Wildfire Insurance Claim Help
Dealing with fire or smoke damage from a wildfire? Tugboat provides free claim support to help you recover what you're owed.
The Decisions That Cost You Happen Early
Wildfire claims get shaped in the first few weeks, often before you realize anything is being decided.
How your damage is described and classified at the start sets what the policy will pay at the end. Ash, burned framing, and contaminated soil tied to your house are structural debris, not landscaping. Smoke that soaked into a house still standing is damage, not a cleaning bill. Getting those framed correctly early is worth more than arguing about them later.
Smoke Damage Is Still Damage
A house left standing can still hold soot and smoke odor in insulation, ductwork, and soft contents. That work gets underscoped more often than a total loss does, because nothing about it is visible from the curb.
Fire Debris Isn't Landscaping
Structural debris belongs under Debris Removal in your dwelling coverage, not the Trees, Shrubs and Plants provision, which is capped much lower.
ALE Adds Up Fast
Hotel stays, meals out, and moving costs are typically recoverable as the increase over your normal living costs, but only if you're saving receipts from day one.
Your Limit May Not Cover the Rebuild
Dwelling limits are set years before the fire. Rebuilding a whole neighborhood at once pushes labor and materials up, and the gap only becomes obvious once you're holding contractor bids.
What to Handle Before Cleanup Starts
A few specific moves now protect what your claim can recover later.
Document Before Anything Gets Touched
Photos and video of the damage and property before cleanup or demolition starts, so the record exists before anything is disturbed.
Know Your Debris Removal Path
We help you understand whether your property falls under county-coordinated cleanup or private contractor removal, and what each path requires you to track.
Track Your ALE From Day One
We help you organize hotel stays, meals, and moving costs so nothing recoverable gets lost to a late start.
Get the Classification Right
We help you describe fire debris as structural cleanup, not landscaping, from your first conversation with the adjuster.
Check Coverage Against Rebuild Costs
We help you compare your dwelling limit to actual rebuild costs before you're relying on it.
Real Homeowners. Real Results.
“Tugboat has been instrumental in helping me navigate the claim process - without their expertise and quick handling of my issues I would be completely stuck. It's been so comforting to have their support and guidance throughout this mess. I can't thank them enough and highly recommend them if you have to submit any insurance claim. Thank you Tugboat for everything!!”
Natalie
“I faced a complex insurance claim that dragged on for several months, and having Tugboat by my side made a huge difference. Their guidance gave me the confidence to move forward, and Rachel was absolutely wonderful—always warm, thoughtful, and ready with helpful advice. She even took the time to create reply templates, which made the communication smoother and less stressful. What I loved most was knowing I wasn't alone in the process. It's incredibly helpful to work with someone like Rachel, who has experience as an adjuster—she understands both sides of the process and can offer realistic, actionable advice that truly makes a difference. I highly recommend them to anyone navigating the stressful world of insurance claims!”
Cecilia Robles
“We have been struggling with our homeowners insurance since the Eaton Fire. We weren't yet sure about hiring a Public Adjustor but knew we needed help navigating the language in our policy and understanding how best to advocate for our needs. Tugboat has been extremely helpful for us - the responses are thorough, fast, and supportive. It feels like we have someone very knowledgeable in our corner and I no longer feel like I'm banging my head against a wall with insurance. I'm so grateful that we found this company and have found the experience to be very user-friendly and pleasant. Special thank you to Rachel who has been wonderful in helping prepare our documentation with our insurance.”
Stephanie
“The fantastic team at Tugboat reviewed my insurance coverages and gave me insight into insurance claims processes for my house fire.”
Saumya
“If it weren't for the Tugboat crew, I would have accepted the pittance offered by the insurance company and thrown in the towel long ago. When it comes to insurance, I'm like a fish out of water. But with the help of the Tugboat crew, I now have a chance—a good chance—to prevail against the insurance company. The tremendous preparation and documentation by the Tugboat crew, especially in the face of a potential lawsuit, has made all the difference. The knowledge and support provided by the Tugboat crew has way beyond anything I have ever received from even my insurance agent. You will never regret signing up with Tugboat!!!”
