Fire claims in Canada: how an independent adjuster can protect your settlement

The first 72 hours after the fire

Once the fire service hands the property back, notify your insurer or broker immediately and ask for the claim number in writing. Secure the building against weather and intrusion: boarding up, tarping the roof and fencing are generally recoverable as reasonable expenses to prevent further loss.

Request the fire department incident report and note the name of any investigator who attends. Photograph and film every room before anything is moved, including ceilings, appliances, wiring panels and the exterior.

• Keep receipts for hotels, meals, clothing and transport from day one.
• Do not sign a contractor's direction to pay or a cleaning contract under pressure.
• List anything removed for safety reasons and photograph it beforehand.

Cause and origin investigations

On larger fires, insurers often send a cause-and-origin investigator, sometimes alongside an engineer. Their findings shape coverage decisions, potential subrogation against a manufacturer or contractor, and occasionally allegations such as vacancy or material change in risk. A public adjuster can arrange for your own expert to attend, ask that evidence such as a faulty appliance be preserved, and make sure you are not drawn into recorded statements without preparation.

Rebuilding the claim line by line

A fire claim usually has three pillars: the building (dwelling), contents (personal property) and additional living expenses. The building estimate should capture demolition, smoke and soot remediation, structural repairs, finishes and code-required upgrades. Smoke migrates into insulation, ductwork and wall cavities well beyond the visibly burnt area, and that is where estimates frequently diverge.

Contents demand a room-by-room inventory with brand, age, quantity and replacement price. Few families can produce one unaided; public adjusters spend much of their time reconstructing it from photos, bank statements, online orders and memory.

Keep a single master list shared with your adjuster and update it as you remember items. Insurers tend to accept inventories that are consistent, dated and supported by at least some evidence for higher-value items such as electronics, jewellery, tools and furniture.

Actual cash value against replacement cost

Many Canadian home policies pay actual cash value first, after deducting depreciation, and release the difference up to replacement cost only once you repair or replace, often within a timeframe set by the policy. Disputes arise over depreciation rates, whether you can rebuild elsewhere, and how by-law or building code upgrades are handled. Read the conditions for replacement before deciding to sell the lot or buy a different home.

Living expenses and business continuity

Additional living expenses cover the increase in your normal costs while the home is uninhabitable: rent, extra travel, storage and similar items. Limits may be a percentage of the dwelling amount or a fixed sum, and some policies impose a time limit. Track your usual monthly spending so the extra cost can be shown clearly.

For a business, the property claim runs alongside a business interruption claim, which needs financial records and often an accountant. Coordinating both from the outset avoids gaps where neither file pays.

Wildfire and mass-loss events

Wildfires in British Columbia and Alberta, including Fort McMurray in 2016, showed how catastrophe events strain adjusting capacity. Insurers may offer simplified contents settlements or advance payments; these can be helpful, but compare them against a proper inventory before accepting a final figure. Evacuation orders can also trigger civil authority or living expense coverage even where the home is not damaged.

Cleaning and restoration is another frequent friction point. Insurers may favour cleaning smoke-affected items, while owners may prefer replacement. The test is usually whether cleaning can genuinely restore the item to its pre-loss condition, and independent testing for odour or residue can support your position.

Resolving disagreements on value

If you and the insurer cannot agree on the amount, the statutory conditions in most provincial insurance acts provide an appraisal process: each side names an appraiser and the two choose an umpire. This settles quantum only. Coverage refusals, for example based on vacancy or an exclusion, require negotiation, a formal complaint or court action.

Watch the limitation periods that apply to your policy in your province, which can be short for fire losses, and calendar them as soon as the claim opens.

Complaints and oversight

Start with the insurer's internal complaints officer. Outside Quebec, the General Insurance OmbudService can then review the file; in Quebec, the Autorité des marchés financiers handles complaints. Adjuster conduct issues can be raised with the provincial licensing body, such as FSRA in Ontario or the Insurance Council of British Columbia.

A fire claim is long and technical, and early documentation largely decides its value. For the cost side of hiring help, see the Canadian fire fee guide on expertdassure.com.