A Homeowner’s Guide to Fire Recovery

Losing your home to a natural disaster brings devastation, trauma, and grief. The Marshall Fire in Boulder, CO, in late December 2021, destroyed more than 1,000 homes and businesses, leaving many in the community displaced, overwhelmed, and uncertain about the future.

The good news is that there are many helpful resources and services available after natural disasters, though they can sometimes be challenging to access or navigate. At Homebound, we’ve supported communities rebuilding after wildfires in California and hurricanes in the Bahamas. This article shares lessons learned from dozens of rebuilding projects to help you set expectations for the first 30 days—and guide you through the process of rebuilding your home.

The thought of rebuilding your home may come after more immediate priorities, such as ensuring your community’s safety, securing temporary housing, and addressing your mental health. For some, rebuilding may not be the right choice, and that’s completely understandable. Others may choose to rebuild not just for their families, but also to help restore their community. Whatever path you decide, continue reading for expert advice from our experienced team at Homebound—we’re here to help bring clarity to this challenging process.

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Critical Steps to Take in the First 30 Days

1. Contact your insurance carrier.

If you have lost your home and have residential property insurance, here are a few suggestions below to chat with your insurance carrier about. These talking points will help you better understand what coverages are available to you, and how to utilize them during a natural disaster such as a wildfire.

• Call your insurance company or agent first thing. Report your claim as soon as possible.
• Ask for a Certified Copy of your insurance policy. You can review it at length with your agent so you better understand the coverages available at the time the event occurred.
• Ask for a detailed explanation of the insurance claims process. This includes what to expect, what is expected of you, and timelines.
• Determine whether or not you have ALE (Additional Living Expense) coverage. If you do, keep receipts and records of all expenses that you have incurred as a result of being displaced due to the fire. Costs associated with being displaced may be reimbursable (food, travel, accommodations, clothing, medication refills, pet housing, etc.)
• Start making a detailed list of the items lost on your property. This would include characteristics of your home/main dwelling, personal property (furniture, clothing, electronics, etc.), and other structures located on the property (detached garages, sheds, fencing, storage tanks, etc.). The longer you wait, the more difficult it will be to recall items lost. Use photos, videos, or anything that can help recreate the property before the event occurred. As a homeowner, it is your responsibility to prove your loss to the carrier, not the other way around.
• Ask a lot of questions! The more questions you ask, the better you will understand the process and what is expected of you. If something does not sound right, ask questions until you are satisfied with the answer. If you need additional guidance, here are other resources available to help guide you through the claims process such as:
  The Department of Insurance Help CenterPublic Insurance Adjusters
  Attorneys (Property Loss and Insurance Litigation specialists)

2. Forward your mail & cancel utilities.

If your home has been destroyed, your local post office will hold your mail, typically for up to 30 days.

Once you’ve determined your temporary location, request mail forwarding through the USPS website here. Important documents, such as insurance correspondence, may arrive by mail, so it’s essential to set this up promptly to avoid missing anything critical.

In addition to mail, you may also need to cancel utilities to avoid being charged for services like garbage. Contact your utility directly to cancel these services.

3. Research debris removal services.

The county or state will eventually organize debris removal on your lot, but you can also opt to use a private debris removal service provider if you’d like to move more quickly, or if you want a better chance of preserving your home’s original foundation.

Note: If you are able to preserve your foundation and reuse it in the future you could save you hundreds to thousands in rebuild costs.

If you choose to use a private debris removal provider, make sure that the company is licensed and insured. A few indicators of a reputable and well-managed debris removal company are uniformed employees, well-marked vehicles, and many positive and unbiased customer reviews online. For more information specific to the Marshall fire, visit this website.

4. Know what to do if your lot is possessed.

If your home sustains heavy damage, the county may take possession of the lot, and prohibit access to the site without special permission until the debris is tested for toxic chemicals such as lead and asbestos.

