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Property Playbook

Fire or smoke damage

A fire and smoke damage path for safety, soot, odor, contents, firefighting water, electrical/HVAC inspection, temporary housing, restoration, and rebuild.

Best for: Owners and renters trying to separate burn damage, smoke, contents, systems, water damage, temporary housing, and rebuild questions.

Do not re-enter a fire-damaged structure until local fire, utility, building, or qualified safety professionals say it is safe.

Build decision packet Use Start Here

Plain English

What do I do first?

This page puts the steps in order so you do not need to know the expert words before you start.

Start here: Start with official safety clearance, then document structure, smoke, soot, odor, contents, water damage, and temporary housing receipts.

Quote: The price and work list someone gave you.
Scope: What is included and what is not included.
Proof: Photos, receipts, readings, reports, and notes.
Deductible: The money you may pay before insurance helps.
Cleanup: Stop, dry, remove, clean, or make safe.
Rebuild: Put the home back together: walls, floors, cabinets, paint, and fixtures.

First move

Start with official safety clearance, then document structure, smoke, soot, odor, contents, water damage, and temporary housing receipts.

Mistake check

  • Do not treat the burned area as the whole scope.
  • Do not let contents be discarded without inventory and photos.
  • Do not assume cosmetic cleaning proves electrical, HVAC, or structure are safe.

What people forget

  • Smoke spread beyond the burn room
  • Soot and odor treatment
  • Contents pack-out
  • Water damage from firefighting
  • Electrical/HVAC inspection
  • Temporary housing receipts

What makes it go bad

  • Smoke/odor scope is vague and resurfaces after cleanup.
  • Contents inventory is incomplete before pack-out or disposal.
  • Rebuild starts before systems and permits are clear.

Step-by-step

  1. Step 1

    Safety clearance first

    Follow fire department, utility, building, insurer, and qualified restoration instructions before entering or cleaning.

  2. Step 2

    Estimate fire/smoke exposure

    Run the fire and smoke damage calculator to separate cleaning, systems, contents, water damage, and rebuild.

  3. Step 3

    Inventory contents

    Use room-by-room photos before pack-out, cleaning, storage, disposal, or replacement.

  4. Step 4

    Separate restoration from rebuild

    Use the restoration-vs-rebuild guide before accepting one bundled project scope.

Documents to collect

  • Fire report where available
  • Room photos
  • Contents inventory
  • Pack-out list
  • Temporary housing receipts
  • Restoration scope
  • Electrical/HVAC inspection notes
  • Rebuild estimate

Packet prompt

Create a packet with safety clearance, smoke/soot scope, contents inventory, firefighting water damage, systems inspection, temporary housing, restoration bid, and rebuild plan.

Open the decision packet