Worksheets to keep a rebuild honest
Open these while the work is happening. Line up the insurance estimate against a contractor's bid, log each change order the day you approve it, plan finishes around lead times, find out which building department handles your address, and walk the finished job with a punch list. None of them replace your policy or a building official.
- Worksheet: reading your rebuild estimate line by line Insurance estimates are long, coded and organized by room. Going through one with a pen and this worksheet turns it from a wall of numbers into a list of questions for the adjuster and contractor.
- Questions to ask before you sign a rebuild contract Rebuild contracts after a loss involve your insurer, your lender and sometimes several trades. These questions bring out how a contractor actually runs a job before you commit to one.
- Worksheet: a running log of every change to the rebuild Change orders pile up during a rebuild, and they are paid from different pockets. Keeping one running log, updated the day each change is signed, makes the final reconciliation straightforward.
- Glossary: terms in rebuild estimates and contracts Reconstruction paperwork mixes insurance language with construction shorthand. These definitions are general; your policy and contract control what each term means for your claim.
- Which building department handles your Littleton-area rebuild? A Littleton mailing address does not tell you who issues permits. The property might be in the City of Littleton, a neighboring city, or unincorporated Arapahoe, Jefferson or Douglas County.
- Punch list: walking the finished rebuild The final walkthrough is the last point where it is easy to get small things fixed. Bring this list, good light and painter's tape, and go room by room before the final payment is released.
- Worksheet: the factors behind a rebuild's cost Two rebuilds with the same square footage can cost very different amounts. This worksheet lists the factors that usually explain the difference, so you can read bids and estimates with them in mind.
- Comparing rebuild bids without comparing apples to oranges The lowest rebuild bid is often the one that left something out. Comparing bids on scope first, then on terms, and only then on price, gives a truer picture of what each contractor is offering.