Fires are the most challenging Loss that a property owner can experience. Fire kills, maims, and causes emotional trauma. It destroys structure, keepsakes, personal financial records, and computer equipment that may not have an off-site backup. Fire displaces occupants and causes direct and indirect losses that often exceed insurance coverage. In fact, if not properly managed, recovering from a residential property fire could leave you homeless for month or years..

Preparing for emergencies is a good practice for any homeowner and especially useful when considering the possibility of a fire. Understanding that the majority of property damage and deaths are caused by fires that were set by humans means that you can be proactive about protecting your property. Reducing clutter, installing a sprinkler system, using a monitored fire & burglar alarm and installing ample exterior lighting is wise. Maintaining a complete inventory of all your household items in a safety deposit box or fire-proof safe will safe you more headaches than you can possibly imagine. For this reason we offer to help Clients inventory their household items for a nominal fee prior to an emergency.

How you respond to a fire is critical. Many insurance companies have comprehensive programs designed to help you meet the challenges associated with a structural fire. The wisest thing that you can do is pass off the majority of the associated "busy work" and decisions to a close friend, colleague or attorney. Recognize that you may be emotionally compromised by the loss and likely to regret decisions that you make in the heat of the moment. Make sure that you involve your friends, colleagues, and associates right away and do not rush into any decisions. Property owners who rush into action and try to handle things on their own usually end up pursuing a counterintuitive agenda.

Most markets have limited choices when it comes to choosing a restoration contractor. Many insurance companies have 'preferred contractor' programs that are geared toward getting someone to work on your behalf as soon as possible. Pricing structures have usually been pre-agreed and contractors have demonstrated that they have the capacity to perform the work. There are several phases that are crucial to properly restoring your property which may require independent companies for mitigation, demolition, design, and construction depending upon who you hire:

1. Mitigate Further Damage to the structure & contents (security fence, tarp the roof, board up the windows and doors, evacuate the water, etc.) Bear in mind that your property has become a dangerous place. Toxic chemicals, bare electrical wires, & weakened framing members pose a threat to you or anyone else being in the structure.
2. Document the damages. Document, Document, Document. There is no such thing as too much documentation. Document before, during, and after all work including Mitigation.
3. Salvage Contents. If the contents of the property are not completely destroyed, they should be further documented as they are removed from the property. Smoke and water damage become more pervasive the longer contents are left untouched so the sooner you are allowed to act the better. (You should get an "all clear" from the fire marshal or engineer before salvaging contents.) Whoever you choose for this task, they need to communicate that they value your contents and explain how they will handle and protect your contents during the salvage process (preferably in writing).
4. Structural Demolition and Salvage. This is by far the least objective part of the process. Opinions that sway the pocketbook here can determine whether you have a patchwork rebuild or a brand new home. If there was ever a time to NOT RUSH, this is it. Consider everything from functionality to design to resale value. Remember that most insurance companies are slave to the Dollar and you are fighting an uphill battle. A good example is an insurance company insisting that a property owner float a layer of new cement over the old concrete pad prior to re-framing rather than demolish the damaged pad & re-pour. The float may work but who wants to find out that it didn't months or years down the road?
5. Design. Re-designing and engineering your new home is one of the two "fun" parts of a fire restoration. You do not necessarily have to rebuild strictly according to your property's former design. In most instances, building code changes will not allow you to and will force design changes.
6. Construction. Most construction companies will fight for the chance to work right now. However, if you do not choose a company that specializes in insurance-funded restoration work, prepare for a financial catastrophe. Dealing with your mortgage company and insurance company to fund the process creates a much larger challenge than inexperienced construction companies are equipped to handle.
7. Replace Contents. This can be the other fun part of a fire restoration as long as you have the funds in place to replace all your household items. It is not unusual to be under-funded or have already spend a fair portion of the money you received for contents prior to this point. For this reason, NEVER settle until you absolutely have no other choice. The insurance company's coffers should be open to the extent that you suffer NO financial loss beyond your deductible.