MEMPHIS GUIDE
Insurance notes for a Memphis loss
A pipe break, a long crawlspace leak, and river or storm flooding are not interchangeable words on a claim. Use the plain one.
Not a coverage opinion
Only your policy and the facts decide payment. Ask the carrier what to photograph before tear-out, unless the house is unsafe to wait in. Keep names of every company that walked through. The CFPB’s disaster materials are general consumer information, not your adjuster’s worksheet. If the first hour was a burst supply line, the timeline in the supply-line checklist is the kind of sequence worth keeping.
How long was it wet?
Be specific. Noticed today and still dripping is different from a crawlspace that has smelled wet since spring. In this climate a slow leak becomes mold quickly, and carriers ask about maintenance. Do not guess a start date you do not know. Do say if you have photos from an earlier stain.
Outside water
Water from the Mississippi, the Wolf River bottoms, or overland flow during a flood is not a roof leak. FloodSmart explains how flood insurance differs from a typical homeowners policy. Look up the address on the FEMA map service if someone is arguing about the zone. The map is a reference, not a promise about a particular storm. Wind through a roof is a different path; see the storm opening guide before you use the word flood for a ceiling stain. Sewage that came up a drain is also its own description, covered in the backup notes.
A short list to keep
Date and time, source in one sentence, rooms, crawlspace yes or no, belongings, and receipts. Store photos somewhere that is not the wet phone on the wet floor. Rebuilding may involve permits the carrier does not pull for you; the permit guide is the reminder to ask the local office.
QUICK ANSWERS
Insurance questions
Does this page tell me whether my policy pays?
No. Only your policy and the facts of the loss decide payment. These notes are about describing what happened in plain language.
Should I guess when a slow leak started?
No. Say what you know. Noticed today is different from a smell that has been there since spring. If you have an older photo of a stain, say so. Do not invent a start date.
Is river or overland water a homeowners-policy leak?
Describe it as outside water. Flood coverage is generally a separate policy from a typical homeowners policy. FloodSmart explains that difference in general terms. Read your own forms.
What should I keep for the file?
Date and time, the source in one sentence, rooms, whether the crawlspace is wet, belongings, receipts, and the names of companies that walked through. Keep photos off the wet phone if you can.
Should I wait to photograph until the carrier says so?
Ask the carrier what they want photographed before tear-out, unless the house is unsafe to wait in. Safety comes before documentation.
Sources (checked October 5, 2026)
We link to these organizations for reference only. None of them is affiliated with this site.
Write it down first
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