Filing a claim? 9 things you need to know

By Jason Turner • 28 Mar 2025 • 2 min read

9 tips for filing a claim

Read your policy, know your policy
- Examine policy details and the limits of your coverage.
- Understand your rights as a policy holder.
Utilize your broker
Lean on your broker, he or she is your advocate, and they are experts in the field and can help you through the process of preparing and filing your claim.
Wait to hire a public adjuster or an attorney
Hiring a public adjuster or an attorney is costly, as each takes a percentage of the payout from your insurance carrier.
Notify your Insurance Carrier immediately, if you haven’t already
Early notification is essential to initiate the claims process.
Understand the Claims Process
- Develop a claims strategy, with your broker, and keep your desired outcome in mind.
- Be proactive even if the carriers are moving slowly given the surge in claims (and unsophisticated claimants) in their system.
- Take note of the mandatory resolution clause in your policy to better understand what is due to you.
Be responsive
Once an adjuster is assigned to your claim, maintain open communication and respond to requests as quickly as possible.
Document whatever you can, however you can
- Take photos of all physical damage to your home.
- Create a detailed inventory of damaged items.
- Look through old photos for evidence of destroyed assets.
Hire a contractor
- Know that the scope of the rebuild, including materials and labor, may be more than what your policy covers so consider the cost delta as you begin rebuilding.
- Consider a fire suppression system and advanced measures for earthquake preparedness in your plans.
Don’t settle your claim too early
- Continue to advocate for yourself, especially at this stage.
- Adjusters will look to settle claims quickly once they see the reports from building consultants, engineers, and other experts, but their urgency is not your urgency.
- Remember that every policy has a mandatory resolution clause but that doesn’t mean you have to take the first settlement offer.
- Don’t forget the negotiation stage, which is a prelude to the settlement stage.