Module 1: Insurance First Steps
How to locate your policy and declarations page
The first step is to locate your insurance declarations page and policy. The declarations page is a summary of your coverage and the first thing you want to understand - here is a sample of what it looks like. The fine print and details are in the full policy document. You might be thinking, “My policy was in my home — the one that just burned down.” That’s understandable. Fortunately, there are a few ways to access it:
Log in to your insurance company’s online portal. Look for the section on your homeowner’s or renter’s policy and it should link to your declarations page and policy. It may be located under “Documents” or “Coverage” or be listed as a summary of your coverage.
Download the company’s app, if available. You may be able to find your declarations page and policy there too.
If those options aren’t possible right now, call your insurance company directly and ask them to email you a copy of your declarations page and policy. You can always reach out to your insurance agent and ask them for that number too.
Create a new email address
Set up a new, free email account (like Gmail or Outlook) used only for your insurance claim. This keeps all your claim-related messages in one place so you don’t have to hunt through your personal inbox later. And you can use it for any contractors as well who clean your contents or rebuild your home.
You can also send your notes from calls and meetings to this separate email account so that it creates a reliable, time-stamped record in one secure place. This serves as an organized paper trail that can protect you if you ever need to prove what was said during a legal dispute, filing a complaint, or when holding a contractor to their word.
Filing a claim
The next step is to file an insurance claim. You can do that through your insurance company’s online portal, app, or call them directly. This starts the claim process and then you will be assigned an adjuster. If you call them directly, it will likely be a 1-800 number and you will talk to a customer service representative. Filing the claim officially starts the insurance process and then you will be assigned an adjuster who will contact you.
If you have any questions about this process or what to expect next, please give us a call.
Insurance terms & basics