Few things can be more disrupting to your life than a house fire. In addition to the feelings of sadness and loss that can result from seeing your home and the valuables within it go up in smoke you will also have to make some very tough decisions, including whether to rebuild your property or sell a fire-damaged house.

One of the toughest can be whether or not to rebuild a house after a fire. In this article, we will closely examine the process of rebuilding a house after a fire. We will also explore how to make the difficult decision of whether to rebuild or sell.

First, Let’s Look at How to Rebuild a House After a Fire

1. Your first step after a fire damages your home should be contacting your insurance agent. You must set the claims process in motion as quickly as possible. Once you have contacted your agent and started that process, then you can move to step 2.

2. Step 2 is to bring in a professional fire restoration contractor. It is important that you work with someone who has specific experience and training rebuilding homes after fires. That’s because rebuilding a home after a fire can be much more difficult than other types of rebuilds. For instance, dealing with smoke and hazardous residue after a fire requires experienced and trained workers.

3. Once you have found a professional fire restoration contractor you can then have him or her assess the damage to your home. He can also recommend a structural engineer to assess if your house is safe or needs tearing down. The structural engineer will conduct a thorough inspection of your house as part of the evaluation. They will examine key areas, including interior load-bearing walls, basement, second-floor and attic joists, as well as the foundation and basement walls.

4. If the house is deemed livable, you can then begin the rebuild. You should start this process by securing your house. That means securing all but one entryway and boarding up all broken windows. Securing your property is important because it will help deter vandalism. In fact, most insurance companies require you to secure a fire-damaged house as soon as possible.

5. After securing the property, your restoration contractor can recommend licensed carpenters and electricians who specialize in repairing fire-damaged homes. The rebuild process should start by focusing on the structure first. Ensure the home’s structural integrity by replacing damaged trusses and floor joists from the fire. Secure the interior framework as well.

6. After making necessary structural repairs, the focus should shift to inspecting and repairing the electrical system. Hire a licensed electrician experienced in repairing fire-damaged electrical systems to inspect your home. They will check your breaker box, wiring, outlets, and fixtures to ensure safety and functionality.

7. After repairing the electrical system, workers can then focus on repairing other fire damage. This work will also include dealing with smoke and water damage. For example, water-damaged sheetrock might host mold growth. Smoke stains and soot residue might also mar various areas. Additionally, air ducts might be contaminated and require cleaning.

Those are the major steps for how to rebuild a house after a fire. It can be a quite lengthy process so try to be as patient as possible. Stressing out and getting angry won’t help the situation and could, in fact, harm your health. So try to remain calm, the repair process could take anywhere from several weeks to several months or even longer.

One More Tip on How to Rebuild a House After a Fire …

Document everything! Rebuilding a home can be very expensive, but maintaining detailed records simplifies dealing with the insurance company and facilitates reimbursement for some costs.

So how much does it cost to rebuild a house after a fire?

Costs will naturally range depending on the amount of damage the fire produces.

Thumbtack.com, a site for finding professionals like fire restoration contractors, states rebuilding a house after a small fire typically costs between $3,500 and $5,000. For larger fires that damage a home’s structure or roof, costs can exceed $50,000.

Rebuilding costs for a fire-damaged home can quickly escalate due to various restoration types involved.

You may need to pay highly trained professionals to rebuild everything from your house’s structure to its electrical system to its HVAC system. You will also most likely need to get rid of water and water damage and deal with smoke damage and soot residue.

Even if you are able to salvage certain items like furniture and carpet you will still most likely need to remove odors and other residue which can be a tedious and expensive process.

Many homeowners, after realizing how long and how expensive it can be to rebuild a house after a fire, decide to sell a fire-damaged house instead.

The good news is there are companies, like We Buy Fire Damaged Houses that work specifically with homeowners whose houses have been damaged by fire.

These companies buy the houses for a good price and then are able to leverage their relationships with experienced and talented professionals to get the house rebuilt faster and for less money that it would typically cost a homeowner.

This creates a win-win situation for the company and the homeowner who receives money they can then use to buy a new home.

To learn more about We Buy Fire Damaged Houses and to see if they would be interested in buying your fire damaged home fill out the form below.