Building an Insurance Claim File: An Evidence Checklist

Whether you are the policyholder claiming for a burst pipe or an investigator assembling evidence on a disputed loss, the claim file decides the outcome. Insurers pay on what can be shown. The checklist below is ordered by urgency: what must be captured before the scene changes, then what can be gathered over the following weeks. Always check your policy wording and the insurer's notification deadline first; late notice can undermine an otherwise good claim.

In the first hours

• Make safe and record it. Stop the water, secure the door, and note what you did, when and why. Keep receipts for emergency work.
• Photograph and video before anything moves. Wide shots of each room or area, then close-ups of each damaged item, then any visible cause. Show scale and include something that fixes the date.
• Write a first account while it is fresh: what happened, when discovered, by whom, what was seen. Date and sign it.
• Notify the insurer and record the date, time, method, the person you spoke to and the claim reference.
• Keep damaged items until the insurer or loss adjuster says they can go, or photograph them thoroughly if they must be removed for safety.

In the following days

• Proof of what existed before: earlier photos, an inventory or schedule of condition, purchase receipts, valuations. The inventory and schedule of condition photo guide shows why this pays off.
• Proof of ownership and value for each claimed item: receipts, bank statements, manuals, serial numbers.
• Cause evidence: contractor or engineer reports, weather records, police or incident reference numbers where relevant.
• Witness details and statements from anyone who saw the event or its immediate aftermath.
• Affected people: tenants, neighbours or occupants, with dates they were affected and any alternative accommodation arranged.

Over the life of the claim

• Quotes and invoices for repairs, with more than one quote where the insurer expects it.
• Loss of income or extra costs: lost rent, temporary accommodation, storage, with evidence of each.
• All correspondence with the insurer, loss adjuster and contractors, in date order.
• A claim log: every call, visit and decision, with date and outcome.

For investigators

If you are investigating a claim rather than making it, the same file needs extra discipline: a documented chain of custody for any physical or digital evidence, observation logs written at the time (surveillance logs for investigators covers the format), and a clear separation between what you observed and what you infer.

Keep it in one place, in order

A claim can run for months, and the adjuster may change midway. Keep everything in a single file per claim, with photos named by date and location, a running timeline, and a summary at the top: policy number, claim reference, date of loss, amount claimed, current status, next action. When the insurer asks for "the evidence of when the tenant reported the leak", you should be able to find it in one search. For formal notices sent during a claim, keep the delivery evidence too; see proof of service and delivery records.

After settlement

File the settlement letter and payment confirmation, record what was repaired or replaced, and update the property's records and inventory. Keep the file for as long as your jurisdiction's limitation rules and the policy suggest; a related claim or a dispute over the repair can surface later.