Deciding Whether or Not to Demolish a Home After a Fire

If you’ve ever experienced a fire in your home or business, you know just how disruptive it can be to your life. In many cases it is possible to restore the building to its previous condition. In other cases, though, you’ll need to consider whether or not restoration is worthwhile, and if demolition might be the better option.

This is almost certainly going to be a new situation for you, and the emotional ties you have to a building can make it difficult to wash your hands of it and decide to opt for demolition. But your first priority should always be safety—that means making sure the premises are clear and safe, and that you make a decision that will be in your best interest (in terms of both safety and finances) moving forward.

A fire leading to a possible need for home demolition in Jeffersonville, IN is not something to be taken lightly. Here’s a quick overview of what you should know when making a decision.

The insurance company will play a role

Your insurance provider will play a role in the decision. You’ll need to call your insurance company to open a claim after the disaster, and after you’ve made sure everyone is safe and has received the necessary medical attention.

During your first call, you’ll get a lot of information from your insurer about the steps you can take to begin the recovery process. This will include information about protecting the structure, documenting the damage with photos and videos, beginning the cleanup and salvaging process and selecting a team of fire damage remediation professionals.

Keep in mind that while both parties have the goal of restoring the structure, the insurer’s job is to make sure this happens in as inexpensive a manner as possible.

If there’s any chance of you avoiding demolition, then you need to take some significant steps to protect the structure in the immediate aftermath of the fire. A failure to properly protect the structure could result in additional damage from weather, theft, squatters, vandalism and other illegal activity. Again, both you and the insurer have an interest in preventing all these issues from occurring, so you may get some help from the insurer to tarp the building, board up windows and put up protective fencing around the property until repairs can be made.

Ultimately, after a close analysis of the condition of the property and the available evidence, your insurance adjuster may recommend demolition as the best option. This is going to be the case if the expected restoration cost exceeds the cost of replacement. The more severe the fire damage, the more likely it is the adjuster will recommend demolition. Immediate demolition will also eliminate the need for you to protect the structure, so it’s better to make this decision early on.

For more information about whether demolition or restoration is the best choice when you’ve had a fire at your home or business, contact the team at Estes Excavating Inc. today and we’ll be happy to provide you with more information about home demolition after a fire in Jeffersonville, IN.

Categorised in: House Demolition

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