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A property damage incident report is a written account of property damage. It lists the date, place, cause, damaged items, people involved, photos and repair costs. Homeowners, tenants, landlords and businesses use it, especially when claiming from an insurer.
This page gives you a free fillable template, a guide to each box of the form, tips for documenting the damage, a sample entry and a sample letter to send with the report.
A property damage incident report is a form that describes one event that harmed property: what was damaged, how it happened, when and where, and who was involved, so an insurer or a property owner can judge the loss and the repair cost.
Property damage is physical harm to tangible property that lowers its value or stops it from working. The cause can be an accident, a storm or flood, a fire, a leak, a break-in or vandalism. The report covers any kind of tangible property:
The damage can be small, like a shattered windshield after a hailstorm, or large, like a roof torn off in high wind. The report describes it the same way in both cases: the item, the harm, the cause and the time.
An incident is any unplanned event, an accident is an incident that causes harm, and an injury is harm to a person rather than to property. This report covers harm to property. When someone was also hurt, a separate injury report describes what happened to the person.
A template puts the facts in a fixed order, so the reader finds the date, the damage and the cost in the same place every time. It also reminds you of details that are easy to forget, such as the policy number or whether photos are attached. A business or a property manager can compare reports over time and see which damage repeats.
Use a property damage report as soon as you find damage to a home, a rental unit, a vehicle, equipment or business property, so the details are written down while they are still fresh.
Common reasons to complete one:
Anyone who owns, rents, or looks after property can use this report. Homeowners and tenants use it after a break-in, a leak, or storm damage. Landlords and property managers use it to record damage to a unit or a building. Business owners use it for damaged equipment, stock, or vehicles.
The property damage report describes harm to property only. Other forms suit related events:
The property damage report template groups the facts into five parts: who is reporting, what happened, what was damaged, what repairs may cost and who saw the event.
You can also add other relevant documents supporting the claim, such as police reports, fire department reports, or receipts for emergency repairs.
Fill out the property damage incident report template in the order of its boxes, from the report date to the insurance details, and leave the office use box to the person who receives the report.
Have these items ready before you start:
Enter the current date when you are filling out the form.
Give your full name and your title or role in the incident. Then sign and date the form to confirm that the details are accurate.
Enter the date and time of the incident and mark AM or PM. Give the exact location, the type of property damaged, such as a vehicle, a building or equipment, and the cause, such as an accident, a storm or vandalism.
Describe the damage in plain words: what is damaged, where it is, how badly, and how it looks now. Add the size, color, make or model when you know them, so a reader who was not there can picture it.
List all individuals involved in the incident. For each person, include their full name, address, type of identification (driver’s license number, passport number, or other), telephone number, and email address.
Check “Yes” or “No” to show whether photos of the damage are attached. Photos let the reader see the damage instead of imagining it from your words.
Enter the estimated repair cost if you have one and say where it comes from, such as a quote from a repair company or an assessment from an insurance adjuster.
Note whether there were any witnesses to the incident. If yes, provide their names, phone numbers, and email addresses.
Mark whether you called the police and whether officers wrote a report. An insurer often asks for the report number, so note it here.
Enter your insurance provider’s name and policy number, if you have a policy that may cover the damage. The insurer uses these details to find your policy and open the claim.
This section is typically filled out by the personnel receiving the report. It includes the name of the person who received the report, its date, and any follow-up actions taken.
Document property damage with photos, a plain written description and the papers that show the cost, all gathered before anything is cleaned up, thrown away or repaired.
The damage description is the part an insurer or a property owner reads most closely. Write it in plain words, keep to what you saw, and keep the order of events clear.
A report on damaged equipment names the machine or tool, its make, model and serial number, what it was doing when the damage happened, and whether it still works. Note who used it last and whether it was taken out of service, so nobody uses it before a repair.
Name the cause in one plain line when you know it, such as “a branch fell during a storm” or “the washing machine hose split.” Describe what you saw and leave the cause open. For example, write “cause unknown, water found on the floor at 8 AM.” A plain note is better than a guess.
A good property damage report sample is short, specific and in time order: it names the damaged item, the cause, the time, what was done next and what is attached. The sample below follows that pattern for a storm that damaged a fence, with a made-up name and an example address.
Sample entry: On May 14 at about 6:30 PM, a large branch fell on the wooden fence at 123 Main Street during a storm. Three panels on the north side are broken and one post is leaning. Anna Baker, the homeowner, took twelve photos before moving the branch. A repair quote from a local fence company is attached.
A damage report letter is a short cover note that goes with the completed report and tells the insurer who you are, which policy applies, what was damaged and what you attached. Keep it to a few lines; the report carries the details.
Dear Claims Department,
I am reporting damage to my property at 123 Main Street, covered by policy number HO-0000000. On May 14, a branch fell on the fence during a storm and broke three panels.
I have attached the completed property damage incident report, twelve photos and a repair quote. Please contact me at (555) 010-0000 or anna.baker@example.com with the claim number and the next steps.
Sincerely,
Anna Baker
After you complete the property damage report, check it, sign it, attach your evidence and send it to your insurance company or to the party responsible for the damage.
Your insurance policy explains how to report a loss and what it covers, so read it or ask your agent before you send the report. While you wait, take simple steps to stop more damage, such as covering a broken window or shutting off the water, and keep the receipts.
If someone was hurt at work as well, a workplace incident report records the injury. If a witness wants to give their own account, a witness incident report gives them a place to write it.
Fill it out as soon as the area is safe and the details are still fresh. A report written the same day usually has clearer times, names, and a better account of what happened.
The person who owns the property or found the damage can complete it. Landlords, tenants, and business managers all use the same layout.
No. You write a property damage report yourself, while a police report is written by the officers who respond. If officers came, check the police box on the form and attach their report or its number.
After a traffic crash, this report does not take the place of a crash report to your motor vehicle agency. In California, under the California Driver Handbook, Reporting a Collision, each driver in a collision must file form SR 1 with the DMV within 10 days if the collision caused more than $1,000 in damage to property or anyone was injured or killed. Anywhere else, check the motor vehicle agency's site for the rule where the crash happened.
That depends on your policy. The report itself decides nothing about payment; it gives the insurer the facts it needs to assess the loss under the terms of your policy.
Check “No” in the witness question, then describe the scene. Note who found the damage and at what time.
Skip a box that does not apply, or write “N/A” so the reader knows it was not forgotten.
Leave the estimate blank or write “pending.” Send the quote to the same person once you receive it.
General information, not legal or tax advice.
