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These are some great post on fire claims. I started adjusting like so many during the 04 season and got used to knocking simple roof replacement claims with minor water interior damage very quickly. In 2005 I worked my first fire claim. It was a kitchen fire with damage to the cabinets and walls and some appliances. My boss told me to scope it then he would meet me there after. I scoped the kitchen like I normally would cleaned what I could and replaced everything else. The fire was contained to the kitchen only. My boss then showed and looked at my scope notes. He says to me are you ready to learn a lot and we started walking the entire dwelling. First place he took me was to the air handler and we pulled the filter and it was covered in smoke. He said smoke goes everywhere. We then went into all the rooms and wiped the walls and found smoke residue in all the rooms and on all the contents. Needless to say what I thought was a 5-10k loss ended up being over 25k loss. Experience is crutial in fire losses but it doesn`t mean as a newbie you shouldn`t do them but make sure to ask for help if your over  your head. Since this loss I have done several fire losses including total losses and I still learn something new everytime. Even if you get out there and your claim is a smoke claim you still will need to take time and go through every piece of the risk.

Thank you guys...Bob, Steve and Leland...All of your notes are sure to help anyone from beginners to seasoned adjusters!!
I appreciate your time and input on these post!

Good Luck to Everyone

This is what CADO is... older adjusters helping out the one,s following in this honorable profession. I may or I may not make this one.

New sharp adjusters can do this work; however get in the day work mode as most work will be on a day rate. Think about completness of your work rather than speed.  You must make an extra attempt for the insured to be confortable with you. Just one phone call will get you replaced.

The restoration cost of the dwelling will take great detail work. But the UPP and the sceduled property will be much more challanging. Whole sets of silver, flatware, crystal, dishes, pot and pans, rugs, art, designer clothes, books, furniture, fixtures. It will not be unusal for the lady of the house to have 200 pair of shoes, $1,500 of makeup in the bathroom etc. Interview the architect, designer, builder, decorator, maid , children (grown) On the guaranteed replacement cost, get the builder under control and work with him.

On the big ticket item, try to deal with the stores direct with the insurance discount, but keep the insured in the loop. Hire some student to draw the shrubs and trees to scale and get bids. If you act as the adjuster who has the whole loss under hand you will not loose it to a PA or an attorney.

The time necessary to place all the contents in each room in the destroyed house will take you and your insured  many hours. Remember every thing in the house is destroyed and you must list the contents of ever drawer, box, closet, pantry, storage room, garage, attic.

The PA's will pick up thier business when the policy holder looses confidence and respect for "their adjuster".

Yeah, I have had claims like that - and sometimes it is a blessing to leave the original members in place rather than major surgery. I think you would want to document your file with a call to the building dept that has jurisdiction.

The one I did about 10 years ago OK'ed something like 3/4 of the original dimension of the wood intact, but it's been a while.  I know it sounds really spooky to reduce the amount of structural lumber by even a small amount - but keep in mind that codes allow for drilling up to a certain size hole in structural joist in order to run plumbing etc, and they specify where along the span you are allowed to remove material.  Trusses are different, they already have openings in their "webs" and I don't believe you can drill added holes in a truss.

Speaking of building depts, permits will have to be pulled unless the damage is cosmetic.  If you have no idea what the permit should be and you are putting together a preliminary estimate, you should allow up to 2% of the amount of repair prior to O&P. Some of these fees vary by area, but that is going to put you in the ballpark. A call to your local building dept may give you a more accurate number for your claim.  You may have to pay architect fees depending on the scale of the project.

Bob & Leland....thanks alot to you two for your input.   First of all to Bob because those are invaluable tips and very well layed out to the new adjusters as well as to us that have handled fire losses.   Your guideline is probably better than I have ever been given in a written form before... even in my staff days.  What you said, is what I would like to have said but probably in less words.  So...  very well done. That said, one has to keep their head about them because the distractions of the emotional insured can easily sway  a closed claim to a problem claim. 

Thanks Mike. I just did some revisions to that write-up on page 6, to include stuff we talked about on earlier pages so it is a more complete checklist.

