Housefires can be devastating for homeowners, from the traumatic experience of the fire to the emotional toll of losing personal belongings. The complex claims process for cleaning and restoring fire-damaged property while processing grief and other emotions can be overwhelming.
Fortunately, fire damage lawyers are here to help. You don't have to navigate the extensive damage, bad faith insurance tactics, and other obstacles that may come your way alone. Schedule a free consultation with a lawyer to ensure your insurance claim is accurately completed and filed for maximum compensation.
Steps to Cleaning and Restoring Fire-Damaged Property
Homeowners and commercial property owners must take the necessary steps to clean and restore fire-damaged property for safety and claim purposes. First, you should always review your policy with a fire damage attorney if your case has extensive damages or complicated liability. Other steps include documenting damages, securing your property, water extraction, smoke removal, and construction and restoration.
Review Your Policy With an Attorney
Having an experienced property damage lawyer analyze your policy's fine print helps ensure you thoroughly understand your coverage, including any limitations or exclusions. An attorney can also help guide you through the insurance claims process, including submitting forms and evidence and communicating on your behalf.
Prioritize Safety
Prioritize your safety and the safety of others. Your attorney will willfully advise that you hire professionals to handle documenting damages, securing the property, and cleaning and restoring fire damage. Unstable structures, exposed wires, standing water, and other hidden dangers can cause injury and aren't worth the property owner's risk.
Consider Hiring a Public Adjuster
Insurance companies will send a claims adjuster to assess and calculate fire damages. However, the adjuster's job is to minimize the company's financial losses, which means undervaluing claims to make smaller payouts. A public adjuster works for policyholders, not insurance companies. Hiring one can be beneficial because they will advocate for fair settlements on your behalf.
Like property damage attorneys, most public adjusters work for contingency. Contingent fee arrangements guarantee no upfront costs to retain their services. Furthermore, they only get paid if you do. Public adjusters can assist fire damage property attorneys with negotiating maximum insurance claims.
Ask your lawyer if this step is relevant to your case. They may have professional appraisers with whom they’ve built strong working relationships—and may offer their services for less. Trust your attorney’s judgment.
Document Damages
To document damages, your public adjuster will comprehensively investigate your property to identify all fire-related damages. They will thoroughly document fire damages in their report, such as:
- Soot damages
- Smoke damages
- Structural issues
- Mold growth
- Water damages caused by fire-extinguishing efforts
Public adjusters have the equipment to capture admissible photographic and video evidence of fire-damaged property. Their evidence and expert assessment of fire-related property damages is invaluable to securing maximum compensation for your claim.
Secure the Property
After a housefire, your property may be subject to secondary concerns, including structural weakening, weather exposure, vandalism, and squatting or trespassing. Securing the property includes:
- Boarding up openings on your home or commercial building structure
- Roof tarping and roof sealing
- Removing debris from your property's perimeter
- Installing fencing around your property's perimeter
Securing your property is a significant part of cleaning and restoring fire-damaged property. Hiring fire damage restoration professionals to stabilize your property is critical to guard against secondary issues.
Water Extraction and Drying
Water removal and drying are another critical part of cleaning and restoring fire-damaged property. Personal property is removed from the interior of the home or building before water removal and drying. Fire damage restoration professionals will remove water-damaged materials, such as flooring and drywall, before further problems, like mold, develop.
Smoke Removal and Property Cleanup
Cleaning the property requires extensive safety precautions, manual labor, and attention to detail. Sometimes, every square inch needs cleaning and sanitizing. Clean-up can involve duct cleaning to remove soot and debris and applying antimicrobial chemicals to prevent mold growth. Finally, fire damage restoration professionals use odor-removing techniques, including deodorizing agents, to remove smoke.
Construction and Restoration
Construction and restoration is the final step in cleaning and restoring fire-damaged property. It involves returning the property to its pre-fire condition and can include:
- Replacing the roof
- Replacing the windows
- Replacing flooring
- Replacing interior counters and sinks
- Replacing fixtures
- Replacing electrical
- Replacing and painting drywall
- Replacing appliances
- Replacing outdoor landscaping and gardens
The total scope of cleaning and restoring fire-damaged property can add up quickly. Knowing and calculating the costs of these repairs and restorations are imperative for ensuring proper filing of claims and loss recovery. An experienced fire damage lawyer will provide a comprehensive valuation of damages.
Compensation for Fire Damages
Securing compensation for your damages is critical for rebuilding after a fire. Depending on the nature of the fire damages in your claim, your attorney may recover compensation (up to your policy's limitations) for damages, including:
- Damage to your home or commercial property
- Damage to your landscaping and outbuildings
- Total damages of your primary and related properties
- Damages for lost personal property (electronics, clothing, furniture)
- Expenses of relocating your family while cleaning and restoring fire-damaged property (hotel and restaurant bills)
- Costs of securing your property
- Costs of fire damage restoration professional services
Your fire-damaged property attorney will often work with professional appraisers to determine the value of your damages. Appraisers will factor in repair costs, replacement value, and potential legal liabilities when calculating the compensation demand.
How a Fire Damage Property Attorney Will Help
Your fire damage lawyer will review and clarify your policy to comprehensively understand your coverage. Other invaluable services built into their contingent arrangements include:
- Filing Your Fire Damage Claim—ensuring your claim is filled out correctly, without missing information, and within imposed deadlines.
- Assessing Damages Experts—consulting experts, including professional appraisers, fire investigators, contractors,
- Choosing Your Own Vendors—accepting recommended vendors from liable insurers may result in them working to save the insurer money. Why else would they recommend them? Your attorney will certify your right to work with your choice of restoration vendors.
- Negotiating With Insurance Companies—your attorney will demand liable insurers pay maximum compensation to cover your fire-related losses.
- Representing You in Court—most cases never got to court. However, your attorney will represent your interests in court if your insurance company acts in bad faith by undervaluing or denying your claim.
Schedule a free consultation with a property damage lawyer to get help filing insurance claims for cleaning and restoring fire-damaged property. If you have recently had your claim denied, speak to a property insurance attorney about a possible appeal.