Homeowners tend to think of an insurance claim as having one deadline. In reality there are at least four separate clocks running at the same time, each with its own trigger, its own length, and its own consequence if you miss it. Confusing them is one of the most common and most preventable ways a legitimate claim gets denied or thrown out entirely.
Deadline one: your duty to report the loss under the policy
Every standard homeowners policy contains a "prompt notice" condition, requiring you to notify your insurer of a loss "as soon as reasonably possible" after it happens. This is a policy obligation, not a statute, and it exists independent of any state law deadline. It is intentionally vague, but insurers use late notice as a denial reason more often than most homeowners expect. The safest practice is to report any potential claim within days, not months, even if you are still deciding whether the damage is worth filing over.