Kitchen Fire: Scope Tripled After Carrier Undervalued the Damage
Snapshot
A homeowner contacted Property Loss Pro after a kitchen fire caused visible damage to cabinets, finishes, and appliances. The carrier’s estimate focused almost entirely on surface cleaning and spot repairs. After conducting a deep damage and scope analysis, we uncovered significant hidden heat, smoke, and odor impacts that required full replacement—not minor cleanup.
Our corrected estimate ultimately tripled the approved scope, ensuring the homeowner and contractor had the budget needed for a safe and thorough restoration.
The Problem
The carrier’s adjuster severely underestimated the true extent of the kitchen fire, producing an estimate that:
Labeled most damaged components as “cleanable”
Ignored heat-warping and cabinet structural failure
Missed smoke-impacted insulation and hidden drywall odor absorption
Did not include required electrical inspections or rewiring
Omitted appliance replacement despite thermal exposure
Included no odor sealing, encapsulation, fogging, or HEPA procedures
Ignored HVAC contamination and duct cleaning needs
Provided only minimal demolition quantities
Removed 10% Overhead & 10% Profit, even though multiple trades were required
The homeowner was left with an estimate that would have produced an unsafe, incomplete, and visually mismatched repair.
What Property Loss Pro Did
1. Full Fire/Heat/Smoke Path Assessment
We completed a detailed review guided by IICRC S700/S520 standards and identified:
Heat-damaged cabinets, shelving, and framing
Smoke intrusion behind walls and into attic-adjacent insulation
Odor-filled drywall requiring replacement, not cleaning
Electrical outlets and circuits compromised by heat
HVAC system contamination spreading odor throughout the home
Soot migration into adjacent rooms and materials
These findings immediately showed the carrier’s estimate was far below the real needs.
2. Corrected the Entire Scope of Work
Our deep dive into the adjuster’s estimate revealed missing items across all categories:
Expanded demolition to include affected walls, ceilings, insulation
Added full cabinet, countertop, backsplash, and flooring replacement
Documented electrical safety hazards requiring replacement and rewiring
Added appliance replacements according to manufacturer fire-impact guidelines
Included complete odor-control protocols (sealing, fogging, HEPA scrubbing)
Added HVAC duct cleaning + system deodorization
Included finish carpentry, painting, trim reinstall, and sequencing items
Restored O&P based on multi-trade coordination requirements
3. Produced a Carrier-Ready Xactimate Supplement
We rebuilt the estimate from scratch, including:
Accurate Xactimate assemblies
Detailed F9 notes
Code, OSHA, and manufacturer-safety justifications
Side-by-side variance report comparing our scope to the adjuster’s
Clean, easy-to-approve formatting tailored for adjusters
This package allowed the carrier to approve the expanded scope without delays or re-inspection requests.
The Result
✔ Scope approved at nearly 3× the original estimate
Including:
Cabinetry and finish replacements
Complete appliance replacements
Full drywall and insulation replacement
Electrical safety repairs
Odor treatment and deodorization
HVAC system and duct cleaning
Correct demolition and disposal
Full 10% + 10% Overhead & Profit
✔ Homeowner received proper funding for a full kitchen rebuild
No unsafe shortcuts.
No mismatched materials.
No out-of-pocket surprises.
✔ Contractor performed work profitably and to code
With a scope that matched real construction standards—not the carrier’s minimal outline.
Why This Case Matters
Kitchen fires are commonly underwritten because:
Damage often extends behind cabinets and walls
Odor and smoke migration are easy to miss at first glance
HVAC contamination is nearly always overlooked
Electrical safety issues are not visible without proper testing
Multi-trade coordination automatically triggers full O&P
Property Loss Pro ensures fire claims reflect actual building science, safety standards, and reconstruction requirements, protecting both the homeowner and the contractor.
