Guide

Proof of Loss, Explained

A proof of loss is a signed statement to your insurer: what happened, what was lost or damaged, and what you say it is worth — item by item. It sounds like a legal form. In plain terms, it is your list, made formal. This page explains what goes in it and the words around it, in general terms.

This page is general information only. Policies differ, and your policy and your adjuster decide your claim. Nothing here is advice about what your claim is worth or what your insurer will pay.

What a proof of loss is

When you make a claim for a large loss, many policies require a proof of loss: a statement, often signed and sometimes sworn, that sets out the facts of the loss and an itemized list of the property involved. Your insurer may give you its own form or worksheet to complete. There is no single universal form that every company uses — carriers each have their own worksheets, and professionals who do this work for a living use their own systems. What is common to all of them is the itemized list underneath. That list is the deliverable: item, facts, and figures, one row at a time.

What goes in it

The heading facts come first: your name as the claimant, the property address, your policy number, the date of the loss, and the cause of the loss, as your insurer's form asks for them. Then the items. For each item, the field set insurers work from — in line with guidance from the Insurance Information Institute and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, checked October 2026 — is:

For each item	What it means
Brand, make, and model	What the item is, named as fully as you can
Room	Where it was kept
Serial / model number	From the plate or label, if it has one
Purchase date and purchase price	When you bought it and what you paid
Replacement cost today	What a like item costs now
Age and condition	How old it was and what shape it was in
Proof of ownership	Receipt photo, warranty, bank statement line, or photo in place
Photos	Room-by-room timestamped photos or video, plus close photos of the item

Our free home inventory template includes a blank proof-of-loss worksheet with exactly these heading fields and item columns, so you can build the list once and copy it onto whatever form your insurer sends.

Replacement cost and actual cash value, in general terms

Two phrases decide a lot of arguments, so here is what they generally mean. Replacement cost is what it costs today to buy a like item, new. Actual cash value is generally replacement cost minus a deduction for age and wear — depreciation, in the industry's word. Which one your policy uses, and how any deduction is figured, is set by your policy. Some policies pay one way at first and the rest when you actually replace the item; others do not. Read the part of your policy that covers personal property, or ask your adjuster to point you to it, and work from that text — not from a general page like this one.

Limits inside your policy for certain kinds of things

Many policies carry special limits — often called sub-limits — for certain kinds of property, such as jewelry, watches, cash, firearms, silverware, and collectibles. That means the policy may pay only up to a set amount for that kind of thing, even if your whole personal-property limit is much higher, unless the items are listed separately on the policy. The amounts and the kinds covered vary by policy. This is why appraisals matter for jewelry and collectibles: an appraisal paper, kept with your inventory, documents what a piece is. If you own pieces worth real money, ask your insurer, before any loss, whether they should be listed separately.

Deadlines exist — and they vary

Policies set deadlines: for telling your insurer about a loss, for sending a proof of loss, and for finishing repairs or replacement. States set some rules around claims too. Those deadlines vary by policy and by state, and this page will not invent a number for yours. Do this instead: ask your adjuster, early, what is due and by when; find the same dates in your own policy papers; write them on the front of your claim folder; and keep proof of the date you sent each thing. If a date is going to be hard to meet, say so to your adjuster before it passes, not after.

How an inventory made beforehand fits

A proof of loss built from a list you made before the loss is faster and steadier than one rebuilt from memory under stress — claims guides commonly put it at 30 to 50 percent for how much people forget or underestimate from memory alone. The Insurance Information Institute says an up-to-date inventory helps you "get your insurance claim settled faster, verify losses for your income tax return and help purchase the correct amount of insurance." Making that list is the whole job of the InventoryByHand app: the same fields, room by room, with photos, exported as one file you keep.

1. Ask your adjuster which proof-of-loss form your insurer wants, and by when.
2. Build your item list from your inventory, statements, receipts, and photos.
3. Copy the list onto your insurer's form, keep a full copy for yourself, and note when and how you sent it.