GrantCity ConsultingDecember 18, 20254 min read
The reimbursement you receive months from now is shaped by what you document in the first 72 hours. Before equipment moves and crews mobilize, a handful of disciplined steps protect eligibility for the entire recovery.
The first-72-hours checklist
- Photograph and geolocate all damage before any cleanup begins.
- Stand up force account labor and equipment tracking immediately.
- Preserve invoices, purchase orders, and contracts from the first dollar spent.
- Notify your insurer and begin a duplication-of-benefits log.
- Designate a recovery documentation lead and a single file location.
- Log emergency protective measures (Category B) as they happen.
Why it matters
Emergency work and debris removal are time-sensitive and often impossible to reconstruct after the fact. Capturing the cause, condition, and cost in real time is what separates a fully funded project from a contested one.
