How long does fire damage restoration take?

Why there is no single answer

Fire damage ranges from a scorched stove and a smoky kitchen to a house open to the sky. The work also passes through several hands: the fire department, the insurer, the restoration contractor, engineers, the municipality and the trades. Each step has its own pace.

These timelines are typical ranges, not promises. Your contractor should give you a schedule for your own job once the scope is known.

The phases

1. Emergency response: the first one to three days

• The fire department releases the scene
• The property is secured: board-up, roof tarp, fencing if needed
• Utilities are made safe
• Standing water from firefighting is extracted and drying begins
• In winter, the plumbing is drained or temporary heat set up
• You report the claim and arrange somewhere to stay

2. Assessment and investigation: days to a few weeks

• The adjuster inspects
• An origin and cause investigator may examine the scene, and the area of origin may have to stay untouched until they finish
• A structural engineer assesses the building if framing was affected
• Suspect materials are tested for asbestos and lead in older houses
• The contractor prepares a scope and estimate for cleaning and demolition

Investigations are a common cause of an early pause. They are usually quick for an obvious accidental fire and longer where the cause is unclear.

3. Mitigation: one to four weeks

• Contents are inventoried and either cleaned on site or packed out
• Burned and water-damaged materials are removed
• Asbestos abatement, if needed
• Soot is cleaned from the structure
• The building is dried
• Odour treatment begins
• Ducts and the heating system are cleaned

4. Scope and approvals for the rebuild: two to eight weeks, sometimes more

• A detailed rebuild estimate is written and agreed with the insurer
• Drawings are prepared where needed
• Building permit applications are made and reviewed
• You make choices about finishes

This phase overlaps with mitigation, but it is where many jobs stall. Permit review times vary widely between municipalities and with the complexity of the work.

5. Reconstruction: weeks to many months

• Structural repairs and framing
• Roofing, windows and exterior
• Electrical, plumbing and heating rough-in, with inspections
• Insulation and drywall
• Flooring, cabinets, trim and paint
• Final inspections

6. Return: about a week

• Final cleaning
• Contents returned and unpacked
• Walk-through and sign-off

Typical overall timelines

Minor: smoke only, or a small contained fire

A pot fire, a small appliance fire or a puff back, with smoke residue and little or no burned structure. Cleaning, deodorising and some repainting. Roughly a few days to two or three weeks.

Moderate: one or two rooms burned

A kitchen or bedroom with burned finishes, smoke through the house and water damage below. Demolition, cleaning, drying, a new kitchen or room and repainting throughout. Roughly one to four months. Cabinets and special-order items often set the pace.

Major: structural damage

Burned framing, roof damage, several rooms or floors affected. Engineering, permits and substantial rebuilding. Commonly six months to a year.

Total loss

Demolition and a new house. Often a year to two years, including design, permits and construction.

What slows it down

• Cause investigations
• Disagreement over scope or price between insurer and contractor
• Asbestos or lead in older houses, which adds testing and abatement before demolition
• Permits and inspections
• Building code upgrades, particularly where the policy does not cover them and decisions are needed
• Materials with long lead times: windows, cabinets, trusses, special-order flooring and electrical equipment
• Hidden damage found during demolition, requiring a supplement
• Trades availability, worst after a regional disaster
• Weather, for roofing and exterior work
• Slow decisions on finishes and upgrades
• Mortgage lender involvement in releasing insurance payments
• Condominium or shared-wall buildings, where other owners, the corporation and several insurers are involved

What speeds it up

• Reporting the claim immediately
• Securing and drying the building promptly, which prevents secondary damage
• Being available for the adjuster and contractor, and answering quickly
• Completing your contents list early
• Choosing finishes that are in stock
• Deciding early whether you want any changes or upgrades
• Getting scope and approvals in writing
• One clear point of contact on each side
• Regular updates. Ask for a weekly call or email.

Where you will live

For anything beyond a minor fire, plan on living elsewhere. Additional living expenses coverage pays the increase in your living costs while the home is unfit to live in, up to a limit. Compare the expected repair time with that limit early, and choose accommodation that fits. A furnished rental usually suits a long repair better than a hotel. See additional living expenses explained.

What you can do while you wait

• Work through your contents inventory
• Replace identification and documents that were lost
• Tell your mortgage lender, utilities and the post office
• Keep every receipt and a diary of the claim
• Visit the site at agreed times and take photographs of progress
• Ask questions when something is unclear

Questions to ask your contractor

• What is the schedule, phase by phase?
• What has to happen before reconstruction can start?
• Which permits are needed, and who is applying?
• What are the long lead-time items, and when must they be ordered?
• What could delay the job, and how will I be told?
• Who is my contact, and how often will I get updates?
• When do you expect I can move back?

Smoke smell and the schedule

Odour removal cannot be rushed at the end. It depends on removing the source: burned materials out, soot cleaned from every surface including framing and ducts, then sealing and deodorising. A house that is rebuilt over uncleaned framing will smell in humid weather for years. If the smell persists late in the job, raise it before the walls are closed and painted.

More: fire damage restoration. See also what to do after a house fire.