your home inventory

Insurance Information Institute
PDF Version

You never know when a disaster may strike—but you can be prepared with a home inventory.

A home inventory can help you

• Buy the amount of insurance you need
• Get your insurance claim settled faster
• Verify losses for your income tax return
• Keep track of the belongings you’ve accumulated over the years

Getting Started

There are many ways to create a home inventory. It may seem hard at first to record information about everything you have in your house, but don’t let that put you off. First, decide on a way to organize your inventory that works for you. You can do it room by room, category by category (furniture, electronics, etc.), from newest items to oldest or from most expensive purchases to least expensive ones.

Taking Inventory

There are different approaches to making your list. You can write everything down in a notebook, for example. Or you can take pictures, writing information on the back of the photos or putting information on your computer. If you have a video camera, you can walk through your house filming and describing the contents at the same time. If you have a a personal computer, you can download free software that makes creating and keeping a home inventory easy at www.KnowYourStuff.org.

Keep receipts when they are available and note the cost for the item, when you bought it and information about the make and model.

Expensive items like jewelry and art work may need to be insured separately. Ask your insurance agent whether you need a floater for your homeowners policy.

Store a copy of your inventory in a safe place outside of your home—with a friend or in a safe deposit box. (If your inventory is electronic, store it on a disk.) That way you’ll be sure to have something to give your insurance representative if your home is damaged. Also, whenever you make a significant purchase, remember to add the information to your inventory while the details are fresh in your mind.

Making Lists

In some cases, items on the next page are listed by the room in which they are most likely to be found. In other cases, they are grouped together by category. For many items like books, CDs, sheets or pots and pans, you can make a general estimate of how many you have and their estimated value.

Home Inventory

You can refer to the following lists to help create your inventories.

Keeping Important Documents

It’s also important to keep a record of legal documents, such as birth certificates and passports, and financial documents, such as bank account and insurance policies. You can also use your home inventory to record information about these papers. Note insurance policy and bank and investment account numbers along with your insurance policy contact information. With a computer, www.MyFinancialHouse.org can help you keep track of your financial records. For more tips, go to the Federal Citizen Information Center’s “Consumer Focus: Preparing Your Household Records.” (www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cfocus/cfrecords06/focus.htm)

Household Records

State Insurance Departments

AK:      907-269-7900     www.dced.state.ak.us/insurance/
AL:      334-269-3550      www.aldoi.org
AR:      501-371-2600      insurance.arkansas.gov
AZ:      800-325-2548      www.id.state.az.us
CA:      213-897-8921      www.insurance.ca.gov
CO:      303-894-7499      www.dora.state.co.us/insurance
CT:      860-297-3800      www.ct.gov/cid
DC:      202-727-8000      www.disb.dc.gov
DE:      302-674-7300      www.state.de.us/inscom
FL:      850-413-3140      www.floir.com
GA:      404-656-2070      www.gainsurance.org
HI:      808-586-2790      www.state.hi.us/dcca/ins
IA:      515-281-5705      www.iid.state.ia.us
ID:      208-334-4250      www.doi.state.id.us
IL:      217-782-4515      www.idfpr.com/DOI
IN:      317-232-2385      www.in.gov/idoi
KS:      785-296-3071      www.ksinsurance.org
KY:      800-595-6053      doi.ppr.ky.gov/Kentucky/
LA:      225-342-5900      www.ldi.la.gov
MA:      617-521-7794      www.mass.gov/doi
MD:      410-468-2000      www.mdinsurance.state.md.us
ME:      207-624-8475      www.state.me.us/pfr/ins/ins_index.htm
MI:      517-373-0220      www.michigan.gov/ofis
MN:      651-296-4026      www.commerce.state.mn.us
MO:      573-751-4126      www.insurance.mo.gov
MS:      601-359-3569      www.doi.state.ms.us
MT:      406-444-2040      sao.mt.gov/insurance
NC:      800-546-5664      www.ncdoi.com
ND:      701-328-2440      www.state.nd.us/ndins
NE:      402-471-2201      www.doi.ne.gov
NH:      603-271-7973      www.nh.gov/insurance
NJ:      609-292-5360      www.njdobi.org
NM:      505-827-4601    www.nmprc.state.nm.us
NV:      775-687-4270      www.doi.state.nv.us
NY:      212-480-6400      www.ins.state.ny.us
OH:      614-644-2658      www.ohioinsurance.gov
OK:      405-521-2828      www.oid.state.ok.us
OR:      503-947-7980      www.cbs.state.or.us/external/ins
PA:      717-787-2317      www.ins.state.pa.us/ins/site/
PR:      787-722-8686      www.gobierno.pr/gprportal/inicio
RI:      401-222-2224      www.dbr.state.ri.us
SC:      803-737-6160      
SD:      605-773-3563      www.state.sd.us/drr2/reg/insurance/
TN:      615-741-2241      www.state.tn.us
TX:      512-463-6464      www.tdi.state.tx.us
UT:      801-538-3800      www.insurance.utah.gov
VA:      804-371-9741      www.scc.virginia.gov/division/boi/
VT:      802-828-3301      www.bishca.state.vt.us
WA:      360-725-7100      www.insurance.wa.gov
WI:      608-266-3585      oci.wi.gov
WV:      304-558-3354      www.wvinsurance.gov
WY:      307-777-7401      insurance.state.wy.us

Insurance Information Institute
110 William Street
New York, NY 10038
www.iii.org

Reviewed and approved by:
Federal Citizen Information Center www.pueblo.gsa.gov
National Consumers League www.nclnet.org
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, USDA www.csrees.usda.gov