Fire Damage Repair in Gresham, OR
The cleanup crew hauled out the debris and the smell is finally fading, but your house is still bare studs and subfloor. One free call to Unify Fire Solutions connects you with a licensed and insured independent contractor in Gresham who handles the rebuild: framing, wiring, drywall, roofing and the finish work that makes it feel like home again. Dispatch starts while you are still on the line, and the phone is answered 24/7.
- Independent rebuild pros who start from the adjuster's scope
- A written, line-item estimate before any framing starts
- Contractors who pull permits and schedule inspections
Getting your home back after the cleanup
Cleanup leaves the house safe and stripped. Repair is the slower phase that makes it livable again, and it depends on permits, inspections and an insurance scope that almost never catches everything the first time.
Independent Pros, Licensed and Insured
Reconstruction is general contracting, and most jurisdictions require a licensed contractor to pull the building permit. Each contractor we refer is an independent business with its own license and insurance, and wiring and plumbing go to licensed trade subs. Ask to see the license and a certificate of insurance before you sign, then verify both.
Written Estimates Before Work
A rebuild should never start on a verbal number. The contractor who walks your property writes a line-item estimate, usually in the same estimating format insurers use, so each line can be held up against the adjuster's scope. If a line is missing, such as drywall texture or an arc-fault breaker, it shows up in black and white.
Rapid Local Dispatch
Our dispatchers answer 24/7 and start matching you with a contractor near Gresham during the first call. A walkthrough often happens the same day or the next, depending on crew availability and distance. That gets your estimate in front of the adjuster sooner.
Tools Built for Rebuilding
Rebuild crews show up with gear a cleanup crew never carries. Expect moisture meters to confirm framing is dry before it gets closed in, framing nailers and joist hangers, laser levels for flattening a sistered floor, and a paint spectrophotometer for blending new walls into the rooms that survived.
Fire Damage Repair from the framing out
No two fire losses match, yet the rebuild nearly always runs in one sequence: structure first, then systems, then the shell, then finishes.
The hardest part for most homeowners is not the construction itself. It is knowing what should be on the list. An adjuster writing a scope from the doorway can miss the joist that is charred on its top edge, the circuit that cooked inside a wall two rooms away, or the PEX line that sagged above the ceiling. A contractor who opens cavities and probes the wood finds those items before the drywall goes back up, not after.
These are the parts of a fire rebuild that contractors in our network around Gresham usually take on. Your job may need some of it or all of it, and the written estimate will spell out which.
Scope and Estimate Review
The adjuster's scope is the starting point, not the final word. The contractor compares it line by line against what actually burned, scorched or got soaked, and writes a supplement for anything missed.
- Line-by-line comparison with the scope of loss
- Photos and measurements behind each supplement
- Meeting the adjuster on site when needed
Framing, Studs and Joists
Charred lumber gets probed and measured, not guessed at. Joists with shallow char are often sistered with new lumber fastened alongside, while deep char or cracked members are cut out and replaced.
- Char depth checks with an awl or probe
- Sistering, new headers and top plates
- Engineer review for load-bearing changes
Electrical and Plumbing Work
Heat travels along a circuit well past the burn line. Cable jackets can harden or melt inside a cavity, so licensed electricians normally rerun any circuit that passed through the heat. PVC softens at modest temperatures and PEX is not built for fire heat, so melted runs get replaced by licensed plumbers.
- New circuits, boxes and panel work
- Melted PEX, PVC and fittings replaced
- Pressure test before the walls close
Insulation, Barriers and Drywall
After the framing inspection, the walls are rebuilt in layers: insulation, a vapor retarder where code requires one, then board, tape, mud and texture.
- Batts, blown cellulose or foam to code
- Type X board on garage and rated walls
- Texture matched to surviving rooms
Roofing, Windows and Doors
When a fire breaks through the roof, it leaves burned rafters, delaminated decking and shingles that will not lie flat again. The contractor replaces decking, underlayment and roofing, then sets new windows and exterior doors where heat cracked glass or warped frames.
- Rafter repair and new roof decking
- Underlayment, flashing and roofing
- Replacement windows and entry doors
Cabinets, Floors and Paint
The last stage is the one you will see every single day. New cabinets, counters and flooring go in, paint is color-matched, and trim is milled or sourced to match the profiles in the rooms that made it through.
