In most cases, yes, fire damage is covered by a standard homeowners insurance policy. Coverage commonly includes damage to your home’s structure, personal belongings, and additional living expenses if the property is temporarily unsafe to live in.
However, exactly what is covered and how much your insurance company will pay depends on your individual policy, the cause of the fire, your coverage limits, deductibles, and other circumstances surrounding the loss.
Once the fire department has left and everyone is safe, the next concern is often figuring out how to deal with the damage. Even a relatively contained fire can leave behind smoke, soot, odors, water damage from firefighting efforts, and damaged building materials.
At Jigsaw PMR, we help homeowners recover after fires with professional fire, smoke, and property damage restoration services.
If you’ve recently experienced a house fire and need help with cleanup and restoration, call Jigsaw PMR at (201) 425-4855.
What Parts of Fire Damage Does Homeowners Insurance Usually Cover?
Homeowners insurance typically provides several different types of coverage that may apply after a fire.
Dwelling coverage generally applies to the physical structure of your home. Depending on the damage, this could include walls, ceilings, flooring, roofing, cabinets, and other parts of the house that need to be repaired or rebuilt.
Other structures coverage may apply to detached structures on your property, such as a detached garage or shed.
Personal property coverage can help cover belongings damaged or destroyed by the fire. Furniture, clothing, electronics, appliances, and other possessions may fall under this portion of your policy, subject to your coverage limits and policy terms.
Loss of use or additional living expense coverage may help with certain expenses if the fire makes your home temporarily uninhabitable, such as temporary housing and other eligible additional living costs.
Your insurance provider can explain exactly which coverages apply to your particular claim.
Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Smoke and Soot Damage?
Fire damage isn’t limited to the areas touched by flames.
Smoke and soot can travel far beyond the room where a fire started. Residue may settle on walls, ceilings, furniture, flooring, HVAC components, and personal belongings throughout the property.
In many covered fire losses, resulting smoke and soot damage may also be part of the insurance claim. Coverage ultimately depends on the policy and circumstances of the loss.
Professional cleanup is important because soot can be difficult to remove and inappropriate cleaning methods can make some staining worse.
Jigsaw PMR provides professional smoke and soot cleanup as part of our fire damage restoration services. We can assess affected areas and determine what can be cleaned, restored, or may need replacement.
What About Water Damage From Putting Out the Fire?
Water damage can be another major part of a fire loss.
Firefighters may need to use substantial amounts of water to extinguish a fire. That water can soak into drywall, insulation, flooring, ceilings, furniture, and other materials.
That means a home may require both fire damage restoration and water damage restoration following the same incident.
When we respond to a fire-damaged property, we can address the different types of property damage involved rather than focusing exclusively on what was directly burned.
What Types of Fires Are Usually Covered?
Homeowners policies generally cover accidental fires from many common causes. Depending on the policy, these can include fires resulting from cooking accidents, electrical problems, candles, lightning, and other unexpected events.
However, having fire coverage does not mean every possible fire is automatically covered.
One obvious exception is an intentionally set fire involving the policyholder. There can also be limitations or exclusions involving vacant properties, certain types of negligence, or other circumstances specified by the policy.
Because policies and claims differ, you should contact your insurance company or agent rather than assuming that a particular loss is or isn’t covered.
What Should I Do After a House Fire?
Once everyone is safely out of the property and the immediate emergency has been handled by the fire department, contact your insurance company and a professional fire damage restoration company.
Avoid entering areas that have not been declared safe. Fires can damage structural components, electrical systems, ceilings, floors, and other parts of the property that may not appear dangerous from the outside.
You should also avoid trying to wipe soot from walls, ceilings, furniture, or other surfaces. Soot can be difficult to clean correctly, and attempting to remove it with ordinary household cleaning products can spread or smear the residue.
Jigsaw PMR can evaluate the property and begin determining what will be necessary to clean and restore the affected areas.
What If My Home Can’t Be Secured After the Fire?
Fires sometimes leave broken windows, damaged doors, holes in the roof, or other openings that expose the property to weather, animals, unauthorized entry, and additional damage.
In these situations, emergency board-up services may be necessary.
Jigsaw PMR provides emergency board up services to help secure damaged properties following fires and other disasters. Protecting the property can be an important early step while the insurance claim and restoration process move forward.
What Happens to My Belongings During Fire Restoration?
Depending on the extent of the fire, some belongings may be able to remain inside the home while others may need to be removed.
If restoration work requires areas of the property to be cleared, Jigsaw PMR can provide pack out services. Contents can be carefully removed and stored while cleanup, repairs, or reconstruction are completed.
Items affected by smoke or soot may also require specialized cleaning.
Keeping track of damaged belongings is important for your insurance claim as well. Before discarding damaged property, speak with your insurance company about its documentation requirements.
Will Insurance Pay for Reconstruction After a Fire?
If a covered fire damages parts of your home’s structure, your dwelling coverage may help pay for repairs or rebuilding up to the applicable policy limits and subject to the terms of your policy.
The amount of reconstruction necessary can vary significantly.
A smaller fire may require cleaning, odor removal, and replacement of a limited amount of drywall or flooring. A severe fire may require extensive demolition and reconstruction.
Jigsaw PMR provides reconstruction services in addition to fire damage cleanup, helping property owners move from the initial cleanup into the repair and rebuilding stages.
How Jigsaw PMR Can Help After a Fire
Dealing with a fire insurance claim is only one part of recovering from a house fire. The property itself still needs to be secured, cleaned, dried if water was involved, deodorized, and repaired.
At Jigsaw PMR, we provide comprehensive fire damage restoration services for homeowners and businesses throughout New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Rockland County, New York.
Depending on the damage to your property, our team can assist with emergency board-ups, fire damage cleanup, smoke and soot cleanup, odor removal, water damage restoration, contents and pack-out services, and reconstruction.
Instead of trying to coordinate separate companies for every stage of the restoration, our team can help take your property through multiple parts of the recovery process.
Insurance coverage varies from one policy and claim to another, so your insurance provider should always be your source for determining what your specific policy will pay for. When you’re ready to begin restoring the property, Jigsaw PMR is ready to help.
If your home or business has been damaged by fire, call Jigsaw PMR at (201) 425-4855 for professional fire and smoke damage restoration.
