A basement presents some challenges. The slab on grade foundation is intact. Both the engineer and I inspected the foundation bolts, and all the ones we could see were intact and not effected by the fire. Insurance won't pay for a new foundation, so a basement would present a real challenge.
A second issue is that the site is very challenging. There is no access for any kind of equipment, not even the smallest Bobcat. There is a "winter creek" between the road and the house. Garage is on road side of creek, house is across the creek with a 30' wooden footbridge to the front door.
Demolition companies are bidding based on hand demolition.
* * * * * * *
The first actual progress started today, and I won a battle with the insurance company.
State Farm wanted the wet debris from the fire (sheetrock goo from water, ashes, charred remnants) removed so their contractor could complete his estimate. I had been talking to demolition and hauling companies to get this done, but yesterday one of the reconstruction contractors I had called to estimate rebuilding costs offered to do the debris removal for $3k, vs the $3200 to $6500 the demolition companies wanted.
Obviously a lowball bid in order to get his foot in the door for the bigger job, but I didn't think it was possible to screw up taking junk to the dump, so I gave him the go ahead. Work actually started today.
Now for the victory over State Farm. They had been contending that I should arrange for the debris removal, and that the cost would come out of my policy limits. I took the position that there were going to have to be two phases of demolition this way, debris removal and then a second phase where the burned structure would be taken down and removed. This would be be more costly than just taking everything down and removing debris all at the same time. While I was willing to do the two stage process, i felt the excess cost involved should be their responsibility and not come out of my policy limits.
Monday I got a fax from the adjustor saying she would not pay the excess cost and if I wanted to do anything else, I could call her boss or make a complaint to the insurance commissioner. So, I called her boss, and asked him the same question she had been refusing to answer: "Where in my policy does it say that State Farm can require that I re-build in less than the most cost-effective manner?"
Well, after a few minutes of conversation he came to believe that he didn't want me to bring that question to the insurance commissioner. Today they caved in and I got a fax saying they would pay the excess cost and it wouldn't come out of my policy limits.
