The water damage report template
Water damage is settled on dated facts. What is written on the day of discovery carries weight; what is reconstructed three weeks later gets argued over. Eight sections to fill in on the spot, before drying the walls.
Why the report matters more than the claim
The insurance claim follows known rules and short deadlines. But what decides the outcome is the quality of the report: where the water came from, when it was discovered, what it touched, and what was done to stop it.
The question “who pays?” depends on the source of the leak: common part, private part, or a lot’s own equipment. A precise report on that point settles upstream a discussion that otherwise drags on for months between several insurers.
What to do within twenty-four hours
- Photograph before any drying or making good.
- Note the date and time of discovery, not of the claim.
- Take protective measures, and write them down.
- Tell the managing agent and the occupier of the neighbouring lot.
This report does not replace the insurance claim, which has its own deadlines. It goes with it and makes it credible — it is the document the loss adjuster will read first.
Word template
Water damage report — [date of discovery]
Co-ownership [name] — [address] — lot(s) concerned: [numbers]
Fill this in on the spot, before any work. Sections 2 and 3 are the ones the loss adjuster reads first: stay factual, and do not write a hypothesis as though it were an observation.
1. Discovery
Date, time, and by whom the damage was discovered. It is that date that counts, not the claim date.
Discovered on [date] at [time] by [name, capacity]
2. Observed or likely source
Where the water comes from, and what you base that on. Separate clearly what you see from what you assume.
Source: [observed / assumed] — [factual description]
3. Nature of the part involved
Common part, private part, or equipment belonging to one lot. That point decides who bears the cost.
☐ Common part ☐ Private part ☐ Equipment of lot no. [number]
4. Lots and parts affected
Every lot concerned, including those where the damage is still only a damp patch.
Lots affected: [numbers] — Common parts affected: [description]
5. Description of the damage
Room by room, what is damaged: finishes, ceilings, furniture, electrical installations.
[Lot / room] — [damage observed]
6. Protective measures
What was done to stop the water and limit the damage, with the time. This is what shows nothing worsened through neglect.
[Action] — carried out on [date] at [time] by [name]
7. Leak detection
If a search was started: by whom, when, and what it concluded. Otherwise, what was requested and from whom.
Search [started / requested] on [date] with [contractor / agent]
8. Photos and attachments
Number the photos and describe them. A photo with no caption or date proves nothing six months later.
Photo no. [x] — [what it shows] — taken on [date]
Attach the numbered photos and send to the managing agent the same day. Keep a copy: this document will still matter in six months.
Get the template by email
One email address and the document is yours. The download opens right below.
A claim takes six months to settle. The photos are lost in three.
Between discovery and settlement there is a loss adjuster, one or two insurers, sometimes a leak detection firm. The photos end up in a messaging group and the exchanges across four inboxes. CoproHarmony keeps the claim in one place, dated, from the first report to the repairs.
Photograph on the spot
Each shot is recorded with its date and the lot concerned.
Gather the exchanges
Insurer, adjuster, contractor: everything stays attached to the claim.
Follow it to the end
The repairs are checked against the original report.
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