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Photo-Based vs Description-Only Contents Pricing

Both routes end at the same worksheet, and they are not equally strong. The question is never which method you prefer — it is which evidence still exists.

Kevin Godfrey, KevinLast updated 22 October 2026

Which is better, pricing from photographs or from descriptions?

Photographs, wherever usable ones exist — they establish which product it was rather than which product it resembled. Descriptions are the right route when the property and its photographs are both gone.

The two are often presented as a preference. They are not. A description records what somebody remembers; a photograph of a model plate records what the item was. On property where the model moves the price, that is the whole valuation — and no amount of careful writing closes the gap.

What each route can establish

Same item, two kinds of evidence
From photographsFrom a description
The item existsShownAsserted
BrandRead off the badge or plateOnly if the writer knew it
ModelRead off the label or barcodeOnly if the writer knew it
VariantCapacity, size and finish are visibleOnly if stated
ConditionVisible, and the damage with itReported
QuantityCountable in frameReconstructed
GroupingSeveral shots become one lineNot applicable — a row is a line

When description-only is the right route

  • A total fire loss where the contents and any photographs of them are gone.
  • Property removed or disposed of before anyone documented it.
  • A restoration company’s or mover’s inventory that exists only as a PDF.
  • An insured rebuilding a list from memory, receipts and purchase histories.

In each of those, waiting for photographic evidence is not an option, and a written inventory is the best remaining one. What it is not is a shortcut on a claim where the property is still there to photograph.

A total loss does not mean no evidence

The property is gone; the record of it often is not. Before a list is built from memory alone, it is worth pulling what survives elsewhere — because each of these can supply the brand or model a description would otherwise guess at:

  • Photographs on phones and in cloud backups, including family and social photographs.
  • Retailer account order histories, which carry exact models and dates.
  • Email receipts, card statements, warranty records and manuals.
  • Old listings or insurance schedules from a previous policy.

How the two routes differ inside Kevin

Different front ends, one worksheet
PhotographsWritten list
Starts fromThe items themselves, in frameA PDF, CSV or spreadsheet
Review stepRelated shots confirmed as one item firstSkipped — a row already is a line
Before anything is createdYou confirm the groupingYou map the columns and preview
PricingFrom a listing, source kept on the rowFrom a listing, source kept on the row
DepreciationClass and ageClass and age
ExportIdenticalIdentical

The review step is the honest difference. It exists to turn several photographs into one item, which a written row does not need — so the written route skips it rather than doing a weaker version of it. Mapping and preview take its place, and neither creates a line until you import.

Use both on the same claim

Nothing forces a claim down one route. Photograph what survived, import the rest as a written list, and both land in the same worksheet with the same columns and the same export. The schedule should reflect the evidence that actually exists for each item rather than the method you started with.

Common questions

Can you build a contents claim without photos?
Yes. Total-loss inventories are routinely reconstructed from a typed list, a restoration company’s inventory, receipts and purchase records. Each described row is researched and priced like a photographed item would be — what you lose is the brand and model precision that only evidence can supply.
Are photo-based inventories more accurate?
Usually, and for one specific reason: a photograph of a model plate establishes which product it was, while a description establishes what somebody remembers it was. On property where the model moves the price, that gap is the whole valuation.
Should description-only pricing be used when photos exist?
No. If usable item-level photographs exist, they are stronger evidence and they are already in hand. The written route exists because total losses are real, not because it is an easier option.
What makes a written description good enough to price?
Brand, model or collection, size or capacity, quality tier, age and quantity — roughly in that order of value. “Sofa” prices as a generic sofa. “Pottery Barn Andes sectional, 3-seat, 6 years old” prices as that, and the difference is not small.
Does a written list go through the same review as photos?
No, and it does not need to. Review exists to turn several photographs into one item; a written row already is a line item, so it goes straight to the worksheet. The mapping and preview steps replace it, and neither creates anything until you import.
What if some items have photos and some do not?
Use both. Photograph what survives, import the rest as a written list, and they land in the same worksheet and export the same way. Nothing forces a claim down one route.

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