Fire and Flood Refurbishment in Luton

Strip out, drying, structural repair and full reinstatement after fire or water damage, in Luton, Dunstable and the surrounding area. We work alongside your insurer and loss adjuster, and we are happy to talk to them directly.

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Nobody plans for this one, so here is what actually happens next.

A house fire or a serious escape of water is not a building job that you shop around for in the ordinary way. It is an insurance claim first and a building job second, and the order those two happen in decides how well it goes. Almost everything that frustrates people about reinstatement comes from work being started, or promised, before the claim position is clear.

Not one of the building firms holding a local search position in Luton markets this work at all. That is not because there is no demand for it, it is because it is awkward, slow and paperwork-heavy, and it needs somebody who can hold a conversation with a loss adjuster on equal terms. Bes Cuni is a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Building and an Associate of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, which is precisely the qualification set that conversation calls for.

We do not do the emergency response itself. Making the building safe, boarding up and the initial drying are usually arranged by your insurer within hours. What we do is everything after that: the strip out, the structural repair, and putting the house back together properly so that what you get back is a home rather than a patched-up version of one.

How reinstatement works, stage by stage

Do not go back in until you are told it is safe

The fire and rescue service decides when a property can be re-entered. Structural damage, smoke residues and compromised electrics are all real risks after a fire and none of them are obvious from the doorway.

Tell your insurer straight away

Your policy will set out how quickly you have to notify a claim. Photograph everything before anything is moved or cleared, and keep receipts for anything you have to buy in the meantime.

Loss adjuster, and who they act for

A loss adjuster is appointed by and paid by the insurer to assess the claim. A loss assessor is different. They act for you, the policyholder, and they charge a fee for doing so. Knowing which one is standing in your hallway matters.

Scope and schedule of works

This is the document the whole claim turns on. We produce a written, itemised scope of the reinstatement so the adjuster is assessing a defined piece of work rather than an estimate on a compliments slip.

Strip out, drying and structural repair

Removing what cannot be saved, allowing the structure to dry properly before anything is closed up, and repairing or replacing the structural elements that the fire or the water has damaged.

Full reinstatement

Rebuilding, first fix, plastering, second fix, kitchen and bathroom where they were lost, decoration and snagging, so the house is handed back finished rather than habitable.

Questions people ask after a fire or a flood

Who pays for fire damage cleaning and repair?

If you are insured and the claim is accepted, your buildings insurer pays for the reinstatement of the building and your contents insurer for the contents, subject to your policy limits and excess. What is and is not covered is set by your policy wording, so read it or ask your insurer to confirm in writing rather than relying on what a contractor tells you.

Can I choose my own builder for an insurance claim?

Usually you can ask to. The Financial Ombudsman Service says it would normally expect an insurer to agree where a customer wants to use their own builder, but that in that case the customer is generally responsible for the repairer if things go wrong, and that the insurer should make that clear so you can choose knowing it. Using the insurer's own panel contractor puts that risk back on the insurer, which is a genuine advantage worth weighing. Ask your insurer to confirm the position in writing before you decide. There is more detail on our guide to what to do after a house fire in Luton.

What should I do in the first 48 hours after a house fire?

Do not go back in until the fire service says the building is safe. Notify your insurer as soon as you can. Photograph everything before anything is moved. Keep every receipt for emergency spending. And do not sign a contract with anyone who turns up unasked at the property, which does happen after a fire.

Will my insurance pay for somewhere to live while the house is repaired?

Most household buildings policies include alternative accommodation cover where the property is uninhabitable, but the limit and the conditions vary a great deal between policies. Ask your insurer to confirm the limit in writing early, because it affects how you plan the whole reinstatement.

How long does fire damage reinstatement take?

Longer than the building work alone would suggest, because the claim has to be agreed, the property has to dry properly, and structural repairs need building control. Anyone quoting you a completion date before a scope has been agreed with the adjuster is guessing. We will give you a programme once the scope is settled, and update you against it.

What if my insurer and I cannot agree?

If you have complained to your insurer and you are not satisfied with their final response, the Financial Ombudsman Service can consider the complaint, and their service is free to consumers. That is a route worth knowing about before you need it rather than after.