Filing a personal property claim: the contents list

A personal property claim is built on a contents list: every damaged or stolen item with a description, quantity, age, price and the amount you claim. The ISO homeowners form asks for an inventory "showing the quantity, description, actual cash value and amount of loss," with bills, receipts and related documents attached. Write it room by room, price it honestly, and expect payment at actual cash value first unless you carry replacement cost on belongings.

If you made an inventory before the loss, this is the easy version of the job; see how to make a home inventory for insurance. If you did not, the list can still be rebuilt, and this guide shows how. The reference form is the ISO HO-3 (HO 00 03 05 11). Your insurer's form and state rules control.

What the policy requires

Section I Condition C, Duties After Loss, includes this duty: "Prepare an inventory of damaged personal property showing the quantity, description, actual cash value and amount of loss. Attach all bills, receipts and related documents that justify the figures in the inventory." The same condition lets the insurer ask you to show the damaged property, provide records, and, as often as reasonably required, submit to an examination under oath. If the insurer requests a sworn proof of loss, it must reach the insurer within 60 days after the request, and it must include the inventory. See the proof of loss form and its deadlines.

Many insurers give you their own spreadsheet or a link to a contents portal, and some use a vendor who prices and, for items that can be replaced, orders replacements. Using the insurer's form is fine. Keep your own copy of everything you submit.

What counts as personal property

Coverage C covers belongings you own or use anywhere in the world, with the limit shown on your declarations page. Furniture, clothing, kitchenware, electronics, linens, tools, toys and the contents of the garage are all included. The details of the coverage are in Personal property coverage (Coverage C) explained. For claims, three points matter:

• Things attached to the building (cabinets, built-in appliances, carpet) are generally part of the dwelling claim, not the contents list. Putting them in both places is a common error that slows the claim.
• Special limits apply to some categories. In the 2011 ISO edition, theft of jewelry, watches and furs is limited to $1,500, firearms to $2,500 and silverware to $2,500, and money is limited to $200. Newer ISO editions and insurers' own forms differ, and the limits for non-theft losses may be higher. See special limits on jewelry, firearms, cash and collectibles. List these items separately so the cap is visible to you before the insurer applies it.
• Some property is excluded or restricted. Vehicles, animals and some business property are examples. Items owned by roommates or tenants may not be covered. Check the "Property Not Covered" section.

Actual cash value, then replacement cost

The standard HO-3 pays contents at actual cash value: roughly what it costs to replace the item new, minus depreciation for age and wear. A five-year-old couch that costs $1,600 new might be valued at much less. If you added a replacement cost endorsement for personal property, the insurer pays the difference after you replace the items, usually on receipts.

The California Department of Insurance residential claims guide (Form 405, February 2025) says that where you have replacement cost coverage on belongings, you normally have to replace items before the insurer pays the replacement cost, and insurers generally allow several months after the cash value payment. Check your own policy for the time limit and any exceptions. The mechanics of holdback are in recoverable depreciation: getting the rest of your claim, and the depreciation calculator: actual cash value vs replacement cost runs the arithmetic.

Say a living room set originally costing $2,400 is depreciated by 50% (hypothetical). The insurer pays $1,200 first. With replacement cost coverage, you buy a comparable set for $2,650, and the insurer pays up to the replacement cost of a comparable item, typically described as of like kind and quality, so the extra $250 for a nicer one is yours.

Building the list, step by step

1. Sort the damage. Separate items that are a total loss, items that can be cleaned or repaired, and items that are intact. Do not throw anything away until the adjuster has seen it or has said you may. Photograph large piles before disposal. documenting damage: photos, video and receipts explains how.
2. Work room by room. Start with the room with the most contents (kitchen, living room, bedrooms, garage) and write what was in it, drawer by drawer, closet by closet. Walking through the house in your mind helps; so do photos from social media, insurance and real estate listings and your phone's camera roll.
3. Record the details of each item. Description with brand and model, quantity, approximate age, where and when you bought it, and what it would cost to replace today. Serial numbers help for electronics and appliances.
4. Price it. Use current retail prices from the manufacturer or a major retailer, and save a screenshot or link. Use receipts, card statements and order histories where you have them.
5. Total by room and category. The totals show whether you are approaching a special limit or the Coverage C limit.
6. Submit in batches. Send what is ready, then supplement. A partial list moves the claim along, and the insurer can pay undisputed items.
7. Keep a log. Note dates you sent each version and who received it.

A sample line

The insurer will apply depreciation. Your job is to claim the replacement price and give enough information for the item to be priced correctly.

Documentation when you lost the receipts

Insurers know receipts burn. Substitutes include:

• bank and card statements and online retailer order histories
• photos and video, including those taken before the loss
• warranty registrations and product manuals
• tax records for business items, and gift-registry lists
• statements from family or friends who saw the item
• the retailer's records, which many large stores can retrieve from a loyalty account

Where you cannot prove an item, a detailed description and a comparable-product price is generally accepted for ordinary household goods, though a high-value item with no support is a more serious problem. Expensive jewelry, art or collectibles may need an appraisal or a scheduled item; see scheduling jewelry, art and valuables.

Do not pad it

The list is signed or submitted under the policy's fraud provisions, which in the ISO form void coverage for concealment or misrepresentation of material facts. An inflated item, or an item that was not in the house, can put the whole claim at risk. Honest approximation is fine ("about 12 books on the shelf"); fiction is not. If you cannot remember, say so.

California's "no list" rule for wildfire total losses

California's SB 495, the "Eliminate the List Act," took effect January 1, 2026. After a wildfire total loss, insurers must pay 60% of the personal property limit, capped at $350,000, without a detailed inventory, and policyholders get at least 100 days after a declared state of emergency to provide proof of loss, according to California Department of Insurance releases of October 10 and December 30, 2025. The details and conditions are in the CDI releases, and the California guide has the state's rules. Policyholders can still submit an inventory for more than the advance. Other states do not have an equivalent rule, so a detailed inventory is still the standard.

If you disagree with the number

A difference in how much an item is worth is a valuation dispute, and the answer is evidence: a comparable listing, a manufacturer quote or an appraisal. The same routes apply as for the dwelling, including appraisal and your state insurance department; see underpaid home insurance claim: how to push back. Do not accept a lump sum that you did not see broken down; ask for the insurer's pricing and depreciation by item.

Key takeaways

• The ISO form requires an inventory with quantity, description, actual cash value and loss amount, plus bills, receipts and related documents.
• Build it room by room, price each item at current replacement cost with a source, and list special-limit categories separately.
• The standard HO-3 pays contents at actual cash value; replacement cost for belongings needs an endorsement and usually requires replacing the items first.
• Substitute proof, such as card statements, photos and order histories, is normal when receipts are gone.
• California's SB 495 lets wildfire total-loss policyholders collect 60% of the contents limit, up to $350,000, without a detailed list.