Joe Karl
“We recovered our entire home because of Tugboat's help! To anyone considering using Tugboat – you absolutely need to listen to these guys because they turned out to be 100% accurate for us.”
Clay
“Tugboat stepped in at a critical time. From day one, the team helped us make sense of the chaos—breaking down technical jargon and providing clear, actionable guidance. Tugboat has become a steady point of clarity and confidence for us in an otherwise turbulent situation. What we appreciate most about Tugboat is their consistency and responsiveness. It feels less like a tool and more like a trusted teammate. Tugboat gave us back control when things felt out of our hands—and for that, we continue to feel incredibly grateful.”
Amelia
“I detected a small leak in my kitchen and called my insurance company to resolve it. Unfortunately the insurance company denied my claim. Tugboat was recommended to me and I'm so glad I found them! They've guided me through the process of working with the insurance company with compassion and skill. They have been a huge ally. I can't imagine going through this without their guidance. I've been recommending Tugboat to all my friends and family.”
Jason
“I lost my house in the Palisades Fire and am underinsured. Aaron was very kind to take a call and go through the next steps at the beginning, when the whole situation was overwhelming. We were then guided by Rachel who was amazing. I would confidently recommend working with Aaron and his team at Tugboat. They have in-depth working knowledge of how insurance companies operate in claim situations, they are concise and I feel like I was very fairly treated and spoken for. Hopefully you will never need their services, but if you have the misfortune of needing help with Insurance claims, then Tugboat are competent experts that I would highly recommend!”
Curzon Peier
Pricing
Membership
+ Disaster Recovery
For homeowners recovering from a disaster-related loss.
$199 FREE
60 days of claim support, no sign-up fee.
Then $99/year. Cancel anytime. No credit card required to start.
Includes:
- Claim email help
- Photo & documentation guidance
- Coverage & payout clarity
- Expert help when things get confusing
Available to homeowners whose loss falls within an active federally declared disaster zone, claimed within 6 months of the date of loss.
Wildfire Claim Questions
Because an insurance policy is only as good as the claim it eventually covers. We help make sure yours is set up to do that well. That means flagging coverage gaps, documenting your home and belongings before anything happens, and identifying red flags most people only discover after a loss. We've seen how claims fall apart, from denied coverage on overlooked items, to people losing out on tens of thousands because they couldn't prove what they owned. Tugboat helps you avoid those mistakes and make sure your insurance works the way you think it does. It's not about having a policy. It's about making sure the policy holds up when it counts.
We hope you never have to file a claim, but if you do, being prepared can make all the difference. One of the less obvious but incredibly important ways we help is by guiding you through that critical moment after damage happens, when you're deciding whether to file a claim at all. Claims, even withdrawn or denied ones, stay on your record and can have real consequences, so it's not always the right move. We help you make that call with clarity, not guesswork. Beyond that, your membership ensures you: Know your coverage, Have complete documentation ready if the worst happens, Get expert guidance when you're hiring contractors, whether for repairs, renovations, or upgrades. We'll review estimates, compare scopes of work, and help you manage projects with confidence. Whether you're using a trusted partner or someone new, we help you navigate the process from a position of strength.
Tugboat doesn't take a cut of your claim. We don't represent you. We equip you. That means you stay in charge of your claim, keep more of your money, and avoid unnecessary conflict unless it's truly needed. Plus, if your situation does require formal representation, we'll help you figure that out. We work closely with public adjusters and insurance attorneys, and Tugboat members are better prepared to hand off strong, well-documented files that get results faster. We give you expert backup without slowing you down, so you get faster, smarter outcomes when every dollar matters.
No. You always have the right to choose your own contractor. Choose someone you trust, and know that Tugboat can help you compare scopes to be sure the repair plan is complete. One exceedingly rare caveat to this is if your policy has a right to repair clause that the insurance company chooses to exercise.
This happens a lot. Insurance estimates are built using pricing databases that don't always reflect real-world costs. If your contractor's bid is higher, you can advocate for the difference to be issued in a supplement payment.