“The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining.” – President John F. Kennedy.
Being a homeowner comes with many responsibilities, including ensuring the safety and comfort of your family. Effectively protecting your largest asset means having a homeowner’s insurance policy in place that meets your needs and provides financial protection should damage occur.
Documenting for Disaster: Proactive Preparedness is Key
The precursor to filing a homeowner’s insurance claim during post-disaster recovery is being prepared before a disaster happens. What would happen if you lost your entire home today? Knowing what homeowner documents you’ll need and where they’re located could be the difference between recovering and not recovering after a natural disaster. You can implement Documenting for Disaster with 2 easy steps:
- Sign up and build your property profile on DomiDocs.com®.
- You can then store all your vital home documents on the free DomiDocs Homeowner Enablement Platform®. You’ll have easy access to your information at any time from anywhere in the world. Your property profile should incorporate 2 important document dossiers:
- Disaster Bundle (Home) – including everything from the deed/title and home inventory list to photos/videos of the interior and exterior
- Digital Go Bundle (Personal) – encompassing everything from birth certificates to wills and testaments
It’s a fact that those without proper homeowner documentation often suffer the most after disasters. By uploading photos and videos of your home into the DomiDocs® secure cloud-based platform, you can help level the playing field and maximize your homeowner’s insurance claim payout.
For insured homeowners, here are the key actionable steps to take for post-disaster recovery.
- Immediately after a disaster, focus on your family’s safety and security. Remember that your home can be replaced or repaired, but lives cannot. This means that above all else, you need to:
- Ensure everyone, including pets, is accounted for
- Check for injuries
- Beware of new hazards, such as gas leaks, downed power lines, debris, floodwaters, and displaced animals
- Evacuate to a safer location, if necessary
- Understand that disasters are often fluid situations that can change at a moment’s notice, so listening and following official information is crucial
2. Mitigate further damage. When it’s safe to do so, your homeowner’s policy generally requires you to take reasonable steps to prevent further damage to your home, contents, and structures. Emergency repairs could include covering a damaged roof with a tarp, nailing plywood over broken windows, or piling sandbags to divert running water.
- Be sure to save and upload all your emergency repair receipts into the DomiDocs Homeowner Enablement Platform®.
- Do NOT throw anything away! Until your insurance adjuster has been on site, don’t discard any items until they’ve had a chance to inspect them. If it’s a matter of safety, take photos first and then move the item/s to a safe designated area on your property.
3. Get ready to document all actions and communications. Start a detailed chronological log of all communications you’re about to embark on during your post-recovery process. Make sure to include:
- Dates and times of contact
- Names and titles of the people you speak to
- How you contacted them, ie,. via phone, email, in-person
- A brief summary of what you discussed and any next steps that were agreed upon
- Your claim number on all documentation
- Keep your expense receipts and documents you received from all concerned parties
4. Call your insurance agent. Contact your insurance agent or company to immediately file a claim. The sooner you file, the faster the claim process can begin. Your due diligence here should include:
- Understanding your homeowner’s insurance policy, as to:
- What is and what isn’t covered under your policy
- The deductible amount, which is what you’ll need to pay upfront before the insurance company pays the remainder
- Knowing if your policy covers replacement cost (the cost to replace) or actual cash value (the depreciated value) of items.
- Your maximum coverage limits that your policy will pay out for things like:
- temporary living expenses
- rebuilding/repairing/replacing personal property, dwellings, and other structures
- Understanding your homeowner’s insurance policy, as to:
5. Thoroughly documenting your home’s damage. If you’ve already uploaded your home inventory, photos, and videos into DomiDocs®, establishing comparisons between pre- and post-disaster will be much easier. To document your home’s damage, take your time and walk from room to room, and then to the exterior and surroundings. Use your smartphone or digital camera to capture the best high-resolution photos/videos, including:
- Wide shots showing each room and the exterior of your home, which relays the general scope of damage
- Mid-range shots to show context of the damage and close-ups to showcase damaged items or specific structural damage
- Take photos from multiple angles, and if you’re finding it hard to get a good pic of something like a crack, placing a coin or your foot next to the damage can help provide a sense of scale
- If it’s likely there’s hidden damage behind a wall, as with flooding, document the area even though you can’t see the full damage yet
- Ensuring the photos generate time and date stamps
- Damages to exterior features, like:
- utility lines
- meter boxes (for damage and meter reading references)
- accumulated debris
- fencing/siding/windows/roofing/outbuildings
- Use your previous home inventory list to go through and detail all damaged items
6. Call your mortgage provider/lender. Contacting your mortgage provider is a crucial step for a homeowner following a disaster, as even if your home is damaged or destroyed, your mortgage payments are still due.
