BLOG How to File Homeowner's Insurance Claim Mar 16, 2025

Filing a Homeowner's Insurance Claim can seem to be a daunting task, but you got this! Use this guide as it will help you understand the step-by-step process that the insurance company is accustomed to and will set you up for filing a successful claim on your own. Filing your claim is just the first of many steps on this restoration journey. Your goal is to establish a case early on that justifies why your insurance company should maximize the amount of money they will pay to restore your property to pre-storm conditions. So here we go.

Step 1.

Know your coverage:

Will your insurance company pay the "actual cash value" (ACV) or "replacement cost value" (RCV) of your damage? Look at your policy's Declarations page and find this information or call your agent and ask specifically which coverage you have. This is extremely important information because it dictates what they will eventually pay out on your claim. If you have ACV coverage, they will pay what it costs to replace that item today MINUS how old that item is (aka depreciation). If you have RCV they will pay what it costs to replace that item today.

Step 2.

Asses the damage:

Before you do anything walk around and take pictures of everything; damaged fence, barns, downed trees, interior and exterior of your house, cars, etc. Take a thousand photos. I mean it, the more photos you have the better. Make those photos into a report. A good photo report is the key to tell a desk adjuster your story after the field adjuster has come and gone. Most people think that the field adjuster that comes to your property makes decisions, more often than not they don't so you need a document to refer back to.

Step 3.

Make a list of damage:

You and your insurance company have an agreement that they will restore your property to pre-storm conditions if you experience damage to your property. FYI, your policy will call damage "loss". Having a detailed list of ALL loss will help paint the picture of your property's current condition and set an expectation of what you are claiming they should pay for. This list should correspond with your photo report mentioned above.

Step 4.

Make the claim:

Write all of this on a reference paper and have handy as you call your insurance company's claims department:

• Policy #
• Storm Date
• Type of Storm (Wind/Hail/Tornado/Hurricane/Fire)
• Items Damaged (Your detailed list from Step 3)

That's it! You now have the 4 easy steps to successfully filing a Homeowner's Insurance Claim. If you follow this guide you will be on your way to getting your property back to its pre-storm condition. Make no mistake, this is just the beginning of the process. If you have more questions or want to talk to me about your specific needs feel free to reach out.

You Got This!

Michael Hullinger

Blue Spring Construction

417-712-0076

When you hire Blue Spring Construction to assist you with a homeowner insurance claim you will receive a professionally detailed photo report and a list of all losses after my initial damage assessment. We will use that in the Supplement Phase of your claim.