How to make a contents list after a house fire total loss

When a fire destroys a home, the insurance claim usually has three parts: the building, your belongings (often called contents or personal property) and the extra cost of living elsewhere. The contents part is often the most time-consuming, because most insurers ask for a list of what was lost. This article explains what that list usually contains, where to find the information, and how to keep the work manageable.

What insurers usually ask for

Policies differ, so start with your own. The standard ISO homeowners form (HO 00 03, 2011 edition) lists the duties after a loss. Among them: give prompt notice, protect the property from further damage, keep records of repair expenses, and prepare an inventory of damaged personal property showing the quantity, description, actual cash value and amount of loss, with bills, receipts and related documents attached. In the same form, a signed, sworn proof of loss is due within 60 days after the insurer asks for it. Your policy or your state may set different terms.

What the standard form asks for	What it means in practice
Quantity	How many of each item (for example 4 dining chairs)
Description	Brand, model, size, material, anything that identifies it
Actual cash value	Replacement cost minus depreciation
Amount of loss	The amount you claim for that line
Bills and receipts	Any document that supports ownership or value

Replacement cost, depreciation and actual cash value

Replacement cost value (RCV) is what it costs today to buy a new item of like kind and quality. Depreciation is the reduction for age, wear and condition. Actual cash value (ACV) is replacement cost minus depreciation. Many policies pay belongings at actual cash value unless replacement cost coverage was added, and with replacement cost coverage insurers commonly pay ACV first and the rest after you replace the item and send a receipt. United Policyholders, a non-profit, notes there is no single industry depreciation schedule, so rates usually come from your insurer.

In United Policyholders' 12-month survey of 2025 Los Angeles wildfire survivors (675 households, self-reported), 53% said their insurer required them to list and describe every damaged or destroyed item, and only 23% said their insurer explained depreciation and how to collect full replacement value. Those figures come from one survey of one disaster, but they show why a clear, complete list matters.

Rebuilding the list room by room

United Policyholders suggests going room by room, grouping items by category, and using photos and purchase records to jog your memory. Sources that often help:

• photos taken inside your home by friends and family, where your belongings appear in the background;
• credit card and bank statements, store loyalty accounts and retailer purchase records;
• your own online order history, email receipts and warranty registrations;
• saved product pages showing a description, picture and price for today's replacement cost.

Write down where each piece of proof is (photo file name, statement month). If you have no document for a line, say so honestly. United Policyholders reminds survivors never to claim items they did not have.

Keeping the work manageable

A full house can mean hundreds of lines. Work one room at a time, a little every day, and keep one master file. For things you own in quantity, such as clothing, books or kitchenware, a grouped line with a count ("Adult 1: tops and shirts, 25 items") is faster. Ask your insurer in writing whether grouped lines and your own spreadsheet format are accepted before you start.

Living expenses and records

While you are out of your home, keep every receipt. Living expense coverage generally pays the increase in your costs, not costs you would have paid anyway. Log each call with your insurer, confirm important conversations in writing, and record every payment with the coverage it was paid under. A claim can last months, and a dated record helps you answer questions accurately.

Where to get free help

United Policyholders publishes free guidance, a sample home inventory and sample letters. Your state insurance department offers consumer help; find it through the NAIC directory. For advice about your policy or a disagreement, consider a licensed public adjuster or an attorney.

Putting it together

The Fire Total Loss Claim Kit turns these steps into ready-to-use files, with nothing pre-filled that should come from your records, your policy or your insurer:

• US_Fire_Total_Loss_User_Guide.docx: step-by-step user guide with key terms, rules that may apply, sources and a final checklist.
• US_Fire_Total_Loss_Contents_Inventory_TRACKER.xlsx: room-by-room contents inventory with RCV, depreciation and ACV calculated, summary by room and category.
• US_Fire_Total_Loss_ALE_TRACKER.xlsx: additional living expenses tracker: receipts, extra cost, reimbursed, not yet reimbursed, monthly summary, mileage.
• US_Fire_Total_Loss_Claim_Diary_TRACKER.xlsx: claim diary: key dates with alerts, contact log, documents sent, payments received.
• US_Fire_Total_Loss_Claim_Letters_TEMPLATE.docx: editable letters to request documents, information or time, to send documents, and to confirm conversations in writing.
• US_Fire_Total_Loss_Recoverable_Depreciation_TRACKER.xlsx: item-by-item tracker of withheld depreciation, replacements, receipts and amounts received.

Start with the Claim Diary to record your claim details and deadlines. Build the Contents Inventory room by room; its summary gives totals by room and category. Log every living cost in the ALE Tracker, send documents with the letters, and once the insurer pays actual cash value, follow the withheld amount in the Recoverable Depreciation Tracker.

Quick checklist

• Claim reported to the insurer; date and method noted in the Diary.
• Complete copy of the policy and declarations page requested and received.
• Limits, deductibles and deadlines from the policy written in the Diary and Settings tabs.
• Adjuster's name and contact details recorded.
• Inventory completed room by room; every line has quantity, age and replacement cost.
• Proof noted for each line (photo, statement, receipt, order history).