How to File a Personal Property (Contents) Claim After Damage

When a storm, flood, fire, or sewage backup damages your home, it's not just the structure that takes a hit — your furniture, appliances, clothing, electronics, and everything else inside are part of your insurance claim too. Personal property (what carriers call "contents") claims are often the most time-consuming part of a major property loss, and the most commonly underpaid. Here's how to approach the inventory and filing process so you collect what you're owed.

What Personal Property Coverage Actually Covers

Most standard homeowners policies (HO-3 form) cover personal property for losses caused by named perils — fire, wind, hail, theft, water from a burst pipe, and similar events. Flood damage from rising groundwater is typically excluded from standard policies and requires separate NFIP or private flood coverage.

Personal property coverage has two components:

• Coverage C (Contents): The main bucket — furniture, clothing, electronics, appliances, tools, sporting goods, and household items.
• Scheduled personal property endorsements: High-value items like jewelry, art, guns, cameras, and musical instruments often have per-item sublimits under Coverage C. Riders or floaters extend coverage for these items specifically.

Pull your declarations page and find your Coverage C limit. That's your ceiling. Then look for sublimits — most policies cap jewelry at $1,500–$2,500 without a rider. If you had high-value items, note the sublimits before you assume they're fully covered.

Start the Inventory Immediately — Before Anything Is Moved

The single biggest mistake homeowners make after a contents loss is discarding or moving items before documenting them. Once damaged property is gone, proving its existence and condition to an adjuster becomes difficult.

Step 1: Photograph everything in place. Walk every affected room and shoot wide-angle photos from each corner, then close-ups of individual damaged items. Shoot the item, the damage, and any visible labels, model numbers, or tags.

Step 2: Shoot video while narrating. Walk through and describe what you see: "This is the living room — the sectional sofa is soaked through, the 65-inch TV has water damage from the shelf collapsing, the entertainment unit is swollen and delaminated."

Step 3: Back up immediately to cloud storage. Don't risk losing documentation if the device is damaged or lost.

For a broader documentation checklist covering both structure and contents, read our guide on how to document property damage for an insurance claim.

Building Your Contents Inventory

Your carrier will likely send you a personal property loss inventory form — a spreadsheet where you list each item, description, age, purchase price, and replacement cost. This form becomes the backbone of your contents claim.

The Insurance Information Institute recommends maintaining a home inventory before any loss occurs, but most people don't have one ready. If you're building yours after the fact, here's how to approach it systematically:

Go room by room. Work through the home methodically so nothing is missed. Start with the most severely damaged areas.

For each item, document:

• Item description (be specific: "Samsung 65-inch QLED TV, model QN65Q80" rather than "TV")
• Approximate purchase year
• Purchase price if you remember or can find a receipt
• Current replacement cost (what it would cost to buy an equivalent today)
• Condition before the loss
• Serial number or model number for electronics, appliances, and tools

Use purchase records where available. Credit card and bank statements, Amazon order history, email receipts, and manufacturer warranty registrations are all useful sources.

Group clothing by category. Itemizing every shirt isn't practical. Instead: "Men's dress shirts — 8 items, average $45 each" or "Women's winter coats — 3 items." Be conservative with quantities; inflating counts creates disputes.

Don't forget:

• Items in storage areas, garages, and attics
• Tools and equipment
• Sporting and hobby equipment
• Office equipment and supplies if you work from home
• Food in refrigerators or freezers if a power outage was involved
• Items in vehicles if the loss affected the garage

Depreciation and How It Affects Contents Payouts

Unless your policy is RCV (replacement cost value), your carrier will depreciate every item on your inventory. A five-year-old sofa, a three-year-old laptop, and an eight-year-old refrigerator all depreciate at different rates.

On an ACV policy, the payout for a $1,200 refrigerator that's eight years into a 15-year lifespan might be $480. On an RCV policy, you'd receive the ACV payment first, then collect the depreciation holdback after you replace the item. The process for collecting that second payment is the same as for structural items — complete the replacement, submit documentation, request the holdback release.

See our article on recoverable depreciation for a step-by-step guide on collecting the held-back portion of your claim.

High-Value Items — Know Your Sublimits

Standard contents coverage has per-category sublimits that frequently surprise homeowners at claim time. Common examples:

• Jewelry: $1,500–$2,500 per item or per loss
• Firearms: $2,500 per loss
• Cash and gift cards: $200–$500
• Business property: $2,500 if used commercially at home
• Fine art and collectibles: Often very limited without a scheduled endorsement

If you had items in these categories that were damaged or destroyed, review your policy for applicable sublimits before completing the inventory. If the loss exceeds a sublimit and you didn't have a rider, that portion of your claim is effectively capped.

Working With the Adjuster on Contents

Your carrier will assign an adjuster who reviews the contents claim, often separately from the structural portion. Here's how to manage that process:

Do not rush the inventory. It's better to submit a thorough, accurate list than to file quickly with gaps you'll have to fight over later. Most carriers give you 30 to 60 days to file a complete contents inventory.

Provide documentation for disputed items. If the adjuster values an item lower than your estimate, provide comparables — current retail listings for equivalent items, not used market prices. You're entitled to replacement cost on an RCV policy, which means new or like-new equivalent, not what the item would sell for at auction.

Request an itemized breakdown. Ask the adjuster to show you their valuation for each item, not just a lump settlement. Review the depreciation percentages applied — some can be negotiated if they're out of line with the item's actual condition.

Request a re-inspection if major items are missing. Adjusters work from your inventory list. If items got left off or undervalued, flag them specifically and ask for the scope to be reopened. If the carrier is resistant, see our guide on what to do when your insurer underpays a claim.

Temporary Living Expenses and Contents in Storage

If your home is uninhabitable during restoration, your Loss of Use (Coverage D) pays for temporary living expenses — hotel, rental, meals above your normal baseline. Keep all receipts.

If undamaged contents need to be removed and stored during structural repairs (common after water damage and fire), storage costs are typically covered under Coverage A or C depending on the carrier. Get written authorization before storing items at your expense and assuming reimbursement.

Getting Help With a Large Contents Claim

A whole-house fire, major flood, or significant storm loss can result in thousands of line items on a contents inventory. If the volume is overwhelming or the carrier is disputing a significant portion of the claim, a public adjuster can handle the contents inventory on your behalf for a percentage of the settlement. For smaller claims, a restoration contractor who coordinates directly with the carrier can help document structural and contents damage together.

KROE Contracting serves Chattanooga and surrounding areas throughout Tennessee and north Georgia. If you've experienced property damage and need help documenting the loss or coordinating with your insurance carrier, call or text 931-607-3784 — 24/7.