Dallas–Fort Worth • Insurance Contents Specialists
The Insurance Packout Process
Call or Text: 214-718-1685On-site inspections within 24–48 hours. Emergency Packout response available.
Fully insured
General liability & cargo
Workers' comp coverage
On every crew, every job
Climate-controlled storage
Chain-of-custody documented
Direct insurance billing
Xactimate + Direction to Pay
Owner-led operations
20+ years insurance claims
Trusted referral network
Adjusters, mitigation, plumbers
For covered insurance claims, we bill your carrier directly whenever possible — homeowners typically owe no out-of-pocket cost for the contents portion of the loss. Deductibles are owed to your carrier or general contractor, never to us.
An insurance contents packout is a structured, document-heavy process — not a moving job. Every step exists to protect three things at once: your belongings, your claim, and your relationship with the insurance carrier. This page walks the entire process end-to-end so you know exactly what to expect before, during, and after the crew arrives.
Total Packout Solutions handles this process daily across the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The workflow below is the same one we walk every homeowner, property manager, and adjuster through.
Step-by-Step
How the Process Works
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Step 1 — The first call
Homeowner, plumber, mitigation tech, or adjuster calls 214-718-1685. We capture name, phone, email, property address, type of loss (fire, water, smoke, storm, mold), insurance company, claim number if available, and adjuster contact if known.
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Step 2 — On-site inspection
David meets you at the property within 24–48 hours (same-day for emergencies). He photographs the loss, photographs the contents, scopes the work, and answers every question you have. Photo-only quotes do not work for a real packout — the property has to be walked.
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Step 3 — Work Authorization and Direction to Pay
At the end of the inspection, you sign two documents. The Work Authorization is the contract for the scope of work. The Direction to Pay tells the carrier to remit payment directly to Total Packout Solutions out of your claim funds. Both are required before production begins.
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Step 4 — Adjuster coordination
We send the adjuster a written scope priced in Xactimate using the current price list for your loss ZIP. The adjuster reviews, may revise, and approves. Emergency packout proceeds immediately on signed authorization; non-emergency scope waits for written adjuster approval.
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Step 5 — Production packout
Crews arrive with materials. Wide-angle and detail photos of every room before any item is moved. Every box is labeled with room of origin and contents. A digital inventory is generated and shared with you and the adjuster.
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Step 6 — Transport and climate-controlled storage
Contents are loaded under a signed manifest and transported to our private climate-controlled storage facility. The receiving facility re-signs the manifest. Vault location is logged against your claim number.
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Step 7 — Cleaning and non-salvage documentation
Smoke, soot, water, and mold-affected items are cleaned during storage. Items that cannot be restored to pre-loss condition are documented on a non-salvage list with photo evidence and submitted to your adjuster for contents settlement.
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Step 8 — Pack-back
When the structural repairs are complete, we return, unpack, and place every item. The pack-back is line-itemed in Xactimate the same way the packout was.
How long does the whole process take?
From first call to inspection: typically 24–48 hours. Same-day for emergencies. From signed authorization to production: typically 1–3 business days. The packout itself takes 1–5 days depending on the size of the home and the affected square footage.
Storage duration is driven by structural repair timelines, not by us. Water-damage rebuilds typically take 4–12 weeks. Fire-damage rebuilds take 3–9 months. Storage is billed monthly to the carrier for the duration of the rebuild.
Where homeowners get stuck in the process
The two most common mistakes are starting to pack your own things and waiting too long to call. Self-packed contents weaken the contents portion of the claim because they are no longer documented by a licensed vendor. Waiting too long compounds secondary damage — wet items grow mold within 48 hours, soot becomes permanent within days.
- Do not move or pack contents yourself before the inspection
- Do not try to wash smoke-damaged clothes — home washing sets the odor permanently
- Do not throw anything out without documentation, even if it looks destroyed
- Do not pay anyone calling themselves a packout vendor a deductible
- Do not sign anything for a vendor before reading the Work Authorization carefully
What we coordinate with on your behalf
Once you are under signed authorization, we communicate directly with the insurance carrier, adjuster, mitigation company, general contractor, and any specialist vendors (firearms transport, fine-art conservators, piano movers, electronics restoration, document recovery). You do not have to be the project manager for your own loss.
What we are not
We are not a moving company. We do not run online estimates. We do not collect deductibles. We do not handle structural repairs (we coordinate with the general contractor who does). We do not represent you in formal Appraisal Clause proceedings (we provide documentation; appraisal is run by licensed appraisers).
Common Questions
Insurance Packout Process FAQ
Why does the inspection have to be in person?
Real packout scopes require walking the property: square footage, item counts, access constraints, stair counts, specialty items, and adjuster-required photo angles. Photo-only quotes consistently come in low and create scope disputes later — and adjusters know this.
What is a Direction to Pay?
A one-page document the homeowner signs that instructs the insurance carrier to remit packout payment directly to the vendor. It does not assign the claim, give control of structural funds, or obligate the homeowner to pay anything out of pocket. Every major carrier honors it.
What is the Work Authorization?
The contract for the scope of work. It states what we will do, that work is performed per the Xactimate scope agreed with the adjuster, that the homeowner authorizes documentation photography, and that inventory and valuations are estimates that may change after processing. Each acknowledgement is signed individually.
Can I get my own items out of storage during repairs?
Yes. Schedule a vault pull and we will retrieve specific boxes or items.
What if my adjuster disputes part of the scope?
We provide additional photo documentation, item-level condition reports, and price-list backup. Most disputes resolve at the documentation level. If a true impasse exists, the policy's Appraisal Clause is the standard path.
How is the contents portion of my claim settled?
From documentation. Photographed inventory plus a photographed non-salvage list become the basis for the contents settlement. The better the documentation, the cleaner the settlement.
Homeowners — what does Direction to Pay actually obligate me to?
It only authorizes the carrier to remit packout proceeds to us out of your claim funds. It does not assign the claim, transfer control of structural funds, or create any out-of-pocket obligation to us.
Adjusters — what arrives in your inbox after the inspection?
An Xactimate-coded scope priced to the loss ZIP, wide-angle and item-level photo documentation, a draft inventory structure, and a Work Authorization / Direction to Pay copy for your file.
Property managers — how is access coordinated on occupied units?
We schedule inspection and packout windows with the PM, document tenant contents under separate chain-of-custody, and provide PM-side status updates so you do not have to chase the claim.
Mitigation companies — where does your scope end and ours begin?
Structural drying, demo, and remediation stay with mitigation. Contents handling, off-site cleaning, storage, non-salvage documentation, and pack-back sit with us. No overlap, no double-billing.
General contractors — how does pack-back fit your schedule?
We sequence pack-back behind HVAC clearance, paint, flooring, and final clean. Returning contents too early ruins cleaning work — we wait for your sign-off.
Public adjusters — how do you support a represented claim?
Inventory, condition photography, Xactimate scope, and non-salvage backup are delivered to the PA. The PA continues to negotiate the settlement with the carrier; we stay in the documentation lane.
What is the payment process from the carrier?
Carrier issues payment to Total Packout Solutions on the contents line items per the signed Direction to Pay. Storage is invoiced monthly to the carrier for the duration of the rebuild. The homeowner is not in the payment loop and never pays us a deductible.
The process is straightforward once a vendor who runs it daily is on your side. Call 214-718-1685 and we will walk you through it from your first question to pack-back.
Call or Text: 214-718-1685Need immediate help? Start a packout request