Start with safety and reporting
After storm damage, address immediate danger first and use the claim contact on your policy to report the loss. Take photos only where you can do so safely. The Texas Department of Insurance advises reporting property damage promptly. You do not need a complete folder before contacting the insurance company.
For an emergency, seek emergency help. Stay out of unsafe areas and do not climb onto a damaged roof. If you cannot safely reach an area, tell the insurance company what remains uninspected. A photograph is not worth risking an injury.
Choose your next step
Use these stages to organize your next action. They are not deadlines. If you have already reported the damage, keep the reporting reference and move to the question that still needs attention.
Safety and urgent conditions
Seek emergency help when needed and avoid unsafe areas.
Useful recordWhat is happening and where.
Report and protect
Use the insurer contact on your policy and discuss temporary protection.
Useful recordReporting reference, safe photos and repair receipts.
Organize follow up
Identify what remains unresolved and what was requested.
Useful recordCurrent question, contacts and requested documents.
Make a short damage record
Write down when the storm occurred and when you first noticed damage. Mark an approximate time as approximate. Describe what you saw rather than deciding the cause of damage from a photograph.
Use one line for each area or item. Keep the location, observation date, photo reference and any temporary action together. For example, a note about a wet ceiling should identify the room and when you noticed it. If a contractor later gives an opinion about the cause, save that separately from your own observation.
The Texas Department of Insurance recommends photos or video, keeping repair receipts and retaining damaged items until the adjuster provides instructions. If keeping an item creates a safety problem, ask the company what to do and document its response.
- Area or item affected.
- What you observed and when.
- Photo or video reference, if safely available.
- Temporary work performed and receipt.
- Area that could not be inspected safely.
Temporary repairs are different from full repairs
The Texas Department of Insurance recommends temporary protection against further damage and advises waiting on permanent repairs until the adjuster has seen the damage. Ask the insurance company about proposed work and explain any urgent condition.
Get a written description that separates temporary protection from the larger repair proposal. Keep the dates, photos and receipts together. A temporary repair receipt should show what was actually done. A later estimate should show work still proposed.
If someone is offering to start immediately, explain which part of the job addresses an urgent problem and which part is permanent work. Ask the company for instructions before treating the proposed work as approved. Keep a note of the person who gave the instruction and the date.
Ask about living expenses
Tell the insurance company if you cannot stay in the home. The Texas Department of Insurance explains that a policy may help with some additional living expenses when covered damage makes the home unlivable. Ask what applies to your situation before assuming an expense will be reimbursed.
Keep lodging and other expense records separate from repair invoices. Note the dates you were away, why you could not stay and the questions you have about returning. Ask which records are needed and how to supply them. Keep any written response with those receipts.
Review contractor offers carefully
The Texas Department of Insurance recommends comparing repair estimates and checking contractor references and contact details. It also warns that Texas law prohibits contractors from offering to waive or rebate a homeowners deductible.
Compare the proposed work item by item. Identify areas included in one estimate but missing from another. Keep the contractor name, date and written offer with the estimate. Ask about any unclear scope or offer before signing or paying.
A contractor estimate is one document in the discussion. Label it so you can distinguish it from an insurance company estimate, temporary work already completed or a later revision. That distinction will matter when you ask a follow up question.
After reporting, organize the open question
If you have reported the loss and now need help discussing a document or unanswered question, use After a Storm: Claim Documents and Follow-Up. Its five line organizer keeps the current question, reporting reference and relevant records together.
Use Online claim request for office follow up and state whether the insurer has received a report. Our Madisonville office serves clients across Texas by phone, email and online. For urgent conditions or after hours, use emergency services when needed and the insurance company claim contact on your policy.
A website request does not bind, change, cancel, reinstate, or confirm coverage.
Questions and answers
Can I report damage before gathering every document
The Texas Department of Insurance advises reporting property damage as soon as possible. Tell the company what you know and which records are still missing. Ask how to provide further documentation when available.
What should I keep from temporary repairs
Keep the work description, date, receipt and any safely obtained photos from before the work. The Texas Department of Insurance recommends retaining temporary repair records. Separate completed protection from proposed permanent repairs.
What if I have already reported the loss
Keep the reporting reference and identify the question that remains open. Use the claim follow up organizer to prepare the relevant document, last contact and next instruction before contacting the office.