Before anything else, a disclaimer that is not boilerplate: Fire 801 is a fire and smoke restoration contractor. We are not attorneys, and we are not insurance adjusters. What follows is a plain description of how the fire claim process typically runs, drawn from working inside that process on the contractor side. Your policy is a contract with specific language, and where this general description and your policy differ, the policy wins. For legal questions, talk to a lawyer; for coverage decisions, your insurer decides.
With that said — the process is more navigable than it looks from the driveway of a burned house, and knowing the sequence in advance removes most of its power to intimidate.
Call your insurer's claims line as soon as reasonably possible after the fire, the same day if you can. Prompt notice is a standard policy condition, and early reporting starts every downstream clock in your favor. You will receive a claim number — it goes on everything from here forward — and an assigned adjuster will follow. On that first call, ask what your policy provides for additional living expenses, what documentation the insurer wants, and whether they need anything before emergency work begins.
Homeowners policies require the insured to take reasonable steps to protect the property from further damage after a loss. After a fire, that means securing the structure — board-up, roof tarping, and water extraction where firefighting soaked the building. Two things follow. First, do not wait for the adjuster's visit to secure the house; the duty is immediate, and reasonable mitigation costs are generally reimbursable, so keep every receipt. Second, mitigation is not restoration: secure and stabilize before the inspection, but leave cleaning and repairs until the loss has been documented and scoped.
A fire claim is ultimately a documentation exercise, and the homeowner who documents well has a fundamentally easier claim. Photograph everything before it is moved: wide shots of each room, close-ups of damage, the exterior from all sides. Keep a log of every conversation with the insurer — date, name, what was said. Save receipts for every fire-related expense, from the first night's lodging to the tarp on the roof. The contents inventory — an itemized list of damaged belongings with photos and descriptions — is the heaviest lift; a restoration contractor's pack-out inventory can carry most of that weight for you.
The insurer's adjuster will inspect the property, usually within days of the claim being opened, and their report drives the initial estimate. Walk the inspection with them if you can, and point out everything — including damage that is easy to miss, like smoke residue in rooms far from the burn, soot in the duct system, and water damage below the fire floor. This is also where having a restoration contractor's assessment matters: a detailed scope of work, prepared by people who trace smoke and water professionally, gives the adjuster a complete picture to price rather than what is visible on a single walkthrough.
A typical homeowners fire claim pays through three separate coverages. Dwelling coverage handles the structure itself — the burn damage, smoke damage, and the water damage firefighting caused. Personal property coverage handles contents: cleaning and restoration of what is salvageable, replacement of what is not, which is why the inventory matters so much. Additional living expenses, sometimes called loss of use, reimburses the reasonable extra costs of living elsewhere while the home is uninhabitable — lodging, increased meal costs, and similar expenses, up to policy limits. Understanding that these are separate buckets with separate limits helps you track what has been paid and what is still open.
Expect an estimate from the insurer, and expect some back-and-forth — fire scopes frequently grow as work reveals damage that inspection could not see, and supplemental claims for that discovered damage are a normal part of the process, not a fight. Understand also how your policy pays: replacement cost policies typically issue an initial payment with depreciation withheld, then pay the recoverable depreciation as work is completed and documented; actual cash value policies pay depreciated value only. Which one you have is stated in the policy, and it is worth knowing before the first check arrives so the amount does not surprise you.
Disagreement with an estimate is common and has ordinary remedies. Start by asking questions — line by line, in writing — and by supplying documentation: your contractor's scope, photographs, and itemized costs often resolve gaps without escalation. You can request a re-inspection. Many policies also contain an appraisal provision, a formal process for resolving disputes about the amount of loss; the policy describes how it works. Stay factual, keep everything in writing, and keep the claim number on every exchange.
Public adjusters are licensed professionals who represent the policyholder — not the insurer — in preparing and negotiating a claim, for a fee that is typically a percentage of the settlement. Some homeowners engage one for large or contested losses; many claims settle fairly without one. We are not public adjusters, we do not sell their services, and we take no position on whether you need one — only that you should know the option exists, verify any adjuster's license with the state, and understand the fee arrangement before signing.
Our role in your claim is evidence and scope: documenting the loss thoroughly, preparing the line-item scope of work, performing the mitigation and restoration, and answering the adjuster's technical questions directly so you are not translating between two specialists. We work with your adjuster, not for the insurer — and not as your legal representative. Between good documentation, prompt mitigation, and a complete scope, most fire claims resolve the way they should. Call 801-515-0640 and we can walk through where your claim stands and what the next step in the sequence is.
Generally, the reasonable extra costs of living elsewhere while your home is uninhabitable: lodging, meal costs above your normal spending, laundry, and often pet boarding — up to your policy's limit. The operative word is extra; your normal mortgage and groceries continue as usual. Keep every receipt from the first night, and ask your adjuster what your specific policy includes.
Insurers often suggest contractors from their preferred networks, and those referrals can be perfectly good — but the choice of who works on your house is generally yours. Any reputable restoration contractor will work with your adjuster regardless of how you found them. Check your policy language, and pick the contractor you trust to document and do the work properly.
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