RestorationsSOS.com - Fire and Water Damage Restoration

Step 3: Damage Assessment

By Jonathan Meyer
Published: November 8, 2005

After taking steps to protect and secure your property and personal belongings, the next important step is damage assessment.

Understanding the extent of the damage caused to the structure and personal belongings will help your insurance adjuster to efficiently process the damage claim.

It is recommended to hire a professional restoration constructor for a fast and accurate assessment. This will help speeding up the restoration process, allowing you and your family to get back to normal life as quickly as possible.

Structural Damage Assessment

Exterior Signs of Damage

Start with a closer inspection of the property. Only if determined safe, walk around the building and lot to observe and gather information.

It is recommended to prepare a visual record of the damage using annotated photos or video. Make sure your visual record shows the scope of the disaster.

Start outside. Record the exteriors and include the following:

The roof

• Collapsed portions of the roof
• Missing or burnt roof shingles
• Damaged gutters
• Cracks or damaged chimney
• Stained exterior surfaces

Exterior walls and windows

• Collapsed walls
• Broken or cracked windows
• Burnt bricks or exterior walls

Front lawn and back yard

• Damaged areas
• Burnt trees and flora

Interior Signs of Damage

Now enter the structure. Taking extreme precautions, start from the top and document the following:

The attic

• Damaged ceiling, walls and floor
• Burnt or bent insulation
• Burnt vents and ducts

Rooms

• Stained ceiling, walls, and floor
• Wrapped or damaged wood
• Broken windows and doors

Bathroom

• Damaged bathtubs
• Stained sink and countertop

Basement

• Damaged foundations, walls, and floor
• Stained or damaged duct work

Personal Belongings Damage Assessment

Once you are done with structural assessments, move on and evaluate the damage done to your belongings. Prepare a list of damaged or lost items for your adjuster and, if available, give the adjuster receipts for those items.

A visual documentation is recommended here as well. It will help to support your insurance claim.

Create a room by room list of damage. Be as thorough as possible and use the following guidelines to help you make observations and notes:

• Appliances: do not switch appliances on if they were exposed to water. Simply mark every appliance that is suspected wet. These appliances will require an electrician test later.
• Furniture: list every damaged piece of furniture. Inspect wood furniture closely. Cabinets and dressers: open all cabinets and dressers and inspect inside. Carefully touch all sides and panels and list if smoked or burnt. Make sure to list all damaged content as well.
• Carpets and upholstery: list all damaged carpets, rugs, fabric curtains, and upholstery.
• Paper products: list all burnt books, documents, photographs and paintings.
• Digital media: list all burnt digital media such as tapes, CDs, DVDs, computers and hard drives.

Be prepared to make difficult decisions about what to keep and what to discard.

Convey Your Assessments

When you are done collecting the information required for damage assessment, convey a copy to your insurance agent / adjuster for further processing of your claim.

Another copy should be given to your restoration contractor to develop a prioritized plan of stabilization, repair, and restoration.

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