After the lot is turned back over, maintain caution when visiting the site. Embers beneath the first layer of debris may flare back up when exposed to oxygen, and smoldering areas on the ground can be hard to spot. If you visit your lot, make sure to wear thick boots and gloves. Victims of the Marshall fire should use this link to submit a help request to the Crisis Cleanup crew in Boulder.

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The Home Rebuilding Process: Major Milestones

1. PreConstruction

The PreConstruction phase includes everything that will need to be done before you start building your new home. The following PreConstruction steps can take anywhere from 3–12 months, depending on your architecture plans and permitting, which include:

• Produce all necessary reports, including a Site Report, Geotechnical Report, Topographic Map, & Arborist Report.
• Gather all site-specific requirements. After a fire, there may be additional site-specific considerations to address. For example, in Malibu, a customer’s septic tank was completely destroyed. Resolving the issue required the expertise of three different specialists to design and rebuild a septic tank tailored to the site’s unique needs.
• ‍Begin the Architecture & Design phase for your new home. After a natural disaster, the architecture and design process can be especially taxing. When designing a home, there are thousands of decisions to make. Work with an architecture and design team that has expertise in curating packages to minimize decision fatigue while giving you flexibility over the decisions that matter most to you. Major steps include: Concept design, Schematic design, Design development, Construction drawings, individual product selections—and don’t forget landscaping.‍
• Research all jurisdiction-specific requirements. In California, examples of these are Title 24 and Cal Green.‍
• Submit all documents for permitting. Whether you’re selling or staying to rebuild, you’ll need all appropriate documentation—available at local government crisis websites.

2. Government Action & Permitting

The ease of rebuilding largely depends on the actions taken by the broader county.

In Santa Rosa, CA, the local government expedited the permitting process for rebuilds and, for about a year after the fires, brought in a third-party contractor to manage the surge in permit applications. These strategies significantly accelerated the rebuilding process.

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3. Construction

Construction begins once permitting has been approved. Depending on the build, construction can take as little as 6 months to over a year. Factors that affect construction are the weather, supply chains, crew availability, etc. Here are the major milestones in construction with some examples of the activities within those milestones:

• Site development
  ~ City & soils certifications
• Foundation
• Framing
  ~ Rough framing and roofing
• Mechanicals
  ~ Plumbing, HVAC, Electrical, Fire Sprinklers, Insulation
• Exterior Finishes
• Interior Finishes
  ~ Drywall, Cabinets, Carpentry, Pain, Trims, Flooring
• Final walkthroughs

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Other Important Factors for Home Rebuilds

There is unfortunately no way to rebuild a home that will be 100% fireproof. However, there are several ways to design and build smartly to take precautions, in addition to your community beginning to make new policy changes.

• Consider fire-safe landscaping. While landscaping adds beauty to your property, certain plants and flowers can act as fuel, allowing a fire to spread closer to your home. Many municipalities have established rules and regulations to ensure your landscaping prioritizes safety.‍
• Build ahead of code requirements. Many designers create homes that meet only the current basic requirements. Ask your designers about upcoming code changes and ensure your home is designed to meet those as well. This approach provides the most modern, up-to-date protection for your property.‍
• Choose your materials carefully. While it's impossible to build a completely fireproof house, you can select materials that are less flammable. For instance, stucco is less likely to ignite compared to shingles.‍
• Explore other innovative fire safety solutions that may be available. For example, a pool beneath the home that can release a wave to cover the house during a fire, or exterior sprinkler systems designed to protect the structure.

Specific Marshall Fire Resources

• Boulder OEM
• Red Cross
• GoFundMe
• Free WeWork space for January

If you have colleagues, friends, or family affected by the fires, WeWork is offering free workspace at their Denver and Boulder locations through January. This includes all the standard amenities provided to paying members. For more information, they can email supportCO@wework.com.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and for sharing it with anyone who may need support during this challenging time. As always, we're here to help. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to reach out in the comments section below.

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