- Inquire about disaster relief options, such as mortgage forbearance programs, where homeowners affected by a natural disaster can have their mortgage payments temporarily suspended or reduced for a set period, ranging from 90 days to 1 year
- Inquire about load modification options, such as qualifying for an extended loan term or a lower interest rate
- By proactively contacting your mortgage provider, you show good faith and will help to protect your credit in case expenses arise or there are unforeseen delays
7. Work with the insurance adjuster. When you’re facing the aftermath of a disaster, working with your insurance company/adjuster is an inevitable part of the recovery process. If you’ve already taken advantage of the Documenting for Disaster feature, with the touch of a button, you can upload everything your insurance adjustor needs, including documents, photos, and videos. After contacting your insurance company, an insurance adjuster will be scheduled to come and inspect the damage to your home. When the insurance adjuster arrives, be sure to:
- Accompany them on their visit to your home
- Walk them through/around your home while pointing out all the damage that’s occurred
- Jot down notes
- Ask any questions you may have, including queries about:
- The general claims process
- Confirming exactly what’s covered and what’s not
- This includes confirming if your claim is based on replacement cash value or actual cash value, as defined above
- Establishing the general timeline for the claim, from inspection to receiving the settlement payment
- Confirming that the adjuster/insurance company has everything they need to process the claim quickly and efficiently
- Identifying the best way to contact the adjuster if you have follow-up questions:
- ask for a direct phone number or email address
- get a secondary contact as well, as many adjusters get routinely moved from claim to claim, especially during times of disasters affecting large areas
8. Understand and be prepared for insurance pushback. The goal of insurance companies is to manage risk and payouts. Pushback occurs when insurance companies prioritize their profit margins by limiting payouts. Problems for homeowners can happen when:
- Complex language is used in the policy, leading to misunderstandings about what is and isn’t covered
- There’s a high volume of claims coming into an insurance company after a wide-scale disaster and adjusters are either overwhelmed or are facing tight deadlines to settle claims quickly
- The cause of the damage isn’t clear-cut, as a homeowner could say the roof damage was caused by the hurricane that just roared through, while the adjuster claims it’s due to poor maintenance and wear and tear on old shingles
8. Understand and be prepared for insurance pushback. The goal of insurance companies is to manage risk and payouts. Pushback occurs when insurance companies prioritize their profit margins by limiting payouts. Problems for homeowners can happen when:
- Complex language is used in the policy, leading to misunderstandings about what is and isn’t covered
- There’s a high volume of claims coming into an insurance company after a wide-scale disaster and adjusters are either overwhelmed or are facing tight deadlines to settle claims quickly
- The cause of the damage isn’t clear-cut, as a homeowner could say the roof damage was caused by the hurricane that just roared through, while the adjuster claims it’s due to poor maintenance and wear and tear on old shingles
Being thorough can help ensure you receive the full coverage you’re entitled to under your homeowner insurance policy. The best advice here is to think of the initial settlement offer from an insurance company as a starting point for negotiation, not the final word. Before accepting their offer, ask these questions:
- Has every item you’ve noted been accounted for within the settlement?
- Do the values offered fall in line with replacement costs and/or estimates you’ve gathered from contractors?
- Has the deductible been correctly applied?
- Does the offer include funds for temporary housing/food/expenses?
- Have multiple contractor quotes been taken into consideration? If not, obtain 2-3 quotes on your own from licensed, insured, and reputable contractors, which include itemized costs for labor and materials.
- Do you think the offer is too low? Feel free to submit your documentation and evidence to the adjuster, along with reasons why you believe it’s not enough.
- Do you want to appeal the offer if they won’t budge? You have the right to appeal the decision within the insurance company’s internal processes. If that doesn’t work, or you feel there’s been unfair practices, you can file a formal complaint with your state’s Department of Insurance.
