What is assessed
Fire and heat damage to structure and finishes. Smoke residue type and extent, room by room, including the attic, crawl space and ducts. Water from firefighting, metered and mapped. Structural capacity of charred framing, with an engineer where needed. Electrical wiring exposed to heat, which is replaced. Plumbing, HVAC and insulation. Contents, as a separate inventory.
The three kinds of cost
Like-for-like restoration, which the policy pays. Code-required upgrades, which ordinance-or-law coverage pays up to its limit. Owner upgrades, which you pay. Keeping them separate from the first draft is what prevents disputes at the end.
The adjuster
The estimator meets the adjuster on site, walks the scope, answers questions on quantities and methods and revises where warranted. Approval typically takes two to six weeks for a significant loss.
On the claim
Assessment and estimating are part of the mitigation and reconstruction scopes billed to your insurer on covered claims; a second-opinion review for an owner is quoted separately.
