All Forum Posts by: Jason White

I'm a fire restoration contractor, without seeing the damages I can't be sure obviously, but $100k is going to be very low for a house that size. Especially, since you say it's severely damaged. At least here in SOCAL a house fire that size would be in the $300k range, even more, if the finishes are nice. 

@Peter Mai

I can help with that, but I would need more info or the numbers would be more of a guess then anything. If all you want is general numbers, I should be able to give you general numbers. Let me look over some stuff when I get back into the office next week and I’ll get back to you here.

@Aaron K.

It is not insurance fraud. But the insurance company might only pay the ACV the cash value, not the RCV or recoverable  depreciation. You will see both of those numbers on the xactimate scope from the adjuster.

@Marcos Urvina

I might be able to point you in the right direction. For something this simple you usually don’t need a full blown architect, but instead I use a draftsman, he is also boots on the ground to help to get the plans through the city and ready for permits. I have a guy that I use for all of my stuff. From full rebuilds after fire to simple room additions. 

@Alex Shaughnessy

Most likely there should be a valve on your tank that looks like a bike or car tire valve. Most RO tanks need around 5 pounds of pressure.  you can check the pressure with a tire pressure gauge and pump it as required in the manual with a bike pump. But yes you should check the manual if you still have it. 

@Tara Bradley

Depending on what, or who, you go with for the prefabricate ADUs it can cost about the same as a stick built, ground up ADU. I would get solid numbers for both of you haven't. Just my two ¢. Good luck

@Brandon Carlson

The way the law reads right now is it doesn't matter if it's attached or detached. Your local jurisdiction could have looser codes than the state, but the state is saying 1200 ft.² or 50% of existing structure, no matter the type of ADU. What city are you in?

Hi @Brandon Carlson, you are right that there is a 1200 ft.² limit, but it can't be more then 50% of the main house. So for example, if the main house is 2000 ft.² the ADU can't be more than 1000 ft.² , even though the maximum is 1200 ft.² it wouldn't be for this particular example. There isn't a bed/bath limit other then what you can fit in the maximum allowable square feet. There has to be a kitchen, living area and a bathroom, the rest is up to the best design and layout for maximum rent and use. Hope that helps. Let me know if you have any more questions.

@Orlando Perez

I know you asked for a reference for a contractor, but I’m a local GC here in SoCal and I would love to quote your project when it’s ready. I know it doesn’t work for me to recommend myself but I thought I would try. Haha. Let me know if you would like any help. Good luck with the plans.

@Raquel Blue

I own a fire restoration company here in Southern California so I might be able to shine a little bit of light on your situation. This question comes up pretty often here on BiggerPockets, my first question is always "what is the ARV in the area?". Because in a lot of parts of the country the ARV doesn't support fire damage restoration, Plus acquisition cost. That is usually why these properties are still available. Without any pictures of this I can't give you the most accurate advice, But if the ARV supports a big restoration project then you can expect smoke damage pretty much everywhere that there wasn't fire damage. Meaning even if the bedrooms didn't burn, you still have to take out the drywall seal the studs, joist, rafters, and subfloor for smoke smell.  You will need all new insulation, most likely a rewire, and new HVAC system.  Not to mention any structural damage where there was a physical fire.

If the arv supports a large restoration then a good next step could be to call the local fire restoration company in your area to write a scope of work that will let you know what needs to be done from somebody that knows what to look for.

Sorry for the long winded response, if you have any questions feel free to ask.