Fire Damage Repair Contractor — Carpentry Rebuilt After the Cleanup
The fire is out, the restoration company has cleaned and gutted what was burned, and the rooms are down to studs. Here is how the carpentry goes back in.
JMB Builders is a fire damage repair contractor for the carpentry across the Twin Cities metro. After the fire restoration company has cleaned, deodorized and removed what could not be saved, we rebuild: charred framing replaced or sistered, windows and doors, insulation, drywall, interior doors and trim, under a building permit. We document it for your claim and meet your adjuster. Priced per project.
- Priced per project
- Framing, windows, doors, drywall and trim
- Rebuilt under a building permit
- Licensed MN contractor BC809005
A house fire is cleaned up before it is rebuilt. A fire restoration company boards up, pumps out the water from firefighting, removes burned material and cleans soot and smoke odor from what stays. That work comes first because smoke odor sealed inside a wall does not come back out. The rebuild starts when the rooms are cleaned, dry and down to what can be kept.
Then it is carpentry in order. Framing that is charred past the surface is cut out and replaced or sistered; framing that is only scorched or stained is cleaned and sealed before it is closed in. When a bearing wall, beam or roof framing burned, a structural engineer writes the repair first. Wiring in the burned area is checked and replaced by a licensed electrician before any wall is closed.
After that come windows and doors that cracked or warped in the heat, insulation, drywall, trim, interior doors. A fire rebuild is permitted work, with framing and final inspections. We photograph each stage for your claim.
You file the claim and deal with your insurer. We document the carpentry scope line by line, meet your adjuster, and rebuild once it is approved. Minnesota law bars a contractor from waiving, rebating or paying your deductible, and we do not.
What you supply
- Your claim number, the adjuster's contact and the approved scope once you have it
- The restoration company's report of what was removed and cleaned, if you have it
- Any engineer's letter when framing that carries load was burned
- Your choices for trim profiles, doors and paint colors
- Painting is quoted as a separate line — or leave it primed and caulked and paint it yourself
What JMB supplies
- Photos of the fire-damaged carpentry with a scale reference and a line-item scope for your claim
- Meeting your adjuster to walk the rebuild scope
- Building permit and inspections for the rebuild
- Framing replaced or sistered where it charred, to the engineer's letter where one is needed
- Windows and exterior doors that cracked or warped, set and flashed
- Insulation, drywall hung and finished, interior doors and trim installed
- Haul-away of rebuild debris and finished photos in your job folder
How it is priced: per project
Quoted in writing from your photos within one business day. What moves the number:
- How many rooms and how much framing charred past the surface
- Whether load-bearing framing burned and needs an engineer's repair
- Windows and doors damaged by heat, and whether they match the rest of the house
- Matching trim profiles and doors in rooms that were not burned
- Drywall and ceiling area, and texture matching into undamaged rooms
- Wiring, plumbing or HVAC in the burned area that a licensed trade replaces first
Send photos of each damaged room after the cleanup, the restoration company's report if you have one, and say whether any beams, bearing walls or roof framing burned.
How long it takes
Starts once the cleanup is done and the scope is approved. A single-room kitchen fire rebuild is usually a few weeks on site; permit inspections and made-to-order windows and doors set the pace.
How your project works
- 1
Cleanup first
The fire restoration company removes burned material, dries out firefighting water and cleans smoke and soot from what stays. The rebuild waits for that.
- 2
Document the carpentry
Every charred member, cracked window, warped door and run of trim photographed and listed line by line for the claim.
- 3
Engineer, permit, adjuster
When load-bearing framing burned, a structural engineer writes the repair. The building permit is pulled, and we walk the scope with your adjuster.
- 4
Framing and rough-ins
Charred framing replaced or sistered. A licensed electrician replaces wiring in the burned area. Framing and rough-in inspections pass before anything is closed.
- 5
Close up and finish
Windows and doors, insulation, drywall, interior doors and trim. Painting as its own line if you want it, final inspection, and finished photos in your job folder.
Fire Damage Repair Contractor — Carpentry Rebuilt After the Cleanup: questions, answered
Who do I call first after a house fire, a restoration company or a contractor?
Your insurer, then a fire restoration company. The restoration company boards up, removes water and burned material, and cleans smoke and soot from what stays. The carpentry rebuild comes after that cleanup. Getting the carpentry contractor's scope in early helps the adjuster see the whole claim.
Does charred framing have to be replaced after a fire?
Framing that burned past the surface loses strength and is cut out and replaced or sistered. Framing that is only scorched or smoke-stained is usually cleaned and sealed and stays. When a beam, bearing wall or rafters charred, a structural engineer decides the repair and writes it down for the permit.
Do I need a building permit to rebuild after a fire?
Yes, in most Twin Cities cities a fire rebuild is permitted work. Framing, electrical and insulation are inspected before drywall covers them, and there is a final inspection at the end. We pull the building permit for the carpentry; a licensed electrician pulls the electrical permit.
Do windows and doors need to be replaced after a house fire?
Windows near the fire often crack from heat, and vinyl frames warp or melt. Exterior doors can warp so they no longer seal. Windows and doors farther away may only need cleaning. We check each one and list the ones that need replacing, with photos.
Can you match the trim and doors in the rooms that did not burn?
Usually. We match the casing and baseboard profile and the interior door style where they are still made. When an exact match is gone, ask your adjuster in writing how your policy handles matching before anything is ordered.
Can a contractor pay my deductible on a fire claim?
No. Minnesota law bars a contractor from waiving, rebating or paying any part of your insurance deductible, and JMB Builders does not. The deductible is your share of the repair and is paid as part of the job.
Recent JMB work, from our job log
59 installs recorded across 30 Twin Cities communities since Dec 2025. Window and door installs for homeowners and for the builders and dealers we sub for. Counts come straight from our job log; no customer names.
Get a written quote for this job
Three photos and a sentence is enough. You hear back within one business day. Or text the photos to 763-204-2099.
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Read morePage reviewed September 26, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All insurance repairs pages
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