Photos and video
Take them before cleanup, and again as work proceeds.
- Wide shots of each affected room
- Close-ups of the failed hose, valve or appliance
- The appliance nameplate with model and serial number
- Ceilings, walls and floors below the leak
- Damaged belongings, with labels or receipts if available
- Before and after drying, including toe-kick openings
Physical items
- The failed part in a labeled bag
- Any packaging or manual for a replaced appliance
- Samples of removed flooring if the contractor allows
Paper trail
| Document | Who provides it | Done |
|---|---|---|
| Timeline of the event | You | |
| Plumber or technician's written finding on cause | Plumber or technician | |
| Drying logs and moisture readings | Drying contractor | |
| Invoices for emergency steps | Vendors | |
| Estimates and invoices for repair | Contractors | |
| Call log with insurer | You | |
| Claim number and adjuster contact | Insurer |
Writing the timeline
Write a short chronological note while memory is fresh: when you noticed the leak, what you saw, what you shut off, when you contacted each person, and what each said. Mention any earlier signs you recall, even small ones, such as a musty smell or a soft spot. Accuracy helps more than polish, and sudden versus gradual questions are easier to discuss if the history is clear.
If something is missing
- IfYou did not photograph before cleanupPhotograph what remains and write down what the scene looked like.
- IfYou threw out the failed partDescribe it and any markings; ask the plumber whether they noted it.
- IfA contractor will not share logsAsk for them in writing and say they are for the claim.
- IfYou cannot find receiptsAsk vendors for copies or check your payment records.
Adding it to other records
If you keep a hose and tank age log and a shutoff map, add them to the claim file. They show that the household tracked and maintained these items, which can be helpful context.
Organize the file so that a stranger could follow it. Name photographs by room and date, label receipts with what they were for, and keep the timeline on top. If the claim runs for weeks, add a running list of open questions and who owes whom an answer. A claim file is easier to maintain a little each day than to reconstruct afterward, and it gives you something concrete when a conversation needs to be summarized.
Add a page listing the people involved, with their roles, so that months later you can tell who the plumber was and who wrote which estimate.
General information for Arvada, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.