How Do Smoke and Fire Damage Insurance Claims Work?

House fires are devastating. They’re also rare: if you’re dealing with a smoke or fire damage claim, then there’s a good chance this is your first time ever making such a claim. However, with recent heatwaves fire damage claims are expected to become more frequent.

So how do smoke and fire damage insurance claims work? The process varies for smoke and fire damage claims. Here’s the typical process followed by either type of insurance claim.

Smoke Damage Insurance Claims

Smoke damage insurance claims often occur when a fire is contained and the property is not a total loss. In this case, smoke damage may be more widespread than fire damage. A fire that was quickly extinguished in your kitchen, for example, may have caused minimal damage to the kitchen but extensive smoke damage throughout the rest of the home.

Smoke can penetrate the entire home, causing damage to fabrics, carpeting, walls, ceilings, and more. Many people are surprised to find evidence of smoke damage in distant parts of their home months after an initial fire.

If you are dealing with an insurance claim for smoke damage see these helpful tips as well.

Smoke damage insurance claims can be tricky. You need to document and photograph everything affected by smoke. Many experts recommend hiring a public adjuster for smoke damage insurance claims totaling more than $10,000.

Fire Damage Insurance Claims

Where there’s smoke damage, there’s also typically fire damage. Fire damage is covered by all home insurance and commercial insurance policies.

If your house burns down, getting a payout from your insurance company should be straightforward – assuming the fire was a legitimate accident. Your house is a total loss, and your insurance company will compensate you for that loss. However the contents inside the house and coverage for additional living expenses can get more complicated. See more helpful information about fire damage claims here.

If the fire damage was contained, however, then claims can be trickier. You need to document everything. You may need to contact a restoration specialist who can explain what can be kept, restored, or thrown out.

Consider hiring a Public Adjuster

A public adjuster is an insurance industry expert specializing in tricky insurance claims. A good public adjuster can navigate smoke and fire damage insurance claims to ensure you get coverage for everything.