Fire Damage.Restored Right.

JH Construction is an independent, owner-operated licensed contractor. We are not a franchise, not a TPA roll-up, and not affiliated with any insurance carrier's preferred vendor program. That independence means we work for the property owner, not for the carrier's cost containment goals.

We serve all of Northern California from three regional offices: Bay Area (San Francisco), Central Valley (Tracy), and Sacramento (El Dorado Hills). Primary service areas include Tracy, Stockton, Manteca, Modesto, Turlock, San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Livermore, Pleasanton, Sacramento, Elk Grove, Roseville, and surrounding counties.

CSLB#929897 is JH Construction's California State License Board contractor license number. You can verify it at cslb.ca.gov. A valid CSLB license is required by California law for any contractor performing work over $500. It confirms we carry the required insurance, bonding, and are authorized to perform general contracting work statewide.

Yes, commercial and multifamily are our core verticals. We regularly work with apartment operators, REITs, property management firms, hospitality groups, institutional owners, and commercial asset managers. We understand the operational pressures around unit turns, tenant displacement, and insurance documentation that residential contractors often don't.

Call a licensed contractor before calling your insurance company. The contractor who documents the initial loss sets the baseline scope. Once the scene is cleared by the fire marshal, your priority is immediate board-up and roof tarp to prevent weather intrusion and secondary damage. Document everything with photos before any work begins. Do not discard any materials until the adjuster has inspected the site.

Yes. Smoke and soot remediation is a core part of fire damage restoration, not an add-on. This includes surface cleaning across walls, ceilings, and structure; HVAC cleaning and deodorization; ozone treatment of salvageable contents; and odor neutralization throughout the affected area. We document all remediation work for carrier review.

Yes, multifamily fire losses are a specialty. We understand the complexity of multi-unit losses: phased restoration to minimize displacement, coordination with property management and tenants, isolated work zones in occupied buildings, and Xactimate documentation by unit that holds up to carrier and public adjuster review. We are CAT-capable and can scale crews for large complex losses.

Yes. We work with all major carriers and adjusters daily. We write scopes in Xactimate and our documentation is built to withstand adjuster review without surprises. We communicate directly with adjusters to resolve scope disputes, you shouldn't have to play phone tag between your contractor and your carrier.

In most cases, no, call your contractor first. The contractor who documents the initial loss sets the scope baseline. If your carrier-assigned adjuster or TPA contractor arrives first, they will often write a scope that minimizes line items and favors the carrier's cost position. Having your own contractor on-site first changes that dynamic significantly.

You have the right to choose your own licensed contractor in California. Insurance companies may recommend program-assigned vendors, but you are not obligated to use them. Program vendors are typically contracted to complete work within adjuster-approved budgets, meaning the scope is often written to save the carrier money, not to restore your property to pre-loss condition.

It depends on the extent of damage. A single-unit residential fire typically runs 4–8 weeks from emergency response to final walk. A multi-unit commercial fire with structural damage can run 3–6 months. The primary variables are scope approval from the carrier, material lead times, and permit turnaround from the city.

Sometimes, depending on the type and extent of damage. For water damage, our dry-in-place methodology keeps tenants in place wherever feasible. For fire damage with significant smoke penetration or structural compromise, temporary relocation is typically necessary. We help coordinate with property management teams on tenant communication and displacement logistics.

Costs vary significantly based on damage scope, property type, fire severity, and whether contents pack-out is required. Small single-unit losses can run $15,000–$40,000. Large commercial fire losses can exceed $500,000. We write Xactimate scopes with line-item documentation, no lump sums, no guesswork. You see exactly what we're billing and why.

No large upfront deposits. For insurance claims, we work directly with your carrier on billing. For out-of-pocket projects, we establish a payment schedule tied to project milestones. We walk you through the billing structure before any work begins.