Restoration contractor in Chicago — fire, water & storm damage, rebuilt right

Mitigation is the emergency response — extracting water, drying the building, boarding up, tearing out soaked or charred material so the damage stops getting worse. Mitigation companies do that work, usually within days. Restoration — what we do — is the rebuild that follows: structure, framing, electrical, plumbing, drywall, and finishes that put the building back together. Once the mitigation crew rolls up their hoses, we take it from there.

Generally, no. In most policies the insurer decides what damage is covered and what it will pay — not who performs the repairs. You are typically free to choose your own licensed contractor and submit their itemized estimate. Check your own policy language to be sure. We regularly rebuild for owners who wanted their own contractor rather than the insurer's program vendor.

We document and price the rebuild — we don't adjust claims. That means we walk the property with your adjuster when useful, provide a line-item estimate in the same scope language adjusters use, and back it with photos. Coverage decisions stay between you and your insurer, and if a claim turns into a genuine dispute, Illinois licenses public adjusters and attorneys for that. Our job is to make the rebuild scope accurate, documented and buildable.

It happens often, because the first scope is written before demolition opens the walls. When we find damage the original estimate missed — charred framing behind a surface burn, saturated insulation, hidden rot — we document it with photos and itemized line items you can submit to your insurer as a supplement. You decide what to submit; we make sure nothing gets buried behind new drywall undocumented.

A water damage rebuild typically takes 3 to 10 weeks once mitigation is complete. Storm and structural repairs run 4 to 12 weeks, a significant fire rebuild 2 to 6 months, and a full investor gut rehab 3 to 7 months. Permit timing and the claim process drive most of the variation, which is why we start documentation and drawings while the claim is still being worked.

Yes. Any rebuild that touches structure, electrical or plumbing needs Chicago permits, and fees typically range from $500 to $5,000 depending on scope. Skipping permits on a damage rebuild is a false economy — it surfaces at sale, refinance or the next claim. As your general contractor we handle every permit, drawing and inspection as part of the project. Read more about why permits matter.

Common in Chicago's older housing stock, especially after water damage or in pre-1980 buildings. Licensed abatement partners handle mold and asbestos removal before we rebuild — it's sequenced into the project, documented, and where your policy covers it, the documentation supports the claim. We don't rebuild over a problem; we get it out first.

Yes — it's a core part of this work. We gut and rebuild 2–4 flats and small multifamily buildings, turn fire- or water-damaged units back into rentable condition, and price to the finish grade the building calls for — rental-grade, condo-grade or owner-grade. Portfolio owners get one point of contact, itemized scopes that lenders and insurers accept, and scheduling built for repeat work.

Call us at (773) 969-9097, fill out our online form, or email bofranbuilders@gmail.com. We'll schedule a free on-site walkthrough, document the damage — including what the first look may have missed — and follow up with a clear, itemized rebuild estimate you can use with your insurer or lender.