A fire takes an hour. The insurance claim that follows can take months, and it starts while you are still in shock, living out of a hotel and answering calls from people you have never met. This page is for homeowners and building owners in Rockland County and Orange County who are in that spot right now. We are GB Claims LLC, a licensed public adjuster based in Suffern. We work only for the policyholder, never for the insurance company.
Call or text us at 845-456-6699 before the insurance adjuster’s first inspection if you can. If the adjuster has already been out, call anyway. It is rarely too late to make a fire claim right.
The first few days after a fire
- Make sure everyone is safe and get the fire report. The fire department or fire marshal will have a report number. Your insurance company will ask for it.
- Secure the property. Board-up, tarping and water removal are the restoration company’s job, and a good one is a big help. Your policy expects you to protect the property from more damage, and that cost is normally part of the claim.
- Report the claim and get the claim number. Write down every name, date and phone call.
- Ask about living expenses. If you can’t live in the house, your policy’s additional living expense (ALE) coverage may pay for a hotel or rental. Ask the carrier how it pays, and keep every receipt.
- Don’t throw anything out yet. Burned furniture, clothes and appliances are evidence. Photograph them before anything goes in a dumpster.
- Don’t sign a final settlement or a “proof of loss” you don’t understand. Early numbers on a fire are almost always incomplete.
What a fire claim usually includes
A homeowners policy is really several coverages under one claim number, and each one has its own limit:
- The dwelling (the house itself), plus garages, sheds and fences under other structures
- Personal property (contents): everything you own inside, room by room
- Additional living expenses while you are out of the home
- Debris removal and, on many policies, ordinance or law coverage for code upgrades the rebuild requires
- Loss of rents if you own a two-family house or a rental property
Which of these you have, and how much, is on your declarations page. Read it early, or let us read it with you.
Where fire claims get cut short
A fire claim is rarely underpaid in one big place. It is usually short in a lot of small ones:
- Smoke in rooms the fire never reached. Smoke travels through the whole house, into closets, ductwork and the attic. If the estimate only covers the burned rooms, it is missing part of the loss.
- The heating and cooling system. Ducts and equipment that ran during or after the fire can spread soot to every room.
- Insulation and framing. Damage inside walls and ceilings is easy to miss in a walk-through.
- Contents. A family’s belongings can run to thousands of items. Lists done in a hurry leave things off.
- Code upgrades. Older homes often can’t be rebuilt the old way. Electrical, smoke detectors and other code items may be owed under ordinance or law coverage.
- Depreciation. On replacement cost policies, part of the money is held back until the work is done. It has to be claimed on time.
- Living expenses that stop too early. Rebuilds take longer than anyone expects.
How we handle a fire claim
The restoration company makes the property safe and cleans what can be cleaned. We handle the claim, from the first inspection until it is paid. That means inspecting the whole property, writing our own line-by-line estimate, building the contents inventory, meeting the insurance adjuster on site, and pushing back on anything that was left out. For bigger losses, see our page on fire and large loss claims. If the fire was in a two-family house or an apartment building, read about lost rent after a building fire.
Fire claims in your town
We work on fire claims across Rockland County, including Suffern, Monsey, Spring Valley, New City, Nanuet, Airmont and Pomona, and in Orange County, including Monroe, Kiryas Joel, Middletown, Goshen and Newburgh. We also cover Westchester County and northern New Jersey.
Frequently asked questions
Should I call a public adjuster or the insurance company first after a fire?
Report the claim to your insurance company right away, because your policy requires prompt notice. Call a public adjuster the same day if you can, ideally before the insurance adjuster’s first inspection, so someone on your side sees the damage first.
Will my insurance pay for a hotel after a house fire?
If your policy has additional living expense (ALE) coverage and the home can’t be lived in, it usually pays reasonable extra costs like a hotel or rental. Keep every receipt, and check the time and dollar limits in your policy.
Can I clean up before the insurance adjuster comes?
Do what is needed to protect the property, like board-up, tarping and water removal. Don’t throw out damaged items or start tearing out walls before they are photographed and documented.
Does a public adjuster replace the restoration company?
No. The restoration company secures, cleans and dries the property. A public adjuster handles the insurance claim. They do different jobs, and on a fire you usually need both.
How long does a fire insurance claim take in New York?
It depends on the size of the loss. A small kitchen fire may settle in weeks. A house fire with a full rebuild and a contents claim often takes many months. Getting the first estimate complete helps avoid long back-and-forth later.
Talk to a licensed public adjuster
Had a fire in Rockland or Orange County? Call or text us at 845-456-6699. Tell us what happened and where the claim stands, and we will tell you honestly whether we can help.
GB Claims LLC – Licensed Public Adjuster. NY License PA-1988333 · NJ License #3004401530 · PA License #1336704 · CT License #3004375850. We work only for the policyholder, never for the insurance company.