How Do You Document Water Damage in Your House?

August 30, 2021

Water can pose a severe threat to your home’s structural integrity. It can even warrant expensive repairs your budget may not cover. As a result, it’s crucial to verify the destruction is accidental and not caused by your negligence. Otherwise, your insurance claim may get denied, wasting time and leaving you without all-important coverage.

The first step to making the most of your claim is documenting the extent of the harm. Since you might not be familiar with the procedure, the leading flood damage restoration specialists in Irvine will lay out all the intricacies. Water damage won’t be as daunting once we’ve explained all the nuts and bolts of the recording process. Read on!

How-Do-You-Document-Water-Damage-in-Your-HouseHow do you describe water damage?

Before we get to the crux of filing an insurance claim, we’ll give you some essential things you should know about water damage. For starters,  it’s not the same as flood damage. The problem is accurately defined as water destroying your home’s interior but not through flooding. Instead, it’s caused by several other scenarios:

  • Rain penetrating the roof and harming your walls and ceilings
  • Hailstorms breaking your windows, leading to wet floors
  • Burst pipes that saturate ceilings
  • A jammed, overflowing toilet soaking the bathroom floor

To obtain coverage for these forms of damage, your insurance adjuster needs to verify that water discharge was sudden or accidental. It can’t be caused by weathering or age.

Also, the policy should cover the resulting damage, but it won’t cover the source of the destruction. For example, it won’t pay for any replacement of a washing machine, burst, pipe, or water heater.

How to document your water damage

Before you remove flood-damaged belongings from the house, take these steps:

Take videos and photos

The main thing you should do is take videos and photos of the destruction. This includes personal and structural damage outside and inside your house. Record the cabinet interiors, as well. Your adjuster will need them to prepare the claim.

Collect proof of major purchases

Take a photo of each serial number of your large appliances, including refrigerators, dryers, and washers. This proves their value and ensures you’re adequately compensated. Without any evidence, the insurance company will use the item’s market price, which is lower than the item’s actual price.

In addition, collect receipts of artworks and jewelry since these are difficult to evaluate. Place them in one envelope for simpler tracking.

Gather samples of damaged items

Another essential thing is to collect samples of damaged possessions. The list can include carpeting, furniture upholstery, and wallpaper. This will allow the adjuster to assess the material quality, impacting your claim’s amount.

After you’ve recorded the damage, throw away any flooded objects that may jeopardize your health. This includes clothing, cushions, pillows, and perishable foods.

How-to-document-your-water-damageLooking for top-rated flood damage restoration in Irvine? Look no further!

Flood and water damage are two of the most stressful scenarios you can encounter as a homeowner in Irvine. Not only are they nerve-racking, but they can also cost a lot of money to repair and leave your home in disarray.

You may want to get away from all the mess and wind down at Doheny State Beach, but you can’t leave your water situation unchecked. Luckily, EHS is available 24/7.

Give us a call, and we’ll immediately dispatch a team of highly trained water damage restoration specialists to assess the harm and recommend the optimal solution. They’ll go the extra mile to return your home to its former condition as soon as possible.

Book EHS, and our committed, fully committed team won’t let you down!