Your contents claim after a fire: getting paid for what you lost

Why contents claims are so hard

After a fire, insurers typically ask for an inventory of everything that was lost, often with descriptions, ages, quantities and prices. For a household that took years to build, that can mean thousands of items. It is exhausting work at a time when families are already stretched thin, and many people simply give up before the list is complete.

That is one reason contents claims are often underpaid. What isn't listed usually isn't paid, and items that are listed are often depreciated heavily.

A practical way to build the list

• Go room by room, including closets, the garage, the attic and any storage areas
• Use photos and videos from phones, social media and family members to jog your memory
• Pull purchase history from online retailers, credit card statements and store loyalty accounts
• List the everyday things that add up: kitchen tools, linens, cleaning supplies, toiletries, pantry food
• Note brands and quality where you can; a cheap item and a high-end item are valued differently
• Ask family members to make their own lists of what they remember

Depreciation and replacement cost

Many policies first pay contents at actual cash value, meaning replacement cost minus depreciation, and then pay the rest as items are replaced. Depreciation should be reasonable for the type and condition of the item. Applying steep depreciation across the board, or depreciating items that don't lose value with age in the usual way, can significantly shrink a contents payment.

Read your policy to understand how and when you can recover the depreciated amount, and keep receipts as you replace things. Ask the insurer in writing to explain any depreciation you don't understand.

Extra protections after declared disasters

For losses connected to a declared state of emergency, such as a major wildfire, California law has added protections for contents claims in recent years, including advance payments and more flexible inventory requirements for total losses. The details have changed over time and depend on the type of loss and the policy, so it is worth asking the insurer directly which rules it is applying and getting the answer in writing.

Common problems we see

• Requests for receipts that no one keeps for ordinary household items
• Unrealistically low prices for replacement items
• Contents limits applied incorrectly, or special limits for categories such as jewelry or collectibles applied to the wrong items
• Smoke-damaged belongings in a surviving home treated as cleanable when they are not
• Long delays in reviewing an inventory once it is submitted

Special items and categories

Some belongings need extra attention. Jewelry, art, collectibles, firearms, musical instruments, tools and business property can be subject to special limits or separate coverage. If you had items appraised or scheduled on your policy, gather those records. For items with sentimental value, such as heirlooms, photographs and handmade pieces, the policy may not capture what they meant to you, but they still have a replacement value and belong on your list. It helps to describe what made an item distinctive, such as the maker, the materials or its age, so that it is priced fairly rather than as a generic substitute.

Keep the claim moving

Submit what you have in batches instead of waiting until the list is perfect, and keep a copy of every submission. Ask for an explanation of how each batch was valued. If the insurer's response seems far from what it would cost to replace your belongings, ask for the pricing sources it used.

A contents claim is about more than money. It is about getting a household back on its feet. If your insurer is making that harder than it should be, a lawyer can help you organize the claim, challenge unfair valuations and keep the process moving.

This article is general information about California law, not legal advice. Every situation is different, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. For advice about your situation, talk with a lawyer.