Claim Guides for Field & Office Teams

At minimum: dated photos of damage and repairs, moisture readings where applicable, scope notes, and estimate detail aligned to field conditions. Strong files tell the story of what happened, what you found, and what was required to restore the property.

Document site safety clearance, exterior and origin-room photos, smoke migration by room, structural components, HVAC status, suppression water damage, contents inventory, and demolition discovery — with room labels consistent across photos, sketch, and estimate. Indexed evidence supports supplements when scope exceeds the carrier estimate.

• Fire Damage Documentation Guide →
• Fire Claim Intake Checklist →
• Fire damage solutions →

Commercial fire claims require building- or suite-level indexing scaled to property footprint: documentation plan with folder index, building inventory, tenant coordination logs, separate structure and contents folders, engineering reports cross-referenced to estimate lines, and phased supplement submissions. Treat office, retail, industrial, and multi-tenant losses with indexed evidence per suite or zone — not residential single-file patterns.

• Commercial Fire Claims Guide →
• Fire Damage Documentation Guide →
• Commercial water loss documentation guide →

Higher insured values trigger specialist adjusters, engineering review, and third-party audit. Carriers reconcile structural, smoke, HVAC, contents, and general conditions scope against building-indexed photos and engineering reports — not residential estimate macros. Tenant coordination, business interruption overlap, and phased supplements add review layers single-dwelling files rarely face. Weak building-level evidence invites proportional reductions across the entire commercial file.

• Commercial Fire Claims Guide →
• Why fire damage claims get underpaid →

Supplements need indexed photos by room, migration path narrative, demolition discovery logs, HVAC and contents evidence, engineering or testing reports where used, and a cover letter mapping attachments to line items. Phased supplements with contemporaneous evidence outperform end-of-job narrative assembled after production closes access.

• Fire Damage Documentation Guide →
• Fire Damage Supplement Playbook →
• Fire Damage Supplement Denial Recovery →

Identify jurisdiction and adopted code edition early; obtain permit application and inspection records; assign one specific code citation or AHJ written requirement per upgrade line; capture tear-out photos showing prior non-compliant condition and install photos before close-in; separate code scope from like-kind repair in Xactimate; and write supplement narratives linking trigger, citation, photo reference, and quantity. Documentation wins code supplements — generic code lists trigger denials.

• Fire Code Upgrade Documentation Guide →
• Claim Documentation Standards →

Common denial reasons: generic code lists without job-specific application, no permit or inspection documentation, missing tear-out photos of prior non-compliant condition, code lines buried in undifferentiated repair macros, owner preference upgrades argued as code requirements, no ordinance and law coverage on policy, and late supplements assembled after production closes access. Resubmit with indexed permit records, AHJ correction notices, and one citation per line — outcomes vary by carrier and file specifics.

• Fire Code Upgrade Documentation Guide →
• Fire Damage Supplement Denial Recovery →

Ordinance and law coverage is a policy endorsement that may pay for costs associated with building code compliance during repair or rebuild — commonly structured as Coverage A (undamaged portion demolition), Coverage B (increased cost of construction), and Coverage C (contingent liability) where listed. Availability, limits, and sublimits vary by carrier and policy. Contractors document code triggers and AHJ evidence; they do not interpret policy language or guarantee coverage outcomes.

• Fire Code Upgrade Documentation Guide →
• Does insurance pay for fire code upgrades? →

We compare carrier scope to field conditions and your estimate, flag defensible line items, and build organized supplement packages with photos and notes. After your review, submissions go to the carrier with clear change summaries. Follow-up continues through adjuster responses.

Group photos by room, elevation, or trade with clear labels and dates. Before-and-after sequences help adjusters follow the work. Random photo dumps slow review and invite scope reductions.

Onboarding starts with intake — we review your operation, claim volume, and current workflow. Your team gets platform access, documentation standards, and a clear handoff process for first claim submissions. Most contractors are submitting claims within the first week, depending on claim type and scope.

• Contact us →

Strong supplements pair line-item detail with photos, measurements, code references, manufacturer specs, and moisture or testing data where relevant. Organized narratives help adjusters understand why each item belongs on the scope — not just that it was missed.

• Documentation guidance →
• Insurance supplementing guide →
• Claim documentation approval rates →

Yes. We review denial language, identify documentation gaps, organize resubmission packages, and advise on re-inspection when site conditions require it. Recovery varies by carrier and file — we focus on building the strongest record possible.

