Start your working list
A blank working list for observations, records and open questions. Opens in spreadsheet software; keep your completed copy private.
Download the blank contents worksheet (CSV)How do you document belongings after smoke damage?
Start with a room-by-room list of belongings. Give each item a stable reference, attach available photos or purchase records, and keep its observed condition separate from any recommendation to clean or replace it. Mark unknown details so you can follow up without presenting a guess as fact.
Only enter the property after the fire department says it is safe. The U.S. Fire Administration warns that soot and contaminated water can remain hazardous after a fire. This guide is a recordkeeping method; it cannot determine whether an item is safe to handle or reuse.
Start with one room and the records you already have.
You can begin away from the property. Open a working list for a familiar room and use existing household photos, order histories and documents to identify belongings. Ask your insurer what inventory format and supporting records it wants before spending time reformatting a large list.
Use the same item reference in the list and its photo filenames. Keep original photos in a separate folder. If another person adds information, record the source of the correction instead of silently replacing the earlier note.
- Location: the room and, when useful, the cupboard or shelf.
- Identity: item type, brand or model if known, and quantity.
- Support: photo filenames, receipt references or other available records.
- Uncertainty: details still to verify, with the person or record that may resolve them.
A useful entry separates facts from decisions.
This is an illustrative example, not a client case or a cleaning recommendation. Imagine a living-room sofa with visible residue. The inventory needs to show both the observation and what remains undecided.
Example: the sofa entry
| Field | Example entry | Why keep it separate? |
|---|---|---|
| Item reference | Living room / sofa A | Keeps photos, estimates and questions attached to the same item. |
| Description | Fabric sofa; model and purchase date to verify | Names what is known without inventing specifications. |
| Observed condition | Dark residue visible on the left arm in the attached photo | Records an observation without declaring the item repairable or unsafe. |
| Proposed treatment | Assessment pending; no written recommendation received | Avoids turning an assumption into a cleaning or replacement decision. |
| Open question | Who will assess this item, and what written findings will they provide? | Gives the next conversation a specific purpose. |
Before cleaning or a pack-out, clarify the handoff.
USFA recommends contacting the insurer about restoration services, clarifying who pays for cleaning, and obtaining a written cost estimate. Keep that estimate with the relevant inventory entries.
If belongings will be removed for assessment or cleaning, ask how the company will identify them and document their destination. A box label and an item description serve different purposes: keep a way to connect the company's reference back to your own list.
- Which items are included in the estimate, and which remain unassessed?
- What records will describe the work performed and the result?
- Who should receive questions about an item that is missing from the list?
- What is the process if an item returns with an unresolved condition concern?
- Before disposal, what inspection or documentation does the insurer require, and how will safety concerns be handled?
Two memories, one item: keep the correction traceable.
This hypothetical example concerns a television already listed as Living room / TV A. One household member remembers model A; another remembers model B. Keep one item entry, mark the model as unconfirmed, and record the disagreement in its notes. Two recollections do not establish two televisions.
In the example, an old photo later shows a readable model label. That resolves the model detail in the working list; it does not establish the purchase price, current condition or what an insurer will accept.
| Step | Working entry |
|---|---|
| Known information | Living room / TV A appears in an existing room photo. Model not confirmed. |
| Conflicting detail | September 8: family recollections differ between model A and model B; retain both as unverified notes. |
| Record to check | Look through existing label photos or purchase documents away from the damaged property. |
| Dated correction | September 9: existing label photo tv-label-original.jpg shows model B. Update the model field; keep the dated earlier note under the same item reference. |
| Still missing | Purchase receipt not located. Ask what supporting information the insurer needs for this item. |
What if you no longer have a receipt?
Keep the item on your working list and identify the missing record. Look for information in order confirmations, account histories, warranty documents or older photos. Describe what each record actually establishes: a transaction entry may show a purchase without identifying every specification.
Ask the insurer what alternative documentation it will consider. Do not assume that a missing receipt settles the coverage question, or that an estimated purchase date will be accepted as verified. Keep any estimate labeled and retain the insurer's response.
- Which details about this item are still needed, and in what format?
- I have a room photo and a model-label photo but no receipt. What information will you consider, and what does it still leave unverified?
- If I cannot establish the purchase date, how should I identify that unknown in the inventory I submit?
Send an issue list someone can answer.
Instead of sending a folder with a general request to review everything, group the unresolved items into clear questions. For each question, include the item reference, the relevant file, what you need clarified, and the response when it arrives.
For example: "The sofa is on my room inventory but I cannot find it in the cleaning estimate. Please identify the matching estimate line or explain its current assessment status." This asks for reconciliation without asserting a coverage result.
Use the fire claim conversation guide to organize the next discussion. Keep hotel and other displacement expense records in their own log so they do not become mixed into the belongings inventory.
Use the communication log to record requests for missing item details and the replies. Reference the item ID in that log so the conversation stays connected to the inventory entry.
Bring the gaps, even if the inventory is unfinished.
For a discussion with Solarity, have your working list, available photos, the current cleaning or contents estimate, and the questions you have already sent. A clearly marked gap is more useful than a detail filled in just to make the list look complete.
Solarity provides public adjusting services in Georgia. If your property loss is in Georgia, talk with our team about the documentation and communication you need help organizing. Coverage and treatment decisions depend on the policy, evidence and circumstances.