What it actually is
A proof of loss is a sworn statement of your claim. Typically it identifies the policy and the claim, the date and cause of the loss, who else has an interest in the property (your mortgage servicer, usually), and — the part that matters — the amount you are claiming, often with a schedule of damaged property attached. You sign it, and in most cases you have it notarized.
Because it is sworn, it is not a form to fill in casually. Two rules follow from that: never sign a blank one, and never sign a figure you have not worked out yourself. If your insurer sends a partially completed proof of loss with their number already on it, you are entitled to check that number before you sign.
The deadline, and where yours comes from
A proof of loss has a window, and the window is one of the most common ways a claim gets complicated. Under a typical homeowners policy the clock starts when the insurer requests it, and the period is set by your policy — frequently sixty days, though states set their own rules and policies vary.
A flood policy is the exception that catches people. The standard flood policy generally requires a signed proof of loss within a period running from the loss itself, not from a request. That is why households carrying both policies work on the homeowners claim and miss the flood one. After a large declared disaster, FEMA can waive or extend that period for an affected area — but the waiver is announced, so ask whether one applies to you rather than assuming it does.
So: read the number off the letter in your hand rather than trusting a figure you found online, including this one. And if you cannot finish in time, ask in writing for an extension before the date, not after. Never assume a missed date will be forgiven.
What goes on the schedule
The attached schedule of damaged property is where a proof of loss is won or lost, because it is where the amount comes from. For contents that means a room-by-room inventory: what the item was, how old it was, what it would cost to replace, and what it was worth at the moment it was destroyed — the Disaster-Recovery Claims & Rebuild Binder computes that second figure for every line from the item's category and age, and totals the depreciation being held back alongside it.
Count by category rather than by memory — "14 work shirts", not "clothes". Whole-household categories like clothing, linens, kitchenware and tools are the easiest to summarize away in one line, and so the easiest to underclaim.
Proof of loss is not the same as proof of purchase
The names are similar and the confusion is common. The proof of loss is the sworn statement of the claim. Proof of an individual item — a receipt, a pre-loss photograph, a bank record, a serial plate — is the evidence behind a line on the schedule. Almost nobody has receipts for a houseful of possessions, and adjusters do not expect them: a written description with a model number and a current listing for the same item is still evidence.
A supplemental claim is not a second chance at a bad number
Damage found later — mold behind a wall, a subfloor under tile — is normally handled as a supplemental claim, and many policies allow one within a set period of the loss. That is a different thing from disagreeing with the figure you already signed. If the numbers do not match the damage, ask for the adjuster's own estimate and the depreciation applied to it, name the specific line items you disagree with, and request a re-inspection in writing.
An honest word
This page is general explanation — not insurance, legal, tax, or public-adjusting advice, and no guarantee of any result. Ardent Workshop is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to FEMA, the Small Business Administration, any insurance company, or any government agency. What your policy requires, when it is due, and what you are owed are set by that policy, by your state, and by the letters your insurer sends you. If a deadline is close or has passed, call your insurer today: a passed date is a reason to pick up the phone rather than to stop, and only your insurer can tell you where it leaves your claim. Your state insurance department takes claim-handling complaints for free.
Related tools and concepts
New to this? Start with the free After-the-Disaster First Steps Checklist — the first week in order, including the figures to find on your declarations page.
Then read what an insurance adjuster does, and the step-by-step tutorial on documenting a home insurance claim. If you are deciding where to keep the record, compare an owned claims binder against a hosted claims app. The tools for disaster recovery hub has the rest.
