Get your home rebuilt by one team
If the drying or cleanup is done and you are left with open walls, missing floors and a claim to settle, call us and a real person answers 24/7 and sends a crew to walk the job and scope the rebuild.
Reconstruction is the rebuild that follows drying out and cleanup, the stage insurers call mitigation. When you call Kodiak Restoration in Chicago, a real person answers 24/7 and we list the repairs, write the estimate in the software insurance companies use, work with your adjuster, rebuild walls, floors and finishes, and send you updates until you are home.
- A real person answers 24/7
- Photos and moisture readings for your claim
- One team from dry-out to rebuild
- [LICENSED AND INSURED: CONFIRM]
When should you call us?
- Drywall, insulation or flooring was removed during the dry-out
- Fire or smoke damage means walls, ceilings or cabinets need replacing
- A finished basement needs to be put back together after a flood
- Your adjuster approved the repairs and you need them built
- Another company did the dry-out and left the rebuild to you
- Your older bungalow or two-flat needs repairs that fit the house
What can you do right now?
- Keep the photos, moisture readings and reports from the dry-out together for your adjuster.
- Hold off on extensive permanent repairs until your adjuster has assessed the damage and approved the price.
- If your home was built before 1978, plan for lead-safe work, since older homes are more likely to have lead-based paint.
- Leave suspected asbestos materials, like old pipe insulation or floor tiles, untouched.
- Keep receipts for temporary repairs and added living expenses.
If anyone is hurt, you smell gas or there is fire, call 911 first.
Here is what we do, step by step
Walk the job
We walk the property with you, review the dry-out records and photos, and note everything that needs to be rebuilt.
Write the estimate
We write a line-by-line estimate in the estimating software insurance companies use (Xactimate) and send it to your adjuster.
Agree on scope
We agree with your adjuster on the scope of work (the full list of repairs) and go over the plan and materials with you before work starts.
Build the repairs
The same team that handled the dry-out rebuilds drywall, flooring, cabinets, paint and trim.
Keep you updated
We send updates as the work moves forward so you know what is happening and what comes next.
Final walkthrough
We walk the finished job with you and close out the paperwork your adjuster needs.
How does insurance usually handle this?
Triple-I advises against extensive permanent repairs until the claims adjuster has assessed the damage and approved the price, and recommends written bids with line-by-line pricing. If you have to live elsewhere during repairs, keep records, since homeowners policies provide additional living expenses coverage, often listed as loss of use. Check your own policy and talk to your agent or adjuster about your limits.
This is general information, not insurance advice. We are glad to walk you through what we see and what to ask your insurer.
How claims work with usTalk to a person now
We answer 24/7. Tell us what happened and we will tell you what happens next.
Call [TRACKING NUMBER]Questions about reconstruction and repairs
What is the difference between mitigation and reconstruction?
Mitigation is the drying out and cleanup that stops damage from getting worse, like removing water, wet drywall or soot. Reconstruction is the rebuild that comes after, putting back walls, floors, cabinets and finishes. With us, one team handles both, so there is no handoff between companies.
What is Xactimate?
Xactimate is property claims estimating software from Verisk, built for insurance carriers, adjusters and restoration contractors. We write our estimates in it, so your adjuster is reviewing line items in a format they already use.
Can I start repairs before the adjuster approves them?
Triple-I advises against extensive permanent repairs until the adjuster has assessed the damage and approved the price. Temporary repairs that keep the damage from getting worse are different, and you should make them and keep the receipts. We keep the two clearly separated in the paperwork.
My home is an older Chicago bungalow. Does that change the rebuild?
It can. Chicago has more than 80,000 bungalows, typically brick and built between about 1910 and 1930, and brick two-flats date from the same era. Homes built before 1978 are more likely to have lead-based paint, and EPA rules require certified firms and lead-safe work practices for renovation in them. Suspected asbestos materials should be left alone and handled only by people trained to work with asbestos.
Who do I deal with during the rebuild?
You deal with us. One team handles the job from dry-out to rebuild, works with your adjuster and sends you updates, so you are not coordinating separate companies.
What if another company did the dry-out?
We can pick up the rebuild. Share the drying records, photos and moisture readings from the first company along with your adjuster's estimate, and we will walk the job and write our scope from there.
Related services
Water Damage Restoration
Leaks, overflows and water in floors, walls or ceilings.
Learn moreFire Damage Restoration
Securing, cleaning and repairing a home after a fire.
Learn moreContents Pack-Out and Cleaning
Moving, cleaning and tracking your belongings during repairs.
Learn moreHelpful guides
Sources
- Settling insurance claims after a disaster (Triple-I)
- Xactimate (Verisk)
- Chicago Bungalow (Chicago Architecture Center)
- The Chicago Two-Flat (Historic Chicago Bungalow Association)
- Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Program: Consumers (US EPA)
- Post-Disaster Renovations and Lead-Based Paint (US EPA)
- Protect Your Family from Exposures to Asbestos (US EPA)