Kitchen, Bathroom and Basement Remodeling in North Atlanta, With Every Price Published

Do you do the water extraction and drying, or only the rebuild?

We rebuild. When a fire or a burst pipe hits a house, two different companies put it back: the first stops the damage with extraction, drying and stripping out what cannot be saved, and the second rebuilds what was lost. We are the second one, and we work alongside the remediation company that handled the first part.

What happens after the fire is out?

Three things, usually in this order. The property gets secured and boarded, the unsalvageable material gets stripped out and the structure dried, and then the rebuild starts. The claim runs alongside all of it: your carrier assigns an adjuster who documents the loss and writes a scope. The rebuild usually begins once that scope is agreed.

How much does fire damage restoration cost?

It depends on how far the fire and smoke travelled and what the carrier's scope covers, so anyone quoting a figure without seeing the property is guessing. What we can tell you is what drives it: how many rooms are affected, whether the structure itself was damaged, whether smoke reached areas the fire did not, and what the finishes were before the loss. We walk the property and price against the approved scope.

Does homeowners insurance cover fire damage?

Most standard homeowners policies cover fire damage, including smoke damage to areas the fire did not reach. What varies is the limit, the deductible, and whether your policy includes ordinance and law coverage, which pays for bringing the rebuild up to current code rather than only back to what was there. Your policy and your adjuster are the authority on your specific claim.

What does smoke damage repair involve?

More than cleaning. Smoke travels further than fire and gets into drywall, insulation, ductwork and framing, and the smell comes back if the affected material stays in the wall. Repairing it properly usually means removing the contaminated material rather than sealing over it, then rebuilding.

How long does a fire rebuild take?

Longer than a remodel of the same size, because the claim runs in parallel with the construction. A single room is usually weeks. A whole floor or a whole house is usually months. The two things that add time are waiting on the carrier's scope to be agreed and discovering damage behind the walls that nobody could see at the first inspection.

Can I choose my own contractor, or do I have to use the one the insurance company sends?

In most cases the choice of contractor is yours. Carriers and third party administrators often have preferred vendor lists and will suggest one, but a suggestion is not usually a requirement. Check your policy wording and ask your adjuster directly, because the answer can depend on your specific policy.

Who pays you, me or the insurance company?

Usually the money comes to you from the carrier and you pay the contractor, though on larger losses the mortgage lender is often a co-payee and releases funds in stages as the work is inspected. Your deductible comes out of the payout. We invoice against the agreed scope as the work progresses.

What is recoverable depreciation?

Most policies pay the actual cash value of the damage first, which is the replacement cost minus depreciation for age and wear. The depreciation is held back and released once the work is actually completed and invoiced. It matters because it means the first cheque is smaller than the total, and the rest arrives at the end.

Do you work with my remediation company?

Yes, and we prefer it. They handle the extraction, drying and demolition, we handle the rebuild, and the handover between the two is where most delays happen. If your remediation company is already on site we will coordinate directly with them.

Do I have to spend the whole payout on the repair?

Generally you are not compelled to, unless you want the held back depreciation released or your mortgage lender requires the repair to be completed. Those two conditions cover most people. Your adjuster and your lender are the authority on your particular claim.