Cleaning up feels productive and it destroys evidence. Once the wet carpet is at the curb and the debris pile is mixed, proving what was damaged — and how — becomes much harder.
Photograph before you touch anything
- Wide shots of each room showing the overall condition.
- Close shots of the damage itself — the water line on walls, sagging drywall, missing shingles, cracked tile.
- The water line specifically. Mark it with tape or a pencil and photograph it next to a tape measure. How high the water reached drives the whole claim.
- Contents, item by item, before they go to the curb. Photograph the item and, where possible, its label or serial number.
- Video walkthrough narrating what you see. This is often the single most useful record.
Then
- Keep damaged items until your insurer says otherwise, if you safely can. If you must move them, photograph them first and keep a list.
- Do not throw away anything you may claim without photographing it in place.
- Keep every receipt for emergency work, hotels, meals and supplies. Many policies cover at least some of it, and it is almost always excluded if you cannot document it.
- Make temporary repairs to prevent further damage — tarps, boarding, stopping water. Most policies require you to mitigate further loss. Photograph the repair work too.
General information, not insurance advice. Your policy governs what is covered and what documentation is required — confirm with your insurer and the Florida Department of Financial Services.