Before you start: safety and timing
Do not enter a building that is structurally unsafe or that local officials have not cleared. Turn off power at the main if you can do so safely, and treat floodwater residue as contaminated. Documentation can wait an hour for safety; it should not wait days for convenience. Both policy types expect you to protect the property from further damage, so photograph first, then mitigate.
1. Record the water line
The water line is the boundary between two claims. Treat it as the most important measurement you will take.
- Every room, every exterior wall. Hold a tape measure vertically from the finished floor to the top of the stain or debris line and photograph it so the numbers are readable. Then take a wide shot of the same wall for context.
- Outside, measure from grade at each corner of the building, and photograph debris lines on fences, garage doors, cars and neighboring structures.
- Elevated homes: measure on pilings and the enclosure below, and note whether water reached the living floor.
- Write it down. Make a simple sketch of the floor plan and note the height in each room. Surge lines are often uneven between front and back.
- Note duration if you know it: how long water stood, and when it arrived relative to the strongest winds.
2. Document everything above the line separately
Damage above the water line is evidence of wind or wind-driven rain, which is a homeowners claim. Capture it before the remediation crew opens the walls.
- Ceiling stains, sagging drywall, wet insulation and light fixtures holding water.
- Water tracks running down walls from the ceiling, as opposed to wicking up from the floor.
- Attic photographs: daylight through decking, wet trusses, displaced insulation.
- Upper-floor rooms and closets with any water damage.
- Moisture-meter readings at different heights if a contractor or mitigation company takes them; ask for a copy.
3. Roof and building envelope
- Each slope of the roof from the ground with a zoom lens, or from a ladder or drone if safe and legal to do so.
- Missing shingles, tiles or panels, exposed underlayment or decking, lifted ridge caps and damaged flashing.
- Windows, doors, garage doors, soffits, fascia, siding and screen enclosures.
- Debris impact marks and the debris itself, with its location.
- Fallen trees and their direction of fall; nearby fences or signs bent in one direction.
4. Photo and video technique
Take far, medium and close shots of every area. Keep original files, which carry date, time and often location data. Narrate a slow walk-through video, saying the room name and what you are seeing. Do not edit or filter images. Back everything up to cloud storage the same day. If you have pre-storm photos or a home inventory video, find them now; they show condition before the storm, which answers "pre-existing damage" arguments.
5. Samples and removed materials
Insurers and their engineers sometimes want to see physical materials. Where practical and sanitary:
- Keep a labeled sample of each type of flooring, carpet and pad, and a section of drywall showing the water line.
- Photograph each item before disposal, with a tag showing room and description, and note the date it was removed.
- Keep roofing pieces and broken window glass that show wind damage.
- If local health officials require immediate disposal, document thoroughly and keep the disposal records.
The NFIP flood policy specifically requires you to separate damaged from undamaged property and prepare an inventory of damaged property showing quantity, description, actual cash value and amount of loss, with bills, receipts and related documents.
6. Contents inventory
Create a spreadsheet room by room: item, brand or model, age, where it was in the room (below or above the water line), approximate replacement cost, and a photo reference. Bank and card statements, online order histories and manuals help establish what you owned. Separate items damaged by flood from items damaged by rain through a roof opening, since they go to different insurers. NFIP contents coverage applies only if you purchased it and is paid at actual cash value.
7. Paper trail
| Keep | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Both policies and declarations pages | Deductibles, limits, endorsements, flood definitions, ACC wording |
| Claim numbers, adjuster names and license numbers | Florida requires adjusters to provide their name and license number (s. 627.70131(3)(b)) |
| A log of every call and email | Dates matter for the 7-day acknowledgment and 60-day pay-or-deny rules (s. 627.70131) |
| Estimates, engineering reports, photos from the insurer | The insurer must send its adjuster's detailed estimate within 7 days after it is generated (s. 627.70131(3)(e)) |
| Receipts: tarps, fans, dehumidifiers, lodging, meals, mileage | Mitigation and, where covered, living expenses |
| Proof of loss copies and delivery confirmation | NFIP's 60-day requirement |
| Every denial or partial denial letter | Starts the NFIP one-year suit clock and frames any Florida dispute |
8. Public data that supports causation
Note your nearest weather station and any surge or high-water-mark data published after the storm by federal agencies. National Hurricane Center reports on the storm describe its track, timing and intensity. These are the same sources engineers rely on in wind vs flood disputes, and they help show whether hurricane-force winds reached your property before the water did.
Documentation FAQ
Can I start cleanup before the adjuster comes?
Generally yes, and you are expected to prevent further damage. Photograph and measure everything first, keep samples where practical, and keep receipts. Waiting weeks for an adjuster while mold spreads can hurt the claim.
How do I prove which damage was wind and which was flood?
Measure the interior and exterior water lines, photograph all damage above them separately, document roof and envelope openings, and keep a room-by-room log. Weather data and an engineer's or contractor's written opinion can tie the evidence together.
Should I throw away flooded carpet and drywall?
Photograph it with a label, keep a sample of each material, record the date and then dispose of it as health guidance requires. The NFIP policy asks you to separate damaged from undamaged property and inventory the damaged items.
Do I need an adjuster's license number?
Florida requires the insurer's adjuster to give you a document with their name and state adjuster license number when a physical inspection is performed, and to include it in later communications about the claim (s. 627.70131(3)).
Last reviewed: October 2026. Florida statutes cited are from the 2026 Florida Statutes; NFIP terms from 44 CFR Part 61, Appendix A.