Should I Start Flood Cleanup Before the Insurance Adjuster Comes?

Q: What Can I Do Before the Adjuster Comes?

- Take photos and video of everything first, including the water line on the walls. - Remove standing water and start drying the space. - Move undamaged belongings to a dry area. - Pull out soaked items that are unsafe to keep, after you photograph and list them. - Keep a small cut sample of wet carpet, padding or flooring for the adjuster. - Keep every receipt for pumps, fans, supplies, cleanup and any hotel stay.

Q: What Should I Wait On?

- Do not make permanent repairs, like new drywall or flooring, before the adjuster inspects, unless your insurer agrees in writing. - Do not throw anything away without photos and a list. - Do not sign a release or settlement you do not understand.

Vanesa Levine

22 hours ago

2 min read

Yes. In most cases you should start protecting your home right away and not wait for the insurance adjuster. Your policy expects you to take reasonable steps to keep the damage from getting worse. Waiting days in a wet basement lets mold start and can make the loss bigger, and an insurer may not pay for damage that reasonable action would have prevented.

What Can I Do Before the Adjuster Comes?

Take photos and video of everything first, including the water line on the walls.
Remove standing water and start drying the space.
Move undamaged belongings to a dry area.
Pull out soaked items that are unsafe to keep, after you photograph and list them.
Keep a small cut sample of wet carpet, padding or flooring for the adjuster.
Keep every receipt for pumps, fans, supplies, cleanup and any hotel stay.

What Should I Wait On?

Do not make permanent repairs, like new drywall or flooring, before the adjuster inspects, unless your insurer agrees in writing.
Do not throw anything away without photos and a list.
Do not sign a release or settlement you do not understand.

Will Insurance Pay for Emergency Cleanup?

If the loss is covered, reasonable emergency work to protect the property is usually part of the claim. Ask your cleanup company for a written estimate and a record of what was done. See Flood Cleanup Cost in NYC: What a Written Estimate Should Include.

How Long Until the Adjuster Comes?

It varies. After a big storm, insurers get many claims at once and inspections can take longer. Write down every call: the date, who you spoke with and what they said. If you have a flood policy, remember the proof of loss deadline. Read Flood Insurance Proof of Loss: The 60-Day Deadline.

Need Cleanup Now?

Call Flood Cleanup NYC at 212-600-9290. For claim help, see our Insurance Claims page.

Public adjusting services are provided by a New York licensed public adjuster under a separate written contract. You do not have to use our cleanup services to hire the public adjuster, and you do not have to hire the public adjuster to use our cleanup services.