9. Beware of contractor scams. Emotions and scams run high after natural disasters. Some homeowners may feel desperation and be very vulnerable to unscrupulous contractors who demand upfront payments for what turns into poor or uncompleted work, or to contractors who simply vanish after receiving payment. Be cautious of unsolicited contractors and only work with reputable companies, while getting multiple estimates, and never ever pay large sums of money upfront.
10. Make use of other benefits and programs. Even if you have homeowner’s insurance coverage, you may be able to seek help from the:
- American Red Cross/Salvation Army – they can assist with immediate needs and support, including shelter, food, water, clothing, comfort kits, emotional support, and offer referrals to other resources
- Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) – if your area is a presidentially declared major disaster area, you may be eligible for FEMA assistance
How DomiDocs Can Help You Navigate Through a Disaster
The key to weathering any natural disaster is preparation—knowledge and organization are your best tools. As a homeowner, taking proactive steps to protect your family and property before disaster strikes is essential. The secure, award-winning DomiDocs Homeowner Enablement Platform® helps you stay prepared by allowing you to:
- Create a detailed home inventory – Upload receipts, photos, and videos documenting your home’s condition and contents to ensure an accurate record for insurance purposes.
- Store and manage essential insurance documents – Use the Insurance Bundle feature to securely organize policies, including company details, coverage, cost, and policy start and end dates. A calendar timeline provides quick reference, and with one click, you can share documents with your insurance agent when filing a claim.
- Prepare for and recover quickly from any disasters – Ensure quick and easy access to critical homeownership and insurance documents before and after a natural disaster. Use the Disaster Bundle to safely store everything from insurance policies and mortgage information to your home inventory list, photos & videos and emergency vendors—allowing you to recover faster when you need it most.
- Stay ready for emergencies – Keep all your most important documents—such as IDs, medical records, financial statements, and emergency contacts—securely stored and instantly accessible. The Digital Go Bundle ensures you have everything you need in one place, whether you’re evacuating or managing post-disaster recovery.
- Follow expert homeowner guidance – Access the comprehensive DomiDocs New Homeowner Guide, which offers best practices to help prevent insurance claims and keep your home in top condition.
By leveraging these tools, you’ll have the critical information you need at your fingertips, making it easier to recover and rebuild after a disaster.
Navigating Insurance Claims: What Every Homeowner Should Know
When you’re facing the aftermath of a natural disaster, working with your insurance company is an inevitable part of the recovery process. DomiDocs® CEO and Founder, William McKenna advises homeowners to carefully review their insurance company’s initial settlement offer, as it may not fully cover all damages. Many experts recommend assessing the offer to ensure it aligns with your policy coverage.
What should you do? Access your personal profile on the DomiDocs® home management platform to easily submit your documented receipts, photos, and videos to your insurance adjuster with just one click. Before accepting a settlement, take the time to consider all potential losses, including missed wages, medical expenses (both current and future), vehicle repairs, and any other damages. Being thorough can help ensure you receive the full coverage you’re entitled to under your policy.
DomiDocs has your back! Whether it’s a hurricane, tornado, flood, or fire, the DomiDocs Resouce Page: How To File An Insurance Claim is here to guide you through the claims and recovery process.
Take Control of Your Homeownership Journey with DomiDocs®
Managing your home shouldn’t be stressful. DomiDocs® empowers homeowners with innovative technology, expert guidance, and unparalleled organization—all within a secure, cloud-based platform. From protecting your property and finances to streamlining essential tasks, our tools help you save time, reduce expenses, mitigate costly risks, and maximize your home’s value.
Explore the DomiDocs suite of solutions:
- Homeowner Enablement Platform® – A centralized, digital hub for organizing documents, tracking home value, and managing property details effortlessly.
- HomeLock™ – Protects your home from fraud and title theft with 24/7 monitoring and instant alerts.
- TrueValueIndex® – Provides real-time insights into your home’s value to help you make informed financial decisions.
- propRtax® – Identifies potential property tax savings and ensures you’re not overpaying.
- Documenting for Disaster® – Securely stores critical homeownership documents, ensuring quick access before and after a disaster.
Join the home management revolution today and experience the confidence that comes with having everything you need in one place.
Author – Connie Motz