How We Document Your Home for Insurance

After a storm or a fire, your insurer may ask what was on your house and when it went on. Who remembers the brand of paint on the siding, or the year the attic vents were replaced? Records made while the work was being done answer that. They count most for fire. Fire is less common than water or wind damage, but a fire claim runs about five times the average property claim.

Claims aren’t rare, either. The same source shows about 5 in every 100 insured homes had one in 2023.

What we record on every project

Before work starts, at the on-site assessment, we photograph each surface and note its condition. The written proposal names the scope and the product specifications. At the final walkthrough you get photos of the finished work, a punch list and your written workmanship warranty.

Our pages on how we work and our warranty go through each piece.

Wildfire work gets a fuller record

Wildfire work gets more paperwork, and its dates can matter at renewal. A wildfire mitigation audit comes with photos and ranked findings. When the work is done you get completion photos, materials records and a record of the Zone 0, 1 and 2 work for your AB 38 file. Fire-resistant coating jobs come with written product and application records.

Why do the dates matter? Under California’s Safer from Wildfires regulation (10 CCR §2644.9), insurers that price for wildfire risk have to factor certain mitigation measures into their rates. They also have to tell you your wildfire risk score by set deadlines.

The one to watch is the revised score. Finish a listed measure between renewals and you can ask for one, with a dated record of the work in hand. The listed measures include Class A roofs, fire-resistant vents, enclosed eaves and multipane windows, 6 inches of noncombustible clearance at the base of the walls, and a cleared 5-foot zone.

Siding, decking and coatings aren’t on that list. We still document them, and your insurer decides whether any of it counts. Savings vary by insurer and policy, so ask your agent.

Maintenance visits keep the record current

On our maintenance program, every visit is documented in your portal. Once a year the defensible-space check records Zone 0, 1 and 2 conditions in writing. It’s based on CAL FIRE guidelines, and it isn’t a CAL FIRE inspection.

After a loss

If you do have a loss, the photos, product names and scope we gave you are yours to share with your insurer or adjuster.

Do you still need your own photos? Yes. Ours cover the parts of the house we worked on. Yours cover the rest, including the inside and your belongings. Our guide to documenting your home before El Niño says what to photograph, and the fire insurance documentation checklist lists the wildfire paperwork.

What our records can’t do

Our records show the work we did. They don’t certify code compliance or insurability, and we don’t inspect homes for insurers. Your building department signs off permits, and we don’t promise coverage, premiums or credits.

Are we working for your insurance company? No. We’re your contractor, and you decide who sees our records. Will they bring your premium down? We can’t say. Ask your agent how your insurer treats finished mitigation work, and ask for a revised wildfire risk score if it uses one.

If you’d like a record started on your next project, request an estimate or call us at (650) 961-7415.