Once you’ve returned home after a fire and done what you can to mitigate further damage, the rebuilding process can begin. Here’s a short guide to navigating the process.

What to do

• Your first steps: Start a claim with your insurance immediately

• Start the FEMA process if the fire was a federally declared disaster

• Pause your mortgage during the process

Your first steps: Start a claim with your insurance immediately

After safely evacuating and locating temporary housing, immediately call your insurance company to file a claim—even before you know the full details of damages.

Why file immediately: Most policies require immediate notification of potential damage with no penalty for later closure if your home was spared. Filing early activates “Loss of Use” benefits covering evacuation expenses like temporary shelter (hotels/Airbnbs), emergency medicine refills, and meals. Keep all receipts for your eventual reimbursement.

What to say when you call your insurance: "Hi. My name is ______ and my policy number is ________. My home is in the [Fire Name] burn area and we were required to evacuate. I'd like to open a claim. We don't know how much damage there is yet." 

Request a claim number and take notes about each phone call to help document things in writing.

Request a certified policy copy: Ask for your full policy document (not just the declarations page summary available on insurance websites). The complete policy may contain hidden benefits like extra percentages for "trees, shrubs, and landscaping" and state-specific legal adjustments. A certified copy provides legal documentation for potential disputes and helps public adjusters, attorneys, or FEMA.

Emergency services: For damaged but not destroyed homes, ask insurance about trusted contractors who can provide immediate services (like roof tarps) and bill insurance directly, preventing further damage while avoiding out-of-pocket costs.

Review any insurance settlement offers against your own documentation but know that you don’t have to sign if you disagree with the amount offered. You can request a detailed explanation of how they calculated damages, and if necessary, get a second opinion from another licensed home inspector. 

If the proposed settlement offer isn’t adequate, you can file an appeal within 60 days. You can also contact your state's insurance commissioner's office for help or hire a public adjuster to review your claims and work with your insurance on your behalf. As always, document all delays or issues in writing, as it may lead to future damage claims.

Other things you can do while you wait for insurance coverage to kick in:

• Create an inventory spreadsheet of all your damaged items with approximate purchase costs.

• Create an album on your phone to document any damage with photos and videos you captured before clean-up began.

• Save receipts for emergency repairs and housing for later reimbursement.

Start the FEMA process

If the fire you experienced was part of a federally declared disaster, you can immmediatelyimmediately apply for FEMA assistance. Follow these steps:

• Create an account on DisasterAssistance.gov (You can also call (800) 621-FEMA or visit a Disaster Recovery Center in person)

• Begin your application for disaster assistance.

• Upload any documents and photos along with your bank information for payments.

• You'll receive a FEMA registration number, be sure to keep it handy so you can refer to it later when checking your application’s status.

• Schedule a home inspection to fully ascertain the damage.

You may also want to pursue securing an SBA loan to cover construction costs in the absence of adequate insurance. 

Pausing your mortgage

In the wake of a fire, contact your mortgage lender to explore options like a forbearance or deferment on your home loans. Either option can temporarily pause your payments over a set period of time to free up funds to help cover repairs and immediate rebuilding. There are drawbacks, and we cover them extensively in our guide to managing your home loan while rebuilding.

If your home was a total loss from fire, you can also request a property tax assessment, greatly reducing your monthly property taxes if your home is gone.

Conclusion

Rebuilding after a fire is a lengthy process, so it’s important to start with your insurance company as soon as possible, before looking into fire restoration services and contractors to handle rebuilding your home.