A usable contents inventory is not a list of what was in the building. It is a list in which every line carries enough identification to be priced and enough location detail to be audited. “Twelve office chairs” cannot be valued; twelve of a named model, in a named room, with smoke exposure recorded, can be — and can still be defended six months later.
The same document is the starting point for salvage, because the condition notes that justify the valuation are the condition notes a buyer bids against. See what adjusters need from a contents inventory.