Start with the next safe decision
The first job is to establish where you can stay and what access is permitted. A property can need structural, electrical or environmental assessment even when the flames are out. Follow the fire service and responsible authority’s instructions; a neighbour’s experience or an online checklist cannot release your building for entry.
Make the first calls in a useful order
- Household support: confirm everyone’s location, a place to sleep, medications, mobility needs, transport and care for pets. Ask a trusted person to manage one of these tasks.
- Your insurer or broker: report the loss, get a claim reference and ask who can authorize urgent work. If you rent, tell the landlord or property manager as well.
- The property contact: establish who controls access, keys and contractor entry. A tenant, owner, condominium manager and adjuster can have different responsibilities.
- The next assessor: give the actual access restrictions, the affected areas and the question that needs answering. Confirm whether the visit is an assessment or authorized work.
Keep one dated contact log. End each call with a name, a specific next action and an agreed way to follow up. If somebody is covering for you, share the same log so two people do not approve conflicting instructions.
Protect the claim record without delaying urgent safety work
Ask the insurer what evidence it needs before items are removed or repairs begin. When it is safe and permitted, use wide room photographs followed by close-ups, identify the room, and keep original files. Do not move hazards or enter restricted areas to improve a photograph. Record emergency work from documents and the responsible person’s account if you cannot attend.
| Keep together | Why it helps |
|---|---|
| Incident and claim references | Connects calls, reports and invoices to the same loss. |
| Receipts with a short note | Explains the date, household need and reason for an expense. |
| Written work authorization | Shows who approved the scope, spending limit and exclusions. |
| Contents list and photographs | Separates items already assessed from those awaiting a decision. |
Before signing a restoration work order
An urgent visit can still have a written scope. Read what you are authorizing: temporary protection, water extraction, contents removal, demolition, cleaning or full reconstruction. Ask how charges are calculated, what needs further approval, and whether you are responsible for amounts the insurer does not pay. Keep a copy before work begins.
- Name the person who can approve changes and how they must be recorded.
- Confirm the contractor’s business identity, relevant qualifications and insurance with the appropriate issuer or adviser.
- Ask what happens to removed belongings, where they will be stored and how you can retrieve them.
- Separate the emergency stabilization authorization from later reconstruction if those scopes are not yet understood.
A short checklist for today
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These ticks organize your next conversation. They do not certify the property. For a printable version, open the after-fire checklist.
What can wait until the first assessment?
Finish selections, a whole-house replacement budget and a firm move-back date usually depend on information you do not have yet. Keep a separate list of decisions that can wait. The next assessment should clarify the affected areas, what requires specialist input and which work can proceed before other questions are answered.
If the scope feels vague, use the scope guide to ask for a room-by-room breakdown. Use the recovery process worksheet to connect each stage to the decision that allows it to proceed.
Sources and further reading
Reviewed October 11, 2026. Follow the source’s current guidance and the instructions for the actual property.