Los Angeles Office Address
3530 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 699, Los Angeles, CA 90010
Phone: (213) 817-5741
Fax: (888) 327-7089
Email: [email protected]
Santa Clara Office Address
5201 Great America Parkway Suite 320 – [#284] Santa Clara, CA 95054
The aftermath of a fire in Altadena can leave property owners feeling as though they’ve entered another crisis. Smoke and soot don’t just settle on the surface—they seep into the very structure of your home, making recovery feel uncertain.
At Excel Adjusters, we offer more than just representation. We partner with Altadena property owners impacted by smoke damage, managing the insurance claim process so you can focus on healing and restoring your property with the compensation you rightfully deserve.
GET STARTED
Before & After Public Adjuster (PA)
What Qualifies as a Smoke Damage Claim?
Even after the flames are gone, smoke damage can linger and impact your property. In fact, direct fire contact isn’t always necessary for a claim. If your space, residential or commercial, exhibits any of the following symptoms, you could have a legitimate smoke damage claim:
- Discoloration or staining on walls, ceilings, furniture, or personal belongings
- Persistent smoke odor that lingers despite surface-level cleaning
- Corrosion or breakdown of materials like metal, wood, or electronics
- Health hazards caused by smoke residue, especially for sensitive individuals
- Damage to porous items like upholstery, clothing, or documents
Beyond visible damage, recent wildfires in Southern California have introduced heightened risks involving toxic residues and trace heavy metals. The ash and soot may contain dangerous elements such as:
- Lead
- Arsenic
- Benzene
- Formaldehyde
- Acrolein
- Cadmium
- Chromium
- Lithium
- Chloride Anions
Why Choose Us
Deep Industry Expertise
Our team brings over two decades of real-world experience managing claims, evaluating damage, and leading restoration projects.
Higher Payouts
We focus on maximizing your recovery by ensuring that all aspects of your claim are precisely valued and effectively negotiated.
Client-Focused, Results-Driven
You receive specialized attention and reliable advice tailored specifically to your loss and your long-term recovery goals.
Need to File a Smoke Damage Claim? Excel Adjusters Will Help To:
- Advocate on your behalf with the insurance company for a fair and reasonable settlement
- Expedite the claims process
- Assess building damage
- Investigate and measure the extent of the loss
- Evaluate replacement cost and/or depreciation
- Prepare documentation
- Review your insurance policy coverage
- Provide damage restoration services
- Evaluate your compliance responsibilities
- Assemble business equipment claims (if applicable)
- Assemble support data for a loss of income claim (if applicable)
- Assess total loss claims and review insurance estimates
How Excel Adjusters Can Help With Your Smoke Damage Insurance Claims
Smoke and soot damage in Altadena homes is often more extensive than it appears and can be difficult to capture accurately in an insurance claim. That’s where we come in. Our licensed public adjusters represent your best interests from the outset, using our fire-related claims experience to make sure nothing is missed or dismissed by your insurer.
Advocating for a Fair and Reasonable Settlement
We work to ensure that your settlement goes beyond surface-level damage and captures the true scope of what your property has endured. Through a detailed inspection process, we identify and document the presence of smoke, soot, and harmful contaminants in every corner, even in areas not immediately affected. With these findings, we prepare a claim that increases your chances of receiving an equitable and complete settlement.
Navigating the Claims Process
Smoke damage claims for Altadena properties require much more than just paperwork. We handle the complete process, starting with professional assessments, continuing with detailed claim preparation, and following through with insurer communication and negotiation, so you can focus on recovery instead of red tape.
If your home was also damaged by sprinklers, fire extinguishers, or mechanical systems due to the fire, our team will make sure all of it is documented and included in your settlement request.
Assist with Denied Claims
When your claim is denied or significantly underpaid, we step in to reassess the situation and build a stronger case for you. Our team investigates hidden or ignored damages, like corrosion, unremedied odors, or air quality problems, and uses that supporting evidence to push for the compensation you rightfully deserve.
In addition, we guide you in handling any secondary threats such as mold, water infiltration, or contamination from wildfire byproducts to prevent them from worsening and delaying your restoration efforts.
Helping with Every Stage of Your Smoke Damage Claim
- Should your insurance company reject your claim for Loss of Use or refuse to pay for ALE, we can intervene and assist in getting reimbursement for the cost of temporary accommodations and other related living needs.
- If you are displeased with the quality of repair work or the insurance-appointed vendor is not properly skilled, we can insist on the “like-for-like” requirement in your policy, ensuring repairs match or surpass your property’s original quality.
Testimonials
George Z.
22:40 16 May 25
It's been a wild ride but Excel Adjustors delivered. Insurance companies truly try to underpay and Excel Adjustors called them out. After a long process and Excels tenacity insurance company paid out. The company is easy to work with, responsive to questions, and guide you every step of the way. Isaac was amazing and I thank him for not giving up. Highly recommend them.
Damian P.
17:00 07 Apr 25
Excel Adjusters really helped us to recover from a major water damage claim. I worked with Sarah and the team, who helped us to get a hotel the next day and further helped us to process the lengthy claim to the end. It was almost 6 months leaving away from home, but thanks to Excel team, we are back at our beautifully remodeled home. I highly recommend Excel Adjusters to be on your side!
Elijah Z.
21:33 30 Jan 25
We had an amazing experience with Excel as they represented us during our insurance claim. Dealing directly with our insurance company was absolutely horrible until we contacted Excel for help, and it was a total game changer when they took over. Andrew and the entire Excel team were amazing to work with. He communicated everything on our behalf, was super responsive, and helped us navigate the lengthy process of dealing with our claim. They fought hard to get every penny we deserved in order to repair the damages covered under our insurance policy and took so much of the weight and stress off our shoulders. Because of Excel, we settled for 3x the amount of what the insurance originally offered. I highly recommend Excel to anyone dealing with insurance claims and can’t thank them enough for helping us with this entire process!
Matt C.
19:49 24 Jan 25
While the representative was polite and professional, their quote of 20% was double the rates of the four other public adjusters I contacted that same day. This was surprising, especially given that all adjusters are also overwhelmed with work during the Eaton and Palisade fire crisis. While the state does not explicitly cap public adjuster fees at a specific percentage, it indirectly limits the amount they can charge by ensuring the insured receives the full settlement amount offered by the insurer prior to any contract with the public adjuster.
For residential claims, industry practice in California typically caps public adjuster fees at 10%, though this specific percentage may not be directly stated in Section 15027. A public adjuster quoting 20% for a residential claim may be considered unreasonable or exploitative, particularly during a crisis.
For residential claims, industry practice in California typically caps public adjuster fees at 10%, though this specific percentage may not be directly stated in Section 15027. A public adjuster quoting 20% for a residential claim may be considered unreasonable or exploitative, particularly during a crisis.
