By Jim Sprouse, Co-founder of Ember Pro | NFPA Certified Wildfire Mitigation Specialist

If your home burned down tomorrow, could you list everything you own? Most people cannot. Studies show wildfire victims underestimate their losses by 30 to 40 percent because they simply forget what they had. A home inventory created before disaster strikes is the single most valuable document you can have for your insurance claim. It takes a few hours now and can mean tens of thousands of dollars in recovered losses later.

Why a Home Inventory Matters More Than You Think

After the 2025 Palisades and Eaton Fires, thousands of California homeowners faced the same problem: proving what they owned to their insurance company. Without documentation, the claims process becomes a guessing game where the insurance company has every advantage.

A complete home inventory does three critical things:

• Maximizes your claim payout. You cannot claim what you cannot prove you owned. Every forgotten item is money left on the table.
• Speeds up the claims process. Adjusters process documented claims faster than undocumented ones.
• Reduces stress during crisis. Trying to remember every item you owned while dealing with displacement, trauma, and rebuilding is overwhelming. Having a completed inventory removes that burden.

The Room-by-Room Approach

The most effective method is walking through your home room by room with your phone camera. For each room:

1. Take a slow video panning across every wall, shelf, drawer, and closet
2. Open closets and cabinets to capture contents
3. Narrate as you go: describe items, approximate values, brands
4. Photograph high-value items individually with serial numbers visible
5. Do not skip the garage, attic, storage areas, and outdoor spaces

Kitchen

Appliances (refrigerator, stove, dishwasher, microwave, coffee maker, stand mixer, blender), cookware, dishes, glassware, silverware, small appliances, pantry contents, specialty items.

Living Room

Furniture (sofa, chairs, tables, entertainment center), television, sound system, gaming consoles, books, artwork, rugs, lamps, decorative items.

Bedrooms

Bed frame and mattress, dresser, nightstands, clothing (estimate by category: shirts, pants, shoes, coats), jewelry, electronics, personal items.

Bathrooms

Towels, toiletries, medications (prescription costs add up), grooming appliances, bathroom furniture.

Home Office

Computer, monitors, printer, desk, chair, office supplies, books, files, software.

Garage

Tools (power tools are expensive), lawn equipment, sports equipment, bicycles, storage items, workbench, automotive supplies.

Outdoor

Patio furniture, grill, outdoor lighting, garden tools, planters, play equipment, pool equipment.

What to Record for Each Item

• Description: Brand, model, color, size
• Approximate purchase date: Even a rough year helps
• Purchase price: What you paid (check credit card or bank statements)
• Replacement cost: What it would cost to buy today (this is usually what your policy covers)
• Serial number: For electronics, appliances, and high-value items
• Receipts: Photograph any receipts you still have
• Photos: Individual photos of high-value items

Digital Tools for Home Inventory

Several apps and methods make inventory easier:

• Phone video walkthrough: The simplest method. Slow pan of every room with narration. Upload to cloud storage.
• Spreadsheet: Google Sheets or Excel with columns for item, room, value, date, serial number. Shareable and searchable.
• Dedicated apps: Sortly, Encircle, and other home inventory apps let you photograph and categorize items with values.
• Insurance company tools: Many insurers offer free inventory tools through their apps or websites.

Where to Store Your Inventory

Your inventory is useless if it burns with your house. Store copies in multiple locations:

• Cloud storage: Google Drive, iCloud, Dropbox. Accessible from anywhere after a fire.
• Email to yourself: Send the inventory files to your email as a backup.
• Family member: Share a copy with a trusted family member in a different location.
• Safe deposit box: Physical copy at your bank.
• Insurance agent: Some agents will keep a copy on file.

Never store your only copy in your home. If the inventory burns with the house, it cannot help you.

High-Value Items Need Extra Documentation

Certain items need more detailed documentation:

• Jewelry: Professional appraisals, photos of individual pieces, purchase receipts. Consider a scheduled rider on your policy for high-value pieces.
• Art: Appraisals, provenance documentation, detailed photographs.
• Collections: Coins, stamps, wine, sports memorabilia. Document each item individually with values.
• Musical instruments: Serial numbers, appraisals, purchase records.
• Electronics: Serial numbers, purchase receipts, warranty information.
• Firearms: Serial numbers, purchase records, permits. Critical for both insurance and legal purposes.

How Often to Update

Create your initial inventory today. Then update it:

• Annually before fire season (make it part of your fire prep checklist)
• After any major purchase (new furniture, electronics, appliances)
• After home renovations or improvements
• After receiving gifts during holidays

Connecting Inventory to Your Wildfire Plan

Your home inventory is one piece of a complete wildfire preparedness plan that includes:

• Defensible space and home hardening
• Evacuation go-bag and plan
• Insurance policy review (are you adequately covered?)
• Important documents backup (deeds, titles, insurance policies, IDs)
• Wildfire mitigation documentation (before and after photos of improvements)

The inventory and the mitigation documentation work together. If you file a claim, having both shows the insurer exactly what you owned AND what you did to protect it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does a home inventory take?

A thorough video walkthrough takes 2 to 3 hours. A detailed spreadsheet takes longer but is more useful for claims.

Is a video walkthrough good enough?

It is a great start and far better than nothing. For maximum claim value, supplement with a spreadsheet listing values.

What if I do not have receipts?

Check credit card and bank statements. Use online retailers order history. Take photos of items with brand names visible. Replacement cost policies do not always require original receipts.

Does my insurance company require an inventory?

Not usually required in advance, but having one dramatically improves your claim outcome. After SB 872, California insurers must accept claims without full itemized lists after declared disasters, but having documentation still maximizes your payout.

Should I include clothing?

Yes. Clothing is one of the most underestimated categories. A typical household has $5,000 to $20,000 in clothing. Estimate by category: count your shoes, coats, shirts, pants.

What about items in storage units?

Off-site storage is usually covered under personal property (Coverage C) but may have limits. Document storage contents separately.

Can Ember Pro help with documentation?

Yes. Our home hardening assessments include documentation of your property condition that supports both insurance compliance and claims.

What is the biggest mistake people make?

Not doing it at all. The second biggest: storing the only copy in the house.

Next Steps

Pick up your phone right now. Start in the kitchen. Record a slow video of every surface, open every cabinet, narrate what you see. Upload it to cloud storage when done. Then move to the next room. You can complete your entire home in one afternoon.

Then check your wildfire risk score and make sure your home is as protected as your documentation.

Protect. Defend. Preserve.

References

• California Department of Insurance: Home Inventory Guidelines
• United Policyholders: uphelp.org
• NAIC Home Inventory Resources
• SB 872 Policyholder Protections
• IBHS Disaster Documentation