• Supplement denial recovery guide →
• Insurance supplementing guide →

Commercial roof damage documentation starts with a labeled roof plan and zone-indexed photos — overview and close-up pairs for membrane field damage, seams, flashings, coping, edge metal, drains, scuppers, and penetrations. Document the assembly type (TPO, EPDM, PVC, mod bit, BUR, metal, SPF, or coating), perform moisture surveys and core sampling when wet insulation is suspected, and correlate interior ceiling maps to roof zones. Reconcile measurements to the carrier sketch, attach manufacturer specs, and index every photo to estimate lines before supplement submission.

• Commercial roofing documentation guide →
• HOA roofing claims guide →
• Roof measurement documentation guide →

Commercial roofing supplements require a scope comparison table linking carrier estimate lines to zone-indexed field evidence: roof plan, progressive tear-off photos, moisture survey maps, core sample results, equipment detach-reset inventory, and interior water migration maps. Include manufacturer guidance when disputing patch-only scope, code citations for upgrades, crane and staging photos for access constraints, and a contractor narrative indexed to each disputed line. Run the Roofing Supplement Checklist before submission — incomplete moisture proof and missing equipment documentation are the most common commercial supplement denials.

• Commercial roofing documentation guide →
• Roofing supplement checklist →
• Roofing supplement playbook →

Many carriers approve moisture survey and core sampling costs on commercial roofing claims when results justify wet insulation replacement — but payment depends on contemporaneous documentation linking scan results to specific roof zones and estimate lines. Perform surveys before tear-off when interior leaks, ponding, or storm openings suggest wet substrate. Document authorization requests, technician reports, and mapped readings indexed to the roof plan. Unsupported wet insulation claims without moisture proof are commonly excluded even when insulation replacement scope is otherwise defensible.

• Commercial roofing documentation guide →
• What documentation supports replacing a commercial roofing system? →

HOA roof damage documentation starts with a building inventory and community site plan — every structure numbered consistently across photos, measurements, and estimates. Photograph every elevation on every building with overview and close-up pairs; index shared components (gutters, carports, clubhouses) separately. Attach governing document responsibility summaries, access coordination logs, and board communication records alongside field evidence. Per-building scope comparison tables tied to photo indexes are essential before supplement submission on community association files.

• HOA roofing claims guide →
• Roofing claim documentation standard →
• Roofing supplement checklist →

HOA roofing supplements require building-indexed scope comparison tables linking carrier estimate lines to per-building photo evidence, measurements, and governing doc context. Include mobilization logs for multi-building deployments, access delay records, board authorization documentation, and progressive tear-off photos for hidden damage discoveries. Run the Roofing Supplement Checklist before submission — missing building-level indexing and undocumented access delays are the most common HOA supplement denials.

• HOA roofing claims guide →
• Roofing supplement checklist →
• Roofing supplement playbook →

Apartment complex roof documentation starts with a building inventory and labeled site map — every structure numbered consistently with property management records. Photograph overview and close-up pairs for every elevation on every building in separate indexed folders. Perform test squares per building on hail losses, correlate interior top-floor stains to roof zones, and log tenant access coordination contemporaneously. Reconcile measurements per building to the carrier sketch and tie every estimate line to building-specific photo evidence before supplement submission.

• Multi-building roofing claims guide →
• Roofing claim documentation standard →

Large multi-building roofing supplements require building-indexed scope comparison tables linking carrier estimate lines to per-building photo evidence, measurements, and mobilization logs. Include crane setup photos, material staging constraints, phased production schedules, progressive tear-off photos for hidden damage, and access delay records across occupied campuses. Run the Roofing Supplement Checklist before submission — missing building-level indexing and undocumented mobilizations are the most common multi-building supplement denials.

• Multi-building roofing claims guide →
• Roofing supplement checklist →
• Roofing supplement playbook →

Each dry log entry should include the visit date, technician name, atmospheric readings, material moisture values at all active map points, equipment type and count rows per room or chamber, drying goal status, and a progress narrative when readings plateau or regress. Document release readings at every active point before equipment pull — last-day cuts are common when terminal values are missing. Consistent point IDs from intake through closeout tie log entries to the moisture map and carrier sketch.

• Dry log collection field procedure →
• Dry log documentation guide →
• How carriers reduce drying days →

Include a floor plan or site diagram with room labels matching the estimate sketch, numbered reading points with initial moisture values and meter type at each location, wet/dry boundaries and migration paths, affected material types per zone, and planned drying chambers with containment perimeters. Assign reading point IDs at intake and use the same IDs on every subsequent visit through closeout. Maps that omit hidden cavity moisture or chamber design leave dehumidifier count and extended drying arguments unsupported at desk review.

• Moisture mapping field procedure →
• Moisture mapping best practices →
• Moisture mapping mistakes that cost contractors money →