Home insurance claim course curriculum: 7 modules, 31 video lessons

How the lessons are organized

The course follows the usual path of a property claim: loss, document, report, inspect, estimate, repair, supplement and close. Not every claim needs every stage, but most move through them in this order. Module 1 starts on the day of the damage. Module 7 ends when the last payment is in and the claim is closed. Lesson numbers run straight through from 1 to 31.

You don’t have to start at the beginning. If your estimate just arrived, Module 2 is the place to go. If repairs turned up more damage, start with Module 4. Every lesson names the toolkit items that go with it, and every insurance term is explained the first time it appears. For quick definitions at any time, keep the claim glossary open in another tab. To see what a lesson page looks like and how the worksheets fit in, read how the course works, and for questions about phones, downloads and launch timing, see the Claims Answer Man FAQ.

Module 1: Start your claim the right way

The first days after damage shape the rest of the claim. This module gives you a calm order of operations, so the urgent things get done and nothing important gets lost.

• Lesson 1, the first 48 hours. Safety comes first. Then you learn the short list of early steps that matter most: making the home safe, starting a written record, and taking photos before anything is moved.
• Lesson 2, preventing more damage. Most policies expect you to take reasonable steps to stop damage from getting worse, like tarping a roof or shutting off the water. You learn what reasonable usually means and why every receipt matters.
• Lesson 3, photos and evidence. A room-by-room method for photos and video, and why you keep damaged items, or samples of them, until the insurer has had a chance to see them.
• Lesson 4, reporting the claim. How to report clearly and stick to facts, and the duties your policy gives you after a loss, such as cooperating with the inspection and providing records.
• Lesson 5, the adjuster’s visit. How to prepare, who to have there, what to point out, and what to write down before the adjuster leaves.

For a free overview of that first call to your insurer, read how to file a homeowners insurance claim.

Module 3: Work with your insurance company

Claims are rarely handled by one person from start to finish. This module shows who is who and builds habits that keep your claim on track when people change.

• Lesson 12, who does what. A field adjuster visits your home. A desk adjuster works from an office, reviewing photos, reports and estimates. At many companies, claim representatives handle calls and paperwork. Titles vary by insurer, so you learn what each role can usually decide and how to ask who has authority on your claim.
• Lesson 13, the claim diary. A few minutes a day to write down calls, visits, names and promises. If your adjuster changes, your diary is the record that stays the same.
• Lesson 14, putting it in writing. After every phone call, a short and polite email that sums up what was said. Templates are in the toolkit.
• Lesson 15, engineers and specialists. Why insurers sometimes send an engineer or another specialist, what to expect at that inspection, and how to read the report that follows.
• Lesson 16, deadlines. Reporting windows, proof of loss forms, repair periods and depreciation requests. You learn where to find each date in your policy and your state’s rules, and how to track them all in one place.

Our free guide explains what an insurance adjuster does in more detail.

Module 5: Coverage issues that often get missed

Some of the most useful parts of a policy are the ones homeowners never think to ask about. This module walks through them one at a time.

• Lesson 21, living expenses. Additional living expenses (ALE), also called loss of use, can cover the extra cost of living elsewhere while your home is repaired, such as rent, hotel nights, added meals or extra driving. You learn how the limits work and how to track every receipt.
• Lesson 22, your belongings. How to list, value and support a personal property claim, even when receipts and the items themselves are gone.
• Lesson 23, code upgrades and matching. Ordinance or law coverage can help pay to rebuild to today’s building codes. Matching is about whether repaired areas must blend with the rest of the house. Both depend on your policy and your state.
• Lesson 24, your mortgage company. Many mortgages require insurance checks to name the lender too. You learn how endorsements work and why lenders often release repair money in stages.

Start with our free guide to loss of use coverage.

Module 7: Large losses and closing your claim

The last module covers the biggest claims and the final steps of every claim, large or small.

• Lesson 29, total and catastrophic losses. What changes when a home is destroyed or badly damaged, and how to document a large loss, contents included, in an organized way.
• Lesson 30, closing and reopening. How to confirm every area was repaired and every payment received before the claim closes, and when reopening a claim may be possible.
• Lesson 31, accuracy. Why every number and statement you give must be accurate, and common slips that can look like fraud even when they’re innocent mistakes.

If you face a large contents claim, the free room-by-room home inventory checklist is a good place to begin.