A house fire leaves you with soot, water from the fire hoses, and a long list of decisions. One of the first is calling your insurance company.
Before you do, a little preparation goes a long way. How a claim starts often shapes how smoothly the rest of it goes.
It also helps to know who handles what. Your insurer pays the claim, a contractor repairs the structure, and a contents restoration company such as ContentsPros Denver packs out, documents, and cleans your belongings.
Here’s what Colorado homeowners should know before picking up the phone.
Get a Full Copy of Your Policy First
Your declarations page is a summary, not the whole policy. The details that matter, like exclusions, limits, and endorsements, live in the full document.
Colorado law requires your insurer to provide a copy of your policy, including the declarations page and any endorsements, within three business days of your request. You choose whether it comes by email or on paper.
What to Look For
As you read, find and note:
- The dwelling limit, which covers the structure itself
- The personal property limit, which covers your belongings
- Additional living expense coverage, and how long it lasts
- Whether you have replacement cost or actual cash value coverage
- Your deductible
- Any extended replacement cost or building code upgrade endorsements
Know Replacement Cost vs. Actual Cash Value
Actual cash value pays what an item was worth at the time of the loss, after depreciation. Replacement cost pays what it costs to replace it today.
The gap between the two is called recoverable depreciation. With replacement cost coverage, insurers often pay the depreciated amount first, then release the rest once you replace the item.
If you’re paid the depreciated value for your belongings, Colorado law requires the insurer to make its depreciation method available to you. Ask for it, and read it before you accept the numbers.
Your Colorado Rights After a Total Loss
Colorado law includes specific protections for homeowners, and several of them apply when a fire destroys everything. Here are the ones worth knowing.
Contents Paid Without a Full Inventory
If a fire destroys the contents of a furnished, owner-occupied primary home, your insurer must offer at least 30 percent of your contents coverage without requiring a written inventory.
If the loss came from a wildfire disaster declared by the governor, that minimum rises to 65 percent.
Accepting that first payment doesn’t end the contents claim. You can still submit a written inventory to seek more of your contents coverage.
Time to Build Your Inventory
Listing every item in a home takes time. After a total loss, Colorado law gives you at least 365 days to submit an inventory of lost or damaged property.
You also get at least 365 days after your additional living expense coverage ends to replace property and collect recoverable depreciation.
Additional Living Expenses
Colorado requires replacement cost policies on a home to include additional living expense coverage for at least 12 months. Insurers must also offer you the option to buy a total of 24 months.
For total losses in declared wildfire disasters, the Colorado Division of Insurance notes that policies must provide at least 24 months of this coverage, with options to extend it.
Steps to Take Before and Right After You File
Start the claim promptly, then work through these steps:
- Get your claim number and the adjuster’s direct contact details.
- Photograph and video the damage once it’s safe to go inside, room by room.
- Prevent further damage. Tarp the roof or board up windows if needed, and keep every receipt.
- Hold on to damaged items. Your insurer may want to inspect them before anything is thrown out.
- Save receipts for living costs, like hotel stays and meals, so they can be reimbursed.
- Keep a claim journal. Note every call, who you spoke with, and what was agreed.
- Don’t sign anything you don’t understand, including contractor agreements on the day of the fire.
Don’t Overlook Fire and Water Damage
A fire claim isn’t only about what burned. Ash can drift through walls and ductwork, and the water used to fight the fire soaks rooms the flames never reached.
Walk the adjuster through every affected room, not just the one where the fire started. Closets, basements and upstairs bedrooms can hold damage that’s easy to miss on a first visit.
Ask how cleaning and deodorizing your belongings will be handled on the contents side of the claim. Getting that answer early makes it easier to plan what gets cleaned, stored or replaced.
Where to Get Help
Insurance language can be confusing, even when you’ve read it twice. Ask your adjuster to explain anything you don’t understand, and get important answers in writing.
If you have questions about your rights or a dispute you can’t resolve, the Colorado Division of Insurance has consumer services staff who can help, and you can file a complaint with them.
Their Denver office number is 303-894-7499.
The Bottom Line
A fire claim is a long process, and the first few days set the tone. Get your full policy, understand how your coverage pays, and document everything before it’s moved.
Colorado law gives homeowners real protections after a total loss. Knowing them before you file means you can use them instead of learning about them halfway through.
