Fire Damage Adjusting

A fire is a traumatic event that unfortunately may take place. It is a very in-depth process, and it is our job to help. We assist in temporary housing, damage assessment, personal property documentation, business interruption, loss of rental income and property restoration.

We also assist in finding important documents such as identification documentation, insurance paperwork, medical and financial information as well as other property that is valuable to you, such as cash, jewelry, mementos, wedding albums and more. Be careful not to disturb the scene as well.

In addition, we assist with submitting any extra expense that may have been incurred due to the fire.

Fire Damage Insurance Claims

A house fire is the most complicated claim a property owner will ever face. There is the structure, the contents, the temporary housing, the loss of rent if the building is a rental, the permit and code issues on the rebuild, and often a municipal demolition hold on the insurance funds. Each piece has its own coverage, its own paperwork, and its own deadline. Michaelson & Messinger has adjusted fire claims across Chicago and the suburbs since 2006, and fire remains the loss we see most.

Why Fire Claims Are Underpaid

The insurance company adjuster sees a house after the fire department has left. The brick looks fine. The rooms away from the fire look dirty but intact. The first estimate often calls for cleaning and painting. It misses charring inside wall cavities, heat damage to roof framing, smoke in the ductwork, and odor trapped in plaster and insulation that will never come out. Water damage is also missed. Firefighting water runs down through every floor and into the basement, and the damage water does is often greater than the fire itself.

What We Do on a Fire Claim

• Secure the building with board up and tarping the same night
• Photograph every room, then open walls and ceilings to document hidden damage
• Test contents for smoke and soot and separate what can be cleaned from what must be replaced
• Inventory every item, room by room, with age and replacement cost
• Arrange temporary housing under your additional living expense coverage and track every receipt
• Prepare a full rebuild estimate with the same software the carrier uses
• Identify code upgrade coverage, matching coverage, debris removal, and other coverages often left on the table
• Meet the carrier adjuster at the house and negotiate the settlement
• Handle the municipal demolition paperwork so the insurance funds are released

Contents and Additional Living Expense

In most fires the contents claim is nearly as large as the structure claim, and it is the part homeowners give up on because it is tedious. We do the inventory. We also make sure the carrier pays for your hotel, rental, meals, and clothing while you are out of the house. Those costs fall under additional living expense and are paid separately from the repair.

Rental and Commercial Fire Claims

For landlords we add loss of rent. For businesses we add equipment, inventory, and business interruption. Chicago commercial fires often involve the Department of Buildings and a demolition court case. We manage that process.

From Claim to Rebuild

Once the settlement is agreed, our own crews rebuild. The estimate that the settlement is based upon isthe estimate that builds the house, so there is no gap between what was paid and what gets done. Our work carries a written warranty.

Call the Night of the Fire

We answer 630.654.2600 around the clock. The sooner we secure the building and begin documenting, the stronger the claim. The first visit is free.