A FREE ACTION GUIDE FOR FAMILIES
The 6-Step Rebuild Checklist
What to Do in Your First 30 Days After Losing Your Home to Fire
Written with the McDougall Creek families who lost everything and rebuilt with Colin.
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McDougall Creek fire completed rebuilds and 11 demolitions.
There is a future
Right now it can feel like nothing will ever be normal again. It will be. The families who helped create this guide, stood exactly where you are standing and today, they are home. Here is the difference between where you are today and where these next steps take you.
WHERE YOU ARE TODAY
WHERE THIS GETS YOU
Staring at a total loss with no idea what comes first.
A clear, ordered list of what to do this week.
Worried the insurance payout won't cover a real rebuild.
Knowing exactly what belongs in your claim, so nothing gets left off.
Not sure who to trust with the biggest rebuild of your life.
Three questions that tell you fast whether a builder is right.
Overwhelmed, and feeling alone in it.
A local builder who has done this, and done it here.
The insurance quote most families get wrong
A payout is only as good as the estimate behind it. Check that yours actually holds up.
Often missed, and expensive
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Demolition and debris removal
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Building permits and inspection fees
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Code upgrades required since your home was built
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Landscaping. driveway, and site restoration
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Temporary utilities and site power during the build
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Engineering and architectural drawings
Working with your adjuster
Your adjuster is not your enemy, but the process rewards people who stay organized and put things in writing. Four tactics that pay off.
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Put every request and agreement in writing, then follow up by email.
What goes wrong: a verbal "yes" on the phone disappears when it's time to pay, and you have nothing to point to.
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Keep your own running file of every quote, receipt, and photo.
What goes wrong: families lose thousands because they can't prove what they had or what they spent.
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Ask the adjuster to explain any number you don't understand, in writing.
What goes wrong: vague line items hide low amounts that are hard to challenge once the file is closed.
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Get an independent estimate before you agree to a settlement.
What goes wrong: the first offer is often the lowest, and once you sign, reopening it is difficult.
Choose your Builder
You're not just buying a house, you're trusting someone with the biggest rebuild of your life. Three questions tell you almost everything.
I'M COLIN FALCK
My wife and I have been affected by the Okanagan wildfires. I have made that first insurance phone call myself, and I have seen what it takes to get all the way back to a finished home. Everything here is what I wish someone had given me on day one.
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Colin Falck
Ryevco Contracting
This guide is provided by Ryevco Contracting for general informational purposes only and reflects personal, anecdotal experience. It is not legal, financial, or insurance advice.
Ryevco Contracting is a home builder, not an insurance broker or advisor. For guidance specific to your policy or claim, please consult a licensed professional.