If you answered this already and I missed it I'm sorry. But do you have insurance that covers buildings other than your home? If you are insured and are planning on using a contractor for the rebuild tell the insurance company that you are acting as your own contractor. Then subcontract the work to whatever GC you're going to use. That way you don't have to get estimates and the insurance company will have to give you market value for all the materials minus depreciation.
Thanks Krista. Cj, I didn't mention much about it before, but yes we have a business that we run that has the coverage for this building and it contents and the tools and equipment. everything was a separate part of the coverage. we do excavating and my husband is going to do just that. we gc all of out own projects around here. now, if you have to finance anything and don't have the experience your bank won't let you do that, but we do have the advantage of working in and around the building industry as an occupation. Yesterday the ins adjuster confirmed what we really thought was the most practical thing to do with the building... tear it down and start over. all of the trusses are burned through at the front of the building all the rest are charred from the top to the bottom of each due to the fire going into the attic area and burning through the roof. The i beams on the South side of the building are burned through at the ends making for quite a bit of repair work... more labor than replacing the whole item.
Ok cool. I wasn't sure how much experience you had with insurance companies. I spent a summer as a sales rep for a company that did insurance restoration. I was amazed how much stuff the insurance companies got away with. But the company I worked for wasn't much better. Their prices were so inflated that many homes could have been repaired for little more than the dedeuctable.
well, we think the shop AND its contents are a total loss. Everything. There was melted aluminum handles and copper in there at the end of the fire. That means it was no less than 1220 degree in there in spots and higher to melt the copper. my oh my. what a waste. Everything is still hanging on the walls right where they were at before the fire.. they don't look bad but the heat was incredible, all the craftsman wrenches are oxidizing. now we have to wait.. and wait ... and wait on subrogation?. sigh. I am sure the insurance will go after the manufacturer of the light that caused the fire. that takes time.
Generally speaking. (But not always) insurance will pay you and then go after the mfg of a defective product. That's been my experience anyway.
Oh, Carolyn, I can only imagine the loss you are experiencing! Losing tools and equipment, especially this time of year, is just heart-breaking. I'm so sorry.
Jane, we are so thankful we were home when it started. It would have been so much worse. Everything inside the shop is an inconvenience at this point. I just couldn't understand why the tractor was moved from the other shop to the shed without airing up its tire... well, duh, there is nothing left to air it up with. there were no hard hats in the shop to take to work today. they all melted. there are no tools inside the shop to salvage, but there are a lot on the trucks yet. We were able to move the mini excavator that was on the trailer already hooked up to the truck, a bulldozer that wouldn't start (but monday it started just fine.... that had to be drug out with the big excavator, the tri axle trailer got drug out with the excavator, two dumptrucks were started and moved away from the side of it... all before the fire dept got here. the only other piece of equipment inside the actual shop was the skid steer. that started and we drove it out after the fire was out, but there is some damage to it. We are leaving here shortly to go buy a few needed items. like hard hats and a small compressor... etc...It could have been so much worse. Nothing exploded that was large... like oxygen or acetylene tanks. the 100 pound air compressor.. etc. got to go. Cj, I hope so, but.... we heard someone mention a court order to keep the garage as it is so the manf. can come see it and its contents as they are. sigh. nothing can happen until they get moving on that. so far we haven't had any contact but it hasn't been very long either.
well, life goes on and things keep happening around here... better than the day of the fire anyway... Not much to see before this. All the stone and digging and pipe and foundations... not much to see... so here are few things to actually see as the reconstruction happened. "my" shop was repurposed for the stuff salvaged from the other shop and to use it to repair any equipment as needed. it looks awful with stuff just sat in rows and now becoming more of a "just a big pile" now. we put this up last Fall for all the "farm" stuff... thankfully we had it up. we had to pour concrete unexpectedly but now it is done... way faster than we planned.
Me too Netty: I refused housing because there was no second door to outside. I don't smoke, only fry an egg now and again and only make toast now and again but I feel there should be a second escape route in all housing. Sorry about your predicament and fire Carolyn, keep safe. K
Thanks Kate.. This happened in March... it was a really bad day. thankfully it is now mostly behind us.. we need to finish the electric and put everything back in the shop now... that part is big, too.
yep. it is all taken care of. thanks for the worry. it is a terrible thought that there are people who put other priorities ahead of insurance. Not having it is a terrible risk.
Hmm..I am fully Insured, I learnt that with one of my dogs in 1999. She had surgery and cost nearly £2,000 and I did'nt even get her back alive. Lesson learnt Carolyn.
aww! I am sorry Kate. that is tough. I should probably invest in pet insurance. The last visit was almost 700.00. thankfully I got her back. she is a good dog. we would be devastated to have something happen to her.
Nice to see everything is taking shape. Soon it will be back as before but better and with some new stuff!
