Homeowner Disaster Recovery Manual: A Field Playbook from Documentation to Settlement
The written playbook for homeowners and condo unit owners who want their claim handled right — the first 72 hours, the adjuster visit, the estimate, and the check.
Homeowner Disaster Recovery Manual
Written by Michael E. Moon, a licensed General Contractor and Public Adjuster with 30+ years of experience and more than 3,000 claims settled. A field playbook for filing a home or condo insurance claim, from documentation to settlement.
Who It's For
Two kinds of policies, two very different claims. The Manual speaks to both.
HO-3 Homeowners
You own a single-family home, townhouse, or manufactured home on a standard HO-3 policy. The Manual walks you through wind, hail, fire, water and roof claims from the first phone call to the final check.
HO-6 Condo Unit Owners
You own a condo or co-op unit under an HO-6 policy, where your coverage stops at the drywall and the association's master policy picks up the rest. The Manual covers the walls-in vs. walls-out split, loss assessment and who pays for what.
What's Inside
Eight tabbed parts, built to be opened in the middle of a claim — not read cover to cover.
Part 1
The First 72 Hours
- What to do the hour damage happens
- Making a safe, documented emergency repair
- Calling in the claim without hurting it later
- What NOT to throw away
Part 2
Before Disaster Strikes
- Readiness checklist
- Home inventory worksheet
- Policy decoder: deductibles, RCV, ACV, ordinance or law
- Photos and receipts to store now
Part 3
Peril-by-Peril Cards
- Wind, hail and hurricane
- Fire and smoke
- Water, burst pipes and sump backup
- Flood (NFIP and private)
Part 4
Your Professional Team
- Agents vs. adjusters vs. examiners
- When to hire a general contractor
- Engineers, consultants and public adjusters
- How to talk to each of them
Part 5
Documentation That Wins
- The photo set adjusters expect
- Building your damage inventory
- Contents lists that hold up
- Keeping a claim journal
Part 6
Flood vs. Wind
- Why the two claims must stay separate
- Proving what happened when
- Deductibles on each policy
- Common denial triggers
Part 7
Supplements, Depreciation & Appraisal
- Reading an insurance estimate line by line
- The two-check system
- Recoverable depreciation and its deadline
- How to request a supplement
Part 8
Denied or Underpaid
- Deadlines and appeal paths
- Ready-to-use letters
- Appraisal and mediation
- When to bring in a professional
Sample Pages
Pages are built as working tools: checklists you tick off, cards you flip to, and letters you copy.
The First 72 Hours
A one-page sequence: make the call, stop the damage, shoot the photos in the right order, and log every conversation with a time and a name.
Peril Card: Hail
What hail damage looks like on shingles, siding and soft metals, which angles to shoot, and the language to use with the adjuster so the damage reads as damage.
Supplement Letter
A ready-to-send letter that lays out the missed line items, the contractor's numbers and the policy language that supports them.
Digital vs. Paperback vs. Kindle
Same book, three ways to hold it. The digital edition is a PDF you can search, print, and take to the adjuster.
| Format | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Digital PDF | Searching, printing checklists, sharing with your contractor | $39 |
| Paperback | A binder in the closet that works when the power doesn't | On Amazon |
| Kindle | Reading on a phone or tablet while the claim is moving | On Amazon |
Paperback and Kindle editions are listed on Amazon — search "Homeowner Disaster Recovery Manual."
Paperback ISBN: 979-8-16610-206-5
Homeowner Disaster Recovery Manual FAQ
Get the Manual Before the Next Storm
$39 for one year of digital access. Print the checklists, keep the letters, and walk into your claim knowing what happens next.