. Tell the insurer which areas were inaccessible, ask how it will arrange an inspection when access is safe, and keep any official restriction or safety notice related to access.
Should I deposit an insurance check made out to me and my mortgage company?
Do not assume you can deposit or spend a jointly payable check without the servicer’s involvement. Contact the servicer for its endorsement and submission instructions, and ask what documents it needs before you make a payment commitment.
Can I hire a public adjuster or an attorney for a wildfire claim?
Those are separate professional choices, and the right option depends on the dispute, cost, and state rules. Before signing a representation agreement, review its fees and scope, and check applicable licensing or consumer guidance with your state.
