Two jobs with different goals
Restoration after a fire is usually split into two kinds of work. Mitigation is everything done to stop the damage getting worse and to clean what can be saved: board-up, water removal, drying, soot cleanup and odor control. Reconstruction is rebuilding what was removed or destroyed. Some companies do both; others hand reconstruction to a general contractor. Know which you're hiring for and get a separate written scope for each.
Tear-out
Before anything is rebuilt, damaged materials come out: charred drywall, insulation soaked with smoke or water, burned flooring and cabinets. The aim is to reach sound material. Removing too little leaves odor and weakened material behind walls; removing too much drives up the cost. Ask the company to explain why each area is coming out, and photograph it before and after.
Framing and structure
Wood framing that was in the fire may be charred on the surface and sound underneath, or it may have lost enough strength to need replacement. Lightly charred framing is sometimes cleaned, sealed and left in place; deeply charred members are usually replaced or reinforced. Where beams, joists, trusses or load-bearing walls were heavily involved, a structural engineer is often brought in to say what can stay. Ask whether an engineer will look at it, and ask for the findings in writing.
Permits and inspections
Structural repair, electrical work, plumbing, roofing and new framing generally need permits from the local building department, and inspections before walls are closed. Rebuilding can also trigger requirements to bring the repaired areas up to the current code, which can add work the original house didn't have. Ask who will pull the permits and schedule the inspections.
Electrical, plumbing and mechanical
Wiring exposed to heat can be damaged even where it looks fine, because insulation can crack or melt inside the wall. An electrician should check every circuit that ran through the fire area before the power is restored to it. Heating and cooling equipment, water heaters and plumbing near the fire may need inspection or replacement, and the ductwork may need cleaning or replacing.
Roofing and exterior
Fires that reach the attic often damage the roof deck and framing, and ventilation holes cut by firefighters have to be properly framed and sheathed, not just patched. Siding, windows and doors near the fire may be scorched, cracked or warped by heat.
Closing up and finishing
Once framing is sound, inspections are passed and any residual odor has been sealed, the house is insulated, drywalled, primed, painted and finished: flooring, trim, cabinets, fixtures. Painting over soot or closing up walls that still smell is how odor comes back with the first warm day.
Older homes
Houses built before 1978 may contain lead-based paint, and renovation that disturbs it in those homes falls under the federal Renovation, Repair and Painting rule. Older homes may also contain asbestos in some materials. Ask whether testing is needed before demolition.
Questions to ask
- Will you do the rebuild yourselves, or hand it to a general contractor?
- Why is each area being removed, and can I see photos before and after?
- Will a structural engineer look at the framing?
- Who pulls permits and schedules inspections?
- Will an electrician check every circuit that ran through the fire area?
- How will you confirm the odor is gone before walls are closed?
- What does the written warranty on the rebuild cover?