After a fire, your contents payout depends on “the list” — every destroyed item, with a replacement price. It's a brutal assignment: the reference you'd use to write it is the thing that burned. This page is the practical method, plus a builder that replaces the blank spreadsheet with a tap-through catalog.
Don't try to “remember everything.” Walk each room in your mind door-to-window: what was on each wall, in each drawer, in each closet? Old photos and videos — birthdays, listings, insurance walkthroughs, the background of pet pictures — are inventory gold. So are Amazon order history, email receipts, and credit-card statements.
Items that survived the flames but absorbed smoke, soot, or firefighting water are usually claimable too: clothing and textiles that can't be cleaned, electronics with corroded boards, mattresses, upholstered furniture. List them — the adjuster decides, not you, and an unlisted item pays $0 every time.
Most policies require a sworn proof of loss within 60–90 days. Submit the best list you have before the deadline — but you can usually supplement it as you remember more, so don't treat the first version as final, and don't let anyone rush you into signing a release while boxes of memory are still surfacing.
If your policy is RCV (most are), you claim what it costs to buy the item new today — not garage-sale value. Jewelry, firearms, art and collectibles often carry special sub-limits; list them anyway and ask your adjuster how the limits apply.
ClaimList replaces the empty spreadsheet with a room-by-room catalog of 1,300+ household items with editable typical prices. Tap through it the way you remember your home, watch the claim total build, and export an adjuster-ready spreadsheet. Free to build and preview everything; $12 once to export. Runs entirely in your browser — your fire inventory never leaves your device.
Start my inventory free