Bob,

 Sorry! Messed up!

Thanks Mike. I just did some revisions to that write-up on page 6, to include stuff we talked about on earlier pages so it is a more complete checklist.

Many times the degree of heat will compromise the wiring (Romex), and it will be mandatory to replace all of it.  That means ALL of the sheetrock comes down no matter what.  One could try to just pull it where the wiring runs are, but that becomes pretty labor intensive and too much patchwork.  Also saves that headache of the lingering smoke odors. 

Do you mean leave the bottom 4' of drywall?  I suppose you could do that.  or like you said, removing one side of the drywall would expose it fully - and likely be needed anyway if the fire is bad enough to hammer the wiring.

This stuff is easy to decide when a fire is severe - not a lot of head scratching. It's the shades of gray that really make you think.

Geography really dictates.  You talk about AC airhandlers in the attic, and that is foreign to me.  Same thing with hot water heaters or furnace units in the attic in the South.  Here in the Midwest, the AC's are on a pad in the backyard, the hot water heaters and furnaces are in the basement.  Not having a basement in the Midwest is like not having gravy with your chicken and tators.  Just one more thing to think about when you are out of your element.

Gotcha, people do use different terms. Working a hurricane in Hawaii in '92 was an eye opener for me. 

Here is a quote that describes what I am trying to say:

A traditional home comfort system has two parts: an outdoor unit, such as an air conditioner or heat pump, and an indoor unit.  The air handler is the indoor unit that circulates cool air through your home in the summer and warm air in the winter.

from this site http://www.colemanac.com/homeowners....asp 

I am referring to this thing: 

 and here is a description:

You likely have in your home one of two basic air delivery systems, either of which will be necessary to operate a central air conditioner: a furnace or an air handler. A furnace is comprised of a heating device (gas or electric), as well as an air circulating fan. An air handler looks very much like a furnace, but has a circulating fan without heating capability. Additionally, an air handler has an evaporator coil built-in for air conditioning (or heat pump) usage.

From this site: http://www.alpinehomeair.com/AC-choosingcommonconfigurations.cfm 

As they say, the evaporator coil is up there.  I think the part you are referring to out on a slab on the dirt is the condensor unit.   In California we often refer to the blower in the attic as the air handler, even if it is also combined with a gas heater.

Here in the midwest, 99% of the time nothing is in the attic.  Basements are so common (I know very few people that don't have one)  and you will find the furnace, airhandler, hot water heater, breaker boxes, etc., all in the basement.  The basement is usually the most costly updated part of the home, too.  It is the entertainment center of the upper scale homes, often with a 2nd kitchen, a full bathroom and walk-out to the patio.  Even though we have the world's largest underground aquifer here in Nebraska, basements do prevail when homes are built.  Some folks regret it at some stage, but steps are taken to prevent the inevitable.  I think the Beaver System made a lot of cash putting in their drainage system around Nebr/Iowa/Kansas homes.

That is one of the big things that suprised me on the Katrina & Rita claims... the appliances in the attic.  It just goes to show that you can be a crackerjack adjuster in your own arena (or think you are), and find out different.  But we live & learn, just like anyone who is going to Calif will find out with the various codes/requirements they have to comply with. 

I'm glad you brought this up, because the forced air system is such a big deal in a fire. In Louisiana I saw some in the attic of expensive modern homes, but most of them were oriented vertically on the first story. You open something that looks like the door to a small closet, and there is the forced air system, easy to get to the filter.

Working flood claims in Slidell LA, we often had to replace those as well as the outside condenser unit that sits on a little slab. Here in CA you will find those vertical forced air units on the main floor level, as well as those in the attic. With a small amount of fire damage, the blower that is tucked away in a closet arrangement at the lower level will be less likely to be harmed.

Where I live, the climate is so moderate that many of the homes build before the 1990's do not have air conditioning. But they will have a forced air system for gas heating. The point is, with a fire, you have to look for an AC condenser unit outside, follow the lines going to the evaporator unit inside to the Air Handler. If there is no condenser unit outside, the house doesn't have AC.