Proof of loss
Claims · Cloudbreak team · Updated October 29, 2026 · 5 sources
Definition
A proof of loss is a formal statement the insured gives the insurer about a claim, setting out what was lost and the amount claimed. It is used mainly in property insurance, so the insurer can determine what it owes under the policy.2
How it works
Property policies list the proof of loss among the insured's duties after a loss. The insurer usually supplies the form and asks for the facts it needs to investigate: the cause and date of loss, the property damaged, the amount claimed, and the estimates, invoices and inventories behind that amount. The insured signs it, often under oath.
The proof of loss also starts clocks. The policy sets how long the insured has to send it, counted from the insurer's request or from the date of loss. Many policies, and some state laws, count the insurer's own deadlines to decide and pay from the day it receives the proof.
Deadlines on standard policies
ISO's Building and Personal Property Coverage Form, CP 00 10 (October 2012 edition), the standard commercial property form, asks the insured to send a signed, sworn proof of loss containing the information the insurer requests, within 60 days after the insurer's request. The insurer supplies the forms.1
The same form starts the insurer's clock from the proof. The insurer gives notice of its intentions within 30 days after it receives the sworn proof of loss. It pays covered loss within 30 days after receiving it if the insured has complied with the policy and either the two sides agree on the amount of loss or an appraisal award has been made.1
Flood policies count differently. Under the NFIP's Standard Flood Insurance Policy, the policyholder must sign and submit a completed proof of loss, with documents supporting the amount, within 60 days after the date of loss unless FEMA extends the deadline. The policyholder signs it under penalty of perjury. If a signed proof arrives late, the insurer must ask FEMA for a waiver and get it approved before paying.3
Example
Example: hail damages a warehouse insured on CP 00 10 on May 4, 2026. The insurer requests a sworn proof of loss on June 1, 2026, and the owner sends it on July 15, 2026. The dates below apply the form's 60-day and 30-day rules.1
| Step | Date | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Insurer requests proof of loss | June 1, 2026 | Starts the insured's 60 days |
| Latest date to send it | July 31, 2026 | 60 days after the request |
| Insurer receives it | July 15, 2026 | Starts the insurer's 30 days |
| Insurer's notice of intentions due | August 14, 2026 | 30 days after receipt |
| Payment due, if amount agreed | August 14, 2026 | 30 days after receipt, once agreement or an appraisal award exists |
Had the same May 4, 2026 loss been a flood under an NFIP policy, the proof of loss would be due July 3, 2026: 60 days after the date of loss, with no request needed to start the count.3
Where you'll see it
- The policy's loss conditions. In CP 00 10 these are Section E: condition 3, Duties In The Event Of Loss Or Damage, item a.(7), and condition 4, Loss Payment. Condition 3 also asks for inventories of damaged and undamaged property with quantities, costs, values and amount of loss claimed.1
- NFIP claims: FEMA's proof of loss form, which FEMA encourages but which alone does not meet every policy requirement. The independent adjuster may prepare it for the policyholder to sign, and the insurer may accept the adjuster's report, signed by the policyholder, instead.3
State rules
- Texas: the insurer's decision deadline counts from the proof of loss. An insurer must notify the claimant in writing whether it accepts or rejects a claim within 15 business days after it receives all items, statements and forms it required to secure final proof of loss, and pay within 5 business days after notice that it will pay. Eligible surplus lines insurers have 20 business days to pay.4
- Texas: within 15 days after notice of a claim (30 business days for a surplus lines insurer), the insurer must request all items, statements and forms it then believes it will need.4
- Florida residential property claims: unless the policy or law provides otherwise, the insurer must begin its investigation within 7 days after receiving proof-of-loss statements, and conduct any physical inspection within 30 days after receiving them.5
Questions
- How long do you have to submit a proof of loss?
- Under ISO form CP 00 10, 60 days after the insurer requests it. Under an NFIP flood policy, 60 days after the date of loss, unless FEMA grants an extension.1,3
- Is a proof of loss the same as a claim?
- No. The claim is the insured's demand for payment under the policy; the proof of loss is the sworn statement that supports it. FEMA draws the same line for flood claims: one flood event produces one claim however many proofs of loss are filed.3
- Can you submit more than one proof of loss?
- Yes on NFIP claims. A policyholder may file a supplemental proof of loss for amounts above the first one, with supporting documents, within the same time limits.3
- What happens after the insurer receives a proof of loss?
- CP 00 10 gives the insurer 30 days to state its intentions and, once the amount is agreed or appraised, 30 days to pay. In Texas, the insurer has 15 business days after receiving everything it required to say in writing whether it accepts or rejects the claim.1,4
Cloudbreak
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Sources
Written by the Cloudbreak team. Numbers, dates and rules cite the published sources below.
- 1. Insurance Services Office (copy hosted by Independent Insurance Agents of Texas): Building and Personal Property Coverage Form, CP 00 10 10 12
- 2. IRMI: Proof of loss
- 3. FEMA: NFIP Claims Manual, March 2025
- 4. Texas Legislature: Texas Insurance Code Chapter 542, Processing and Settlement of Claims
- 5. Florida Legislature: Florida Statutes 627.70131, Insurer's duty to acknowledge communications regarding claims; investigation