Part 2: Work on your house ยท Chapter 8
Records your agent will ask for
After a loss, your insurer will want to know what you owned, what you spent, and what changed in the house. CDI says records made ahead of time help you file and settle a claim quickly and efficiently 1.
A home inventory
CDI says to list everything you own, with the date you bought each item and its price. Take pictures of important and valuable items, and consider videotaping your home and possessions 1. CDI notes that the emotions after a loss make it hard to remember what you owned, which is why it publishes a Home Inventory Guide you can download in English and several other languages 2.
Update the inventory, appraisals, photos and video from time to time 1.
Where to keep them
CDI says to keep these records in a safe place away from home, preferably a safe-deposit box 1. For signed insurance documents it says to keep a copy in a safe with your other vital records 1.
Receipts
Two kinds matter. CDI says to keep receipts and samples of materials from any updates, renovations and improvements to the house, and to contact your agent or broker about raising the dwelling limit when appropriate 1. After a loss, CDI says to keep receipts for all additional living expenses and submit them to your insurer 1.
Photos of the house itself
IBHS asks applicants for its Wildfire Prepared Home designation to submit clear photos of all four sides of the home, the 0 to 5 foot zone around it, and features such as decks, pergolas, hot tubs and propane tanks 3. A designation is a separate program, covered in chapter 9. The same views are a reasonable start for your own record of the house as it stands today.
Safer from Wildfires
CDI's Safer from Wildfires page says each action qualifies for an insurance discount 4. The page doesn't say what proof a homeowner needs. Ask your insurer or agent what proof they accept, and ask before you start the work, so you know what to photograph.
Sources
1. CDI, "Residential Insurance: Homeowners and Renters Information Guide." https://www.insurance.ca.gov/01-consumers/105-type/95-guides/03-res/res-ins-guide.cfm (read 2026-11-09)
2. CDI, "Home Inventory Information Guides." https://www.insurance.ca.gov/01-consumers/105-type/95-guides/03-res/Home-Inventory.cfm (read 2026-11-09)
3. Wildfire Prepared (IBHS), "About Wildfire Prepared Home." https://wildfireprepared.org/get-started/ (read 2026-11-09)
4. CDI, "Safer from Wildfires." https://www.insurance.ca.gov/01-consumers/200-wrr/Safer-from-Wildfires.cfm (read 2026-11-09)