What Must Be Submitted Within 60 Days of a Home Loss?
Usually a signed, sworn proof of loss detailing the damage and amount claimed. Check your policy for the exact deadline and form.
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The proof of loss form
A sworn, signed statement listing what was damaged, how the loss happened, and the dollar amount you're claiming. Your insurer sends the form after you report the loss. It usually asks for repair estimates or receipts backing up the number you put down.
Where the deadline starts
The 60 days comes from your policy, not state law. It typically starts counting from the date of loss or from when the insurer requests the form, not from when you first called in the claim. Your declarations page or the claim letter will say which.
Supporting paperwork to gather
Along with the form, insurers generally want photos of the damage, a room-by-room inventory for personal property, contractor or repair estimates, and receipts for anything already replaced. Missing documentation is the most common reason a proof of loss gets kicked back for revision.
Missing the deadline
Missing the deadline can give the insurer grounds to deny the claim outright. Many will grant an extension if you ask before the date passes. If you're already past 60 days, call the insurer now and explain, since a late explanation carries more weight than silence.
Check how your policy would pay out before you're stuck with its number
If the offer looks low or the deadline is tight, it helps to know what another policy would cover for the same loss. Comparing now costs nothing and takes a few minutes.
Who fills out the proof of loss, and does it need a notary
Most insurers let you complete the proof of loss yourself. You don't need a public adjuster or an attorney to fill it out, though either can help if the claim is large or contested. The form itself is usually short. It asks for a description of the damage, the cause, the date it happened, and the amount you're claiming, broken down by item or by repair cost. Some insurers attach a worksheet to help you itemize personal property losses room by room.
Whether it needs a notary depends on your policy and your state. Older policies and some state forms still require a notarized signature, which means signing in front of a notary public who verifies your identity and witnesses the signature. Many banks offer notary services free to account holders, and some shipping or office supply stores offer it for a small fee. Newer policies increasingly accept an unsworn statement or electronic signature instead. The form your insurer sends will say if notarization is required. If it isn't clear, the claims adjuster handling your file can confirm it before you sign anything.
Getting the dollar amount right matters as much as hitting the deadline. The number you put on the proof of loss becomes your formal claim, and it can be hard to revise upward later without supporting paperwork that explains the increase. If repair estimates are still coming in when the form is due, note on the form that the amount is preliminary and based on estimates received so far. Ask the insurer in writing for permission to submit a revised or supplemental proof of loss once full estimates are in. Keep a copy of everything you submit, along with the date it was sent and how, whether by mail, email, or an online portal.
If the insurer disputes the amount after you've submitted the form, the proof of loss itself becomes part of the record they'll reference. A low number you submitted under time pressure can work against you later, so it's worth taking the days you're given rather than rushing. If the 60-day window feels too short to gather solid estimates, ask for an extension in writing as soon as you realize you'll need one. Don't wait until the deadline has already passed.
What happens after the proof of loss is submitted
Once the insurer receives the form, an adjuster reviews it against the estimates, photos, and inventory you sent in. They're checking that the amount claimed matches the documentation. If something doesn't add up, like a repair estimate that came in after you filed, the adjuster may ask follow-up questions or request more paperwork before moving forward. This review can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks depending on how complete the file is and how busy the insurer's claims department is at the time.
After the review, the insurer typically responds in one of three ways. They accept the amount and move toward payment. They counter with a different figure, usually lower, based on their own estimate of repair costs. Or they deny some or all of the claim, often citing a policy exclusion or a dispute over the cause of damage. The letter you get back should explain which of these happened and why, though the reasoning can be thin on detail. If it is, you can ask the adjuster directly for the line items or the report they used to reach their number.
If the insurer's figure is lower than what your own estimates support, you don't have to accept it right away. Most policies allow you to submit additional documentation or push back on specific line items before payment is finalized. Some states also give you the right to invoke an appraisal clause, where each side hires an independent appraiser and the two appraisers settle on a number, sometimes with a third umpire breaking a tie. This process is built into most policies as a way to resolve amount disputes without going to court.
Payment, once agreed, is often split into two parts if your dwelling coverage pays on a replacement cost basis. You get the actual cash value first, which accounts for depreciation, and the remaining amount after repairs are completed and receipts are turned in. Your declarations page will say whether your policy pays this way or pays the full replacement cost up front. If a mortgage lender is on the policy, the first check is often issued jointly in both names, and the lender may need to sign off before funds are released for repairs.
Before you sign the proof of loss
Find the date your insurer says the 60 days started and check it against your file. If your estimates aren't finished by then, ask for an extension in writing now, not after the date passes.
