Short answer: A CLUE (Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange) report is a LexisNexis consumer report that lists up to seven years of home and personal property insurance claims, which insurers use to price and accept policies (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau). The owner can get one free every 12 months at consumer.risk.lexisnexis.com or 866-897-8126. Because the report is requested by the person it covers, a buyer asks the seller to order it and share it, ideally during the due diligence period alongside the flood and claims questions on South Carolina's disclosure form.
Key facts
- What it is: LexisNexis C.L.U.E. collects and reports up to seven years of home and personal property insurance claims (CFPB).
- Cost: one free report every 12 months on request (CFPB).
- How to order: consumer.risk.lexisnexis.com, 866-897-8126, or LexisNexis Risk Solutions Consumer Center, P.O. Box 105108, Atlanta, GA 30348-5108 (CFPB).
- Second database: Verisk's A-PLUS also reports home claims and loss history, with one free report a year: 800-627-3487 (option 2) or 800-709-8842 (CFPB).
- Errors: you can dispute the report with the company and with the insurer that supplied the data; they must investigate at no charge (CFPB).
- SC disclosure form: asks the seller about flood insurance claims, uninsured flood repairs and federal flood assistance, with dates and amounts (SC Residential Property Condition Disclosure Statement, updated June 2025).
- Flood claims: we couldn't confirm from an official source whether NFIP flood claims appear on CLUE reports, so ask the seller directly and check the disclosure form.
What does a CLUE report show?
It lists insurance claims reported by insurers to LexisNexis: home and personal property claims for up to seven years, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. LexisNexis describes the database as a tool insurers use when they underwrite and price policies, with details such as the date of loss, the type of loss and the amount paid.
A report helps a buyer answer three questions about a Hilton Head home:
- Has there been storm, wind or water damage that the seller should explain?
- Was the damage repaired, and by whom, with permits?
- Will the claims history make the home harder or more expensive to insure?
How do I get a CLUE report for a house I'm buying?
Ask the seller. CLUE reports are consumer reports under federal law, and LexisNexis releases them to the person they cover after identity checks, so a buyer can't simply order one on someone else's house. In practice:
- Ask early. Request the report in your offer or at the start of the due diligence period, along with the seller disclosure form.
- The seller orders it free online at consumer.risk.lexisnexis.com or by phone at 866-897-8126. Mail requests and some online requests take time to process, so don't leave it to the last week.
- Ask for the Verisk A-PLUS report too if your insurance agent says their insurer uses it.
- Give it to your insurance agent and inspector. The agent can tell you whether the history changes eligibility or price. The inspector can look at the areas tied to past claims.
- Match it against the disclosure form. The SC disclosure form asks about water and flood damage, flood claims and federal flood aid. Any claim on the report should line up with an answer on the form.
What should I look for on a Hilton Head home's report?
| On the report | What to ask |
|---|---|
| Wind or hail claim | Was the roof replaced or repaired? Permit? Does the current roof have a wind mitigation report? |
| Water damage claim | What was the source (plumbing, roof, storm)? Was mold addressed? Ask your inspector to check that area. |
| Several claims in a few years | Ask your agent whether this will affect eligibility or price before you're committed |
| Claims around a named storm (2016, 2017, 2023, 2024) | Compare with the seller's disclosure answers and any repair invoices |
| No claims | Good to know, but damage that wasn't claimed won't appear; read the disclosure form and the inspection |
A claims history can also matter for state help. The SC Department of Insurance says a home with prior storm-related damage or insurance claim payouts isn't eligible for an SC Safe Home grant.
Does a CLUE report include flood claims?
Don't rely on it for flood. CLUE gathers claims that insurers report to LexisNexis, and we couldn't confirm from an official source whether National Flood Insurance Program claims show up. South Carolina's disclosure form covers flood directly: it asks whether the property has flood insurance, whether there have been flood insurance claims (with dates and amounts), uninsured flood repairs, and federal flood disaster assistance from FEMA, SBA or HUD. Ask the seller for the flood policy's declarations page as well. See flood insurance on Hilton Head.
What if the report is wrong?
Dispute it. The CFPB says you have the legal right to dispute the report's contents with the consumer reporting company and with the company that supplied the information; they must do a reasonable investigation at no charge, and an error must be corrected. If you're a seller, pull your own report before you list so you can fix mistakes and explain real claims up front.
Is a CLUE report required in South Carolina?
No. We found no South Carolina law that requires a seller to provide one. It's something a buyer asks for and a seller can choose to provide. The disclosure form itself is required for most resale homes, and the seller is liable for knowingly false or incomplete answers (SC Code 27-50-65). See the SC property disclosure statement.
How we help
We'll ask the listing side for the seller's CLUE report and disclosure form early, put the claims next to the disclosure answers, and send both to your insurance agent and inspector so questions get answered while you can still act on them.
Questions
Can a buyer order a CLUE report on a house?
Generally no. LexisNexis provides CLUE reports to the person they cover after verifying identity, so the seller orders it, free once every 12 months, and shares it with the buyer.
How far back does a CLUE report go?
Up to seven years of home and personal property claims, according to the CFPB's listing for LexisNexis C.L.U.E. Older damage won't appear, so read the seller disclosure form too.
How much does a CLUE report cost?
One report every 12 months is free on request from LexisNexis at consumer.risk.lexisnexis.com or 866-897-8126.
Sources
- Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange (C.L.U.E.), Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (checked October 2026)
- A-PLUS Property (by Verisk), Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (checked October 2026)
- Residential Property Condition Disclosure Statement (updated June 2025), SC Real Estate Commission, SC LLR (checked October 2026)
- SC Code Title 27 Chapter 50 (seller disclosure), SC Legislature (checked October 2026)
- SC Safe Home, SC Department of Insurance (checked October 2026)