What goes in a household emergency binder?

Emergency contacts, each person's and pet's medical basics, insurance policies, copies of key IDs and documents, home utility shut-offs, and a list of accounts and who handles them.

Should a household binder be paper or digital?

Both: keep it digital so it stays current, and print a fresh copy a couple of times a year for a power cut or an emergency.

What to keep in a household binder

A household binder is the one place someone could open to run your home if you couldn't. Here's what belongs in it.

1. Contacts

Family, neighbors with a spare key, and who to call first.
Doctors, the vet, the pharmacy, schools and childcare.
Plumber, electrician, HVAC, handyman — your regular contractors.

2. Each person and pet

Allergies, medications and doses, conditions, blood type, insurance numbers.
For children: routines, bedtimes, what calms them. For pets: food, vet, microchip.

3. The house

Where the water shut-off, breaker panel and gas shut-off are.
Alarm and Wi-Fi details, trash and recycling days.
Appliance models, warranties and manuals.

4. Money and paperwork

Insurance policies (home, auto, life, health) and how to claim.
Which bills are on autopay, and from which account.
Where the originals are kept: birth certificates, passports, deeds, titles, wills.

Keep passwords and full account numbers out of a printed binder; note where they're stored instead.

Keeping it current

Paper binders go stale. In Convivo the same details live with the rest of your household — contacts, care sheets, documents, insurance — and print as an emergency binder (Word or PDF) whenever you need a fresh copy. A sitter can get a pass that shows only what they need, until a date you choose.

Create your household — free during the beta

Questions

What goes in a household emergency binder?: Emergency contacts, each person's and pet's medical basics, insurance policies, copies of key IDs and documents, home utility shut-offs, and a list of accounts and who handles them.
Should a household binder be paper or digital?: Both: keep it digital so it stays current, and print a fresh copy a couple of times a year for a power cut or an emergency.

Updated 2026-10-11.