- Cabinet and countertop replacement
- Flooring matched or replaced room to room
- Paint, trim and hardware matching
About code upgrades: Pulling a repair permit often brings current-code requirements with it, like interconnected smoke and CO alarms or arc-fault breakers on living-area circuits. Many policies carry ordinance-or-law coverage that may help with the extra cost. Limits vary, so ask your adjuster what your policy says before the permit is pulled.
Ready to start the rebuild?
A single free call puts you in touch with an independent rebuild contractor in the Gresham area, any hour of the day.
Call +1-833-336-1630Four steps from phone call to punch list
A typical rebuild runs for weeks or months, not days, so it helps to know the shape of it before you start.
- 1
Call the Dispatch Line
Let the dispatcher know how far cleanup has gotten, whether you have an adjuster's scope yet, and which rooms took the fire. The call is free, and the line is open 24/7.
- 2
Your Walkthrough Gets Scheduled
Dispatch matches a reconstruction contractor near Gresham, who sets a walkthrough time, frequently the same day or the next. Timing depends on crew availability and distance.
- 3
Assessment and Written Quote
The contractor probes framing, takes moisture readings, opens a few wall cavities to trace wiring, and photographs everything. A written, line-item estimate follows, and you review it with your adjuster before anyone picks up a hammer.
- 4
Work Done, Then a Walkthrough
Permits are pulled, rough-in inspections pass, and the house is closed in and finished. At the end you walk every room with the contractor and a punch list, and nothing is signed off until each item is done.
What Gresham homeowners said about the rebuild
Our adjuster's scope said drywall and paint above the range. Once the contractor opened the ceiling, the joists up there were burned halfway through. He sistered three of them, sent photos to the adjuster, and the supplement was approved the following week.
The fire stayed in the garage, or so we thought, until the electrician found cooked wiring that ran into the laundry room. They rewired those runs, hung Type X board in the garage, and it passed inspection the first time.
I own a duplex and had tenants waiting to move back in. The contractor handled the permit, kept me updated after each inspection, and worked through the punch list in two days. My tenants were home sooner than I expected.
What I worried about was the hallway. Half the oak floor burned and half did not. New boards were laced into the old, the whole hall was refinished, and nobody can tell where the damage ended.
Fire rebuild questions we hear most
How long does it take to rebuild a house after a fire?
One burned room, such as a kitchen, is often finished within a few weeks of estimate approval. When the damage spreads to the roof or multiple rooms, plan on several months, since permits, inspections and backordered materials all add time. Ask the contractor for a written schedule with the inspection points marked.
Do I need a building permit to repair fire damage?
In most places, yes, once the work goes beyond cosmetic repairs. New framing, circuits, pipes or roofing nearly always need a permit, with inspections at rough-in and at the end. The licensed contractor normally pulls it, and the inspector's sign-off protects you when you sell or refinance later.
Can charred joists be repaired, or do they have to be replaced?
That comes down to char depth and whether the joist can still carry what it was sized for. Light surface char is usually cleaned and sealed, and moderate char is typically handled by sistering new lumber alongside. Deep char, cracking or sagging generally means replacement, sometimes with an engineer's letter.
Does all the wiring have to be replaced after a house fire?
Not always, but any circuit that passed through the heat zone should be checked and usually replaced. Cable insulation can be heat-damaged inside a cavity even when the wall surface looks untouched. A licensed electrician traces the runs, tests them, and the work is inspected before walls close.
What if the contractor's estimate is higher than the insurance adjuster's?
It happens a lot, and it usually does not mean someone is inflating the bill. The contractor submits a supplement listing what was missed, backed by photos and measurements, for the adjuster to review. Many differences come from hidden damage that was found once walls and ceilings were opened.
Who pays for code upgrades when rebuilding after a fire?
Ordinance-or-law coverage, included in many policies, may help pay to bring rebuilt areas up to today's code. Limits and terms vary widely, so read your declarations page or ask your adjuster before work starts. Typical items are smoke and CO alarms, arc-fault breakers and updated stair or egress details.
Fire Damage Repair in Gresham and surrounding neighborhoods
Calls come in from all over Gresham and the surrounding area, from older houses with plaster walls to newer homes with engineered floor joists and PEX manifolds. The dispatcher matches you with an independent contractor who already works in your area and knows the local permit office.
- Kitchen rebuilds
- Garage fires
- Roof and attic losses
- Rental units
- Condos and townhomes
- Small businesses
Zip codes we take calls from include 97233 97230 97030 97080. If the cleanup is done and you are ready to get your home back, call now and a dispatcher will start the match. If the first contractor is not the right fit, call back and we will connect you with another one.
