What To Do First After a House Fire in Georgia
The first 48 hours after a house fire in Georgia determine how much you recover from insurance. Here's the order of operations.
The first 24 hours
Everyone out and accounted for. Call your insurance company for a claim number and emergency board-up authorization. Call a restoration company for board-up - don't wait for the adjuster. Document everything before cleaning. Save receipts - every hotel night, meal, or replacement item may be reimbursable.
The first 48 hours
Get a written Xactimate scope. Request contents pack-out authorization. Don't throw anything away without documenting. Ask for temporary housing coverage. Change utility mail forwarding - fire scenes get burglarized.
The first week
Adjuster meeting (3-7 days after loss). Scope agreement. Contents inventory finalized. Temporary housing lease signed if displacement exceeds 30 days.
What NOT to do
Don't sign an Assignment of Benefits without reading. Don't hire the first door-knocker. Don't accept the first estimate without a competing Xactimate. Don't clean smoke residue yourself.
Coverage you may not know you have
Debris removal (5-10% of Coverage A). Trees and landscaping. Ordinance and Law (rebuilding to current code). Loss of Use (12-24 months).