What happens when you call
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Tell us what happened. 30 seconds - what burned and whether the home is secure.
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You're connected with a local restoration crew while you're on the line.
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The crew confirms timing and your arrival time - board-up comes first if the house is open.
What Columbus crews handle
What's different in Columbus?
Columbus mixes both failure modes: fast-built growth suburbs with attic plumbing and finished basements, and older in-town stock with supply lines at end of life. Hard freezes burst pipes on both sides of that line, spring thunderstorms test sump pumps across Franklin County, and summer humidity keeps anything left damp growing.
In Ohio the coverage that catches homeowners out is sewer and sump backup - both need their own endorsement, an add-on many policies skip. Sudden pipe and appliance failures fall under the standard policy; frozen pipes are covered when the home was reasonably heated.
Your call goes to a crew based in the Columbus area. Serving Columbus, Dublin, Westerville, Grove City, Hilliard, Reynoldsburg, and all of Franklin County.
What to know before repairs in Columbus
Columbus's substantial-damage rule covers damage of any origin, so a fire-damaged home in a mapped flood hazard area faces the same 50%-of-market-value test. Rewiring after a fire must be done by an electrical contractor with an Ohio license who is also registered with the city, unless you own and live in the single-family home and do the work yourself under your own permit. In German Village, Italian Village and Victorian Village, rebuilding a chimney to match or replacing a roof in kind still needs a Certificate of Appropriateness application, though staff can generally approve it without a hearing. Ohio's seller disclosure form asks about past fire or smoke damage and the repairs made, so keep invoices and permit records.
Common questions
Can we stay in the house?
Depends on smoke spread and structural safety - the crew tells you straight after inspection. If you can't, most policies pay for temporary housing (loss-of-use coverage).
Is fire damage covered by insurance?
Typically yes. Fire is a core homeowner's peril, and coverage usually includes smoke damage, water from firefighting, board-up, and rebuilding, subject to your limits and deductible - check your declarations page for those. Ask the contractor about documentation and coordination with your adjuster.
Should I start cleaning up myself?
It's best to wait on soot cleanup. Wiping soot the wrong way can drive it deeper, and moving debris before photos may reduce what your claim can show. Waiting on cleanup doesn't mean delaying safe steps to prevent further damage, like board-up or tarping once it's safe. Photograph first.