PCS How to document PCS damage
A damage claim is only as strong as its evidence. The mover's inventory records what they say they picked up. Your photos, your delivery-day notes and the paperwork you sign are what show what changed. Here's what to capture at each stage of a PCS, and why.
Before the movers arrive
Your "before" evidence is the one thing the mover can't supply for you.
- Film every room. A slow walkthrough, about three to four minutes a room, shows what you owned and what condition it was in.
- Say brands and details out loud as you film — they're easy to forget and hard to reconstruct later.
- Get close on valuables. Electronics, instruments, art and anything high-value deserve their own close-up, with serial numbers where there are any.
- Keep the dates. Pre-move photos labeled with dates are among the attachments a claim can carry as proof of condition.
Already packed out? It isn't too late. A pre-move video makes a claim stronger, but it isn't required.
Pack-out day
This is where claims are won or lost. The crew creates a handwritten inventory with a numbered sticker on every item and condition codes scribbled per line. Whatever isn't marked as an exception there is treated as having been in good condition.
- Photograph every page of the inventory, while you're standing there.
- Read the condition codes on the lines for your valuables. If a code looks wrong, say so in writing before you sign.
- Note anything you packed yourself. "Packed by owner" is recorded with its own code on the inventory, separate from carrier-packed.
Delivery day
The truck at the curb is your best chance to document damage while the crew is still there.
- Check off every number as it comes off the truck. Whatever you never checked off is what's short.
- Flag damage on sight, with the sticker in the frame. One photo that shows both the damage and the numbered sticker gives you identity and evidence in a single shot.
- Photograph damaged cartons — crushed, wet or punctured — before you know what's inside. If broken china comes out of that box later, the delivery-day photo is what turns "it was broken when I opened it" into a documented chain.
- Get the short list before the truck leaves. Read the unaccounted numbers to the crew chief while they're still there.
- Write exceptions on the delivery form before you sign. A signed form with no exceptions is the TSP's best defense against your claim later.
While you unpack
Damage reveals itself slowly. You open a box in week three and there's the broken lamp. That's the normal case, and the notice window is built for it.
- Photograph before you touch it. Don't repair or discard anything until it's photographed, and keep the pieces where you can find them.
- Take a pair at minimum. One wide shot showing what the object is, one tight on the damage. Add angles if the damage runs around the item.
- Keep the sticker and the carton. The sticker ties the item to the mover's inventory line; a crushed carton ties the damage to transit.
- Report inside 180 days of delivery. See the PCS damage claim deadlines.
At a glance
| Stage | Capture | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Before the move | Dated room videos, close-ups of valuables, serial numbers | Your proof of what you owned and its condition |
| Pack-out | Every page of the mover's inventory | What's not excepted is treated as good condition |
| Delivery | Damage with the sticker in frame, damaged cartons, the short list, written exceptions | Damage on the record while the crew is still there |
| Unpacking | Wide + tight photos, sticker, carton, pieces | Ties each item to its inventory line and to transit |
Mistakes that cost claims
- A close-up with no context. A crack with no item around it doesn't prove which item cracked.
- Throwing away the carton before photographing it.
- Signing the delivery form with no exceptions because the crew was waiting.
- Waiting until everything is unpacked to start reporting. The 180 days run from delivery, not from your last box.
- Keeping photos only on one phone. Back them up as you go.
How PCS Pal fits. PCS Pal is built around these stages: you film rooms, photograph the mover's inventory, check numbers off a digital sheet on delivery day, and photograph damage as you find it. It matches each damage photo to the item's before footage and to the mover's inventory line, and drafts the claim line for you to review.
Quick answers
Do I need a pre-move video?
No. The pre-move video makes a claim stronger, but it isn't required. You can still photograph the inventory pages, run delivery day, log damage and file a claim.
Should I photograph the box as well as the item?
Yes, when the box tells the story: a crushed corner, a water stain, a punctured side. The carton photo is evidence the damage happened in transit.
How many photos should I take of a damaged item?
At least two — one wide shot showing what the item is, and one tight on the damage. Add more angles if the damage runs around the item.
What if I find damage weeks after delivery?
Photograph it when you find it and report it inside your 180-day notice window. See the deadlines.
Confirm your own dates in DPS or with your transportation office. PCS Pal isn't a law firm, a claims adjuster, or a government agency, and these rules change. If a deadline is close, ask your local claims office or legal assistance — don't take a web page's word for the last day you can file.