Fire rebuild
Rebuilding After a Wildfire in Colorado
If you've lost a home to a Colorado wildfire, we're deeply sorry. We've walked families through rebuilding after the Waldo Canyon and Black Forest fires — and we can help you find steady ground again.
The record
We’ve been here before.
When the Waldo Canyon and Black Forest fires tore through the Colorado Springs area, we helped families rebuild what they’d lost — and in some cases, they were back in a new home in under a year. That work taught us how a rebuild really goes: the insurers, the adjusters, the paperwork, and the weight of standing on a scraped lot deciding what comes next.
- NBC Nightly News“That Was Home: Residents Rebuild In Wildfire-Prone Areas”2014
- Builder Magazine“Building a Defense Against Exterior Fires”2015
- KRDO NewsChannel 13“Venetucci Barn Restored By Trees Burned In Black Forest Fire”2013
- Luxury Daily“Rebuilding Luxury Homes From The Construction Team's Perspective”2014
- The Gazette“Trees From Fires Cut Into Useful Lumber”2013
- Colorado Springs Business Journal“Black Forest Rebuild Worthy Of Parade Of Homes”2014
Landmark work in the Pikes Peak region
- The Venetucci Farm barnRebuilt from timber killed in the Black Forest Fire — the burned trees became the building.
- The Black Forest Community PavilionBuilt for the community that lost the most homes in the 2013 fire.
- The Cheyenne Lodge at the BroadmoorRestored — a historic building on Colorado Springs' most recognisable property.
Rebuild, not restore
A fire rebuild is a brand-new home — and a fresh start.
Wildfire heat compromises the original foundation, so the lot is typically scraped clean and the home rebuilt from the ground up. It’s hard to hear that nothing of the old structure remains — but it also means the new home isn’t bound by the old one. You can fix what never worked, and build in the fire resilience the last home didn’t have.
The practical side
Insurance, adjusters, and the paperwork.
The hardest part of a rebuild often isn’t the building — it’s the settlement. Over the years we’ve worked with many insurance companies, mortgage companies, and adjusters, and we help you navigate the paperwork so you can rebuild with as much of your settlement as possible. Fire settlements generally come without strings beyond your budget, so within reason you’re free to build the home you actually want this time.
In their words
From families we've rebuilt for
If we had it to do all over again knowing what we know about Stauffer & Sons, we’d do it again in a second. Every member of the company was the best in their knowledge, skill, and the selection of their subcontractors. I always felt in the loop, and if I had a question about anything, I would get an answer immediately or they would find the answer. I had a neighbor who used Stauffer & Sons for a remodel. When she lost her home in a forest fire and decided to use them again, I knew they must be good because she went back to them to build an entire house. I called Andy Stauffer on the phone to set up an appointment about building a new home since we lost ours in a forest fire. I immediately was intrigued by his professionalism, and sense of humor. When we began the process, we filled out a four-page questionnaire about who we were and what we liked and disliked. Because of that and the input from the builder, architect, project manager, and us, this home fits us like a glove. For that reason, I can’t just name one aspect. We love everything about our new home.
Fire-rebuild questions, answered
Do you rebuild on the existing foundation?
Usually not. Wildfire heat compromises the original foundation, so the lot is typically scraped clean and the home is rebuilt new from the ground up. In practice, rebuilding after a fire means building a brand-new home — which also means you can improve on what was there.
Can you help with the insurance and paperwork?
Yes. Over the years we've worked with many insurance companies, mortgage companies, and adjusters, and we help you navigate the paperwork so you can rebuild with as much of your settlement as possible. Fire settlements generally come without strings beyond your budget, so you're often free to build what you want.
Will my rebuilt home be more fire-resistant than what I lost?
It can be. Rebuilding is a chance to design in defensible space, ignition-resistant materials and detailing, and smarter siting — so the new home is more resilient than the one that was lost.
How long does a fire rebuild take?
It varies with permitting, your insurance timeline, and the home itself. Some families have moved back in less than a year after a fire; we can't promise that, but we do everything we can to keep a rebuild moving.
