After a Flood: Document Before You Remove, Clean, or Discard

The water is gone and the pressure to start cleaning is enormous — mold is real and time matters. But the order you work in decides how much of your loss actually gets paid. Document first, then clean.

1. Wait until it is safe to return

Do not enter the property until authorities permit it. Flooded buildings can hold electrical hazards, structural damage, contaminated water, gas leaks, and displaced animals. If you cannot safely return, a trusted neighbor or local official may be able to confirm whether the property was damaged. Confirm utilities are safely shut off before entering, and if an area is unsafe, wait for a professional.

2. Confirm damage and report the claim promptly

• Contact your agent or carrier and provide your policy number and reliable contact information.
• Ask what immediate steps the carrier wants you to take.
• Record the claim number and the name of everyone you speak with.
• Keep a claim log of dates, calls, emails, expenses, and decisions.

If you evacuated, you may not be able to do any of this immediately — and that is expected. Report as soon as it is safe and you are able to. Carriers understand that policyholders displaced by a disaster cannot always call the same day, and being evacuated does not put your claim at risk. What matters is that you report it when you reasonably can, and that you keep a record of when you were able to do what.

After a widespread disaster — the kind an atmospheric river sequence produces across whole counties — adjusters may be running several inspections a day. If the adjuster offers a reasonable inspection time, take it. If you cannot be there, arrange for someone you trust to provide access.

If the flood displaced you, give your adjuster and your agent a phone number and address that will reach you now.

3. Photograph everything before cleanup begins

Before moving, cleaning, cutting, or discarding anything, document:

• The exterior and all sides of the property.
• The apparent high-water line, and the measured water depth.
• Every affected room — floors, walls, cabinets, doors, windows, mechanical systems.
• Damaged furniture, clothing, electronics, appliances, and personal property, including brand labels, model numbers, and serial numbers.
• Items placed at the curb or removed by a contractor.
• Each stage of cleanup and repair.

If emergency work has to start before the adjuster arrives, documentation matters even more. Ask restoration contractors to photograph the property before and during demolition, and to describe every material removed.

Separate damaged property from undamaged so the adjuster can evaluate quickly. If damaged items must go outside, keep them on your property until they have been inspected.

4. Prevent further damage — but do not over-demolish

Policyholders are generally expected to take reasonable steps to keep covered damage from getting worse: extracting water, arranging professional drying, removing materials that pose an immediate hazard. Mitigation is not permission to gut the building.

Before a restoration company removes materials, ask for a written scope of work and price; ask why each material must come out; ask how high they propose to cut drywall and why; ask whether the scope follows recognized restoration practice; and ask whether the carrier or adjuster should inspect first. Photograph every area before demolition, and keep samples when the adjuster requests them.

Restoration contractors commonly make horizontal flood cuts at practical heights based on water level, contamination, and material condition — two, four, and eight feet are common estimating increments, not an automatic rule. The right height is fact-specific; get professional guidance.

Be especially careful with tile installed over a concrete slab. Some policies require evidence that the flood physically damaged the tile before paying for replacement. When conditions allow, leave it in place until the adjuster inspects it.

5. Vet restoration contractors carefully

Catastrophes attract reputable professionals and opportunists alike.

• Check whether the city, county, insurer, or your agent maintains a list of established vendors.
• Verify licenses, insurance, references, and local reputation. Be cautious with unfamiliar companies arriving from far outside the area.
• Read the entire contract. Understand any assignment-of-benefits, direction-to-pay, lien, financing, or cancellation language.
• Never sign blank or incomplete documents, and do not assume the insurance company will pay every charge in the contract.

Contractor charges reduce the insurance funds available for the rest of the repair. A contractor who removes undamaged or uncovered property can leave you responsible for both the removal and the restoration.

6. Make a contents inventory

If you have contents coverage, you are generally the one responsible for supplying an itemized list of damaged personal property. For each item, record: description; room or location; quantity; approximate age; brand, make, and model; serial number where available; original purchase price if known; replacement cost or a comparable item; and whether the item was cleaned, stored, or discarded. For items worth more than about $500, the adjuster may want more detailed make-and-model information.

Do not put it at the curb yet. Photograph and list damaged belongings before they leave the property. If sanitation crews haul them away first, the adjuster has nothing to document — and proving the loss becomes much harder. When something must go, photograph it first and keep a sample, such as a swatch of carpet or fabric, if there is no health risk.

7. Manage your documents

Keep every original — estimates, receipts, contracts — in a secure place, and give the adjuster copies. Never hand over your only copy of anything. Save any repair estimates you have already received; they play a real role in determining the scope and cost of repairs. Log every interaction with contractors and with your adjuster: date, time, and what was discussed. A simple running log prevents most claim disputes.

Next: the adjuster’s visit

What happens at the inspection, what to hand over, and the five things to settle before the adjuster leaves — all on preparing for your flood adjuster’s visit.

Download the one-page claim checklist (PDF) or the full preparation guide.

You should not have to navigate a claim alone

We are not claims adjusters and we cannot adjust your claim. What we can be is your advocate: helping you understand what your policy actually covers, keeping your documentation on track, and making sure the people handling your claim give you the service and responsiveness you are owed. Call us at any point in the process — before it starts is even better.

855-CAL-FLOOD (225-3566), Mon–Fri 7:30–5 PT · Start a claim · Back to the flood claim guide

Common questions

Should I clean up before the insurance adjuster arrives?

Document first. You are expected to prevent further damage — extracting water and arranging drying is appropriate — but photograph and video everything before anything is moved, cut, or discarded, and do not begin permanent repairs or throw damaged property away until the adjuster has had a chance to inspect.

Can I throw away flood-damaged furniture before the adjuster comes?

Not if you can avoid it. Photograph and itemize each piece first, and keep it on your property until it has been inspected. If local regulations require disposal, document it thoroughly and keep a sample where there is no health risk.

Who is responsible for listing damaged belongings on a flood claim?

You are. If you carry contents coverage, the itemized inventory of damaged personal property is generally the policyholder’s responsibility — which is exactly why a pre-loss photo inventory saves so much difficulty later.

California Flood Insurance does not have the authority to adjust insurance claims. This information is provided as a courtesy, is general information only, and is not legally binding. Coverage is governed by the terms of your policy. Consult your insurance representative or a qualified legal advisor for guidance on your specific claim.