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Rebuilding Greenwich Homes After Fire Damage
A house fire leaves two kinds of damage: what burned and what the hoses soaked. We have repaired both in Greenwich before, with crews coming from Harrison, about 7.5 road miles from Town Hall.
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Greenwich, CT
Who can restore a Greenwich house after a fire?
Strongwater Restoration can, from 111 Calvert Street in Harrison, about 7.5 road miles from Greenwich Town Hall. We clean smoke and soot, dry out the water used to fight the fire, tear out burned and soaked materials, and rebuild the structure, whether it stands in Cos Cob, Riverside, Byram, Old Greenwich or anywhere else in town.
Nearly two-thirds of Greenwich’s 25,613 housing units are single-family detached houses, and plenty of them have some age. About 69% were built before 1980 and roughly a quarter in 1939 or earlier, per the Census Bureau’s 2020-2024 survey, which puts the town’s median build year at 1963. Opening up walls that old after a fire can expose lead paint or asbestos, which has to be identified and handled before the rebuild goes on.
Housing: U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates. Distance is approximate.
Our work in Greenwich
What did we restore after a fire in Greenwich?
We rebuilt the burned roof deck and exterior stairs of a Greenwich property after a fire, then dried and restored the bathroom and the rooms below it, which had taken on the water firefighters used. Both kinds of damage were part of the same restoration. Move each slider to see before and after.
BeforeAfter
BeforeAfterAbout Greenwich
What causes flooding in Greenwich?
Rivers and Long Island Sound both do, which is why the town’s Flood Hazard Overlay rules cover riverine and coastal flooding. The Byram River gauge at Pemberwick set the highest annual peak in its 2010-2024 record during Ida, and Sandy left Old Greenwich ZIP 06870 with more FEMA-inspected homeowner damage than any other Greenwich ZIP.
Sandy could have been far worse. The town’s review of Sandy’s coastal flooding, by Conservation Director Denise Savageau, put the high water at about 10.2 feet (NAVD88), with another 2 to 3 feet of waves in VE zones. Because the surge arrived just after low tide, the report says, a five-hour delay would have meant catastrophic flooding. FEMA’s flood insurance records list 326 Greenwich claims from Sandy, about $18.0 million paid.
Inland, the record centers on the Byram River. Between 1959 and 1961 the Army Corps widened and realigned about 2,400 feet of its channel in Pemberwick, with earthfill dikes protecting 25 acres of residential and industrial land. Ida still drove the USGS gauge at Pemberwick to an estimated 2,830 cubic feet per second on September 2, 2021. A newer federal project, whose design phase began in April 2023, would replace the two Route 1 bridges in Port Chester at a higher elevation, without center piers, to reduce river flooding on both sides of the state line.
Greenwich is really a collection of villages and sections, from Byram at the southern end of the Byram River to Cos Cob, Riverside, Old Greenwich, Glenville and Pemberwick. Its main ZIPs are 06830, 06831, 06807, 06870 and 06878, and four Metro-North stations serve the town: Greenwich, Cos Cob, Riverside and Old Greenwich.
Permits & rebuilding
What permits does a Greenwich rebuild need?
Usually a building permit plus trade permits. The Building Inspection Division requires a building permit for alterations, for turning an unfinished basement or attic into living space and for demolition, and separate permits for every electrical, plumbing and HVAC job. In a special flood hazard area, Building Zone Regulations Sec. 6-139.1 require a permit for all proposed development.
Before a Greenwich rebuild starts
- Contact the Building Inspection Division, Town Hall 2nd floor, 101 Field Point Road, 203-992-8910. Public hours run 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on weekdays.
- In a flood zone, be ready to say whether the work is a substantial improvement and to supply lowest-floor elevations.
- Price the repairs early. Under Sec. 6-139.1, damage that would cost 50% or more of the structure’s pre-damage market value to repair counts as substantial damage.
- To confirm a flood zone, go by FEMA’s flood maps. The town’s FAQ says they are the only document that legally decides it, and the current Greenwich map took effect July 8, 2013.
- Connecticut’s Department of Consumer Protection requires anyone contracting with a homeowner for residential improvement work to register as a home improvement contractor, with exclusions such as commercial property and contracts under $200.
Services in Greenwich
What can we do for a Greenwich property?
Fire and smoke damage restoration, water and flood cleanup, mold remediation, sewage cleanup and the reconstruction that follows. About a quarter of Greenwich homes date from 1939 or earlier, so demolition can uncover lead paint or asbestos that must be dealt with first. We also write estimates and appraisals for owners sorting out a claim, though your insurer decides coverage.
- Water Damage Restoration
- Fire Damage Restoration
- Smoke Damage Restoration
- Storm & Flood Damage Restoration
- Mold Remediation
- Sewage Cleanup
- Asbestos Abatement
- Lead Paint Removal
- Reconstruction After Damage
- Commercial Water Damage Restoration
- Commercial Fire Damage Restoration
- Restoration for Property Managers
- Estimating, Appraisal & Expert Witness
- Remodeling
FAQ
Greenwich Questions
How much rain did Ida bring to Greenwich?
The National Weather Service’s final totals list 7.65 inches in Greenwich and 5.72 inches in Old Greenwich from the storm of September 1 and 2, 2021. Afterward FEMA approved about $2.08 million for 320 Greenwich homeowners, and flood insurance records show 165 Ida claims in town, about $8.4 million paid.
Which utility should a Greenwich owner call first?
Aquarion Water Company supplies the water, and its Stamford system also reaches parts of Greenwich. The town’s DPW Sewer Division runs every town sewer, the Grass Island Wastewater Treatment Plant and 28 pumping stations, and it issues sewer permits; reach it at 203-618-3001. Once the utility has stopped a main break or backup, call us at (718) 357-9191 for the cleanup.
Why can earlier renovations matter in a Greenwich flood zone?
Because Greenwich treats substantial improvement as cumulative over the life of the building. The count starts from the flood map date that made the structure non-compliant: August 19, 1986, February 22, 1999 or July 8, 2013. Past projects can push a new rebuild over the 50% line, so check with the Building Official before the scope is set.
Is Greenwich too far from Harrison for your crews?
No. Greenwich Town Hall at 101 Field Point Road is about 7.5 road miles from our office at 111 Calvert Street in Harrison, New York, by the Harrison Metro-North station. We cover the whole town, from Byram and Pemberwick on the Byram River out to Riverside, Cos Cob and Old Greenwich.
Nearby
Which towns close to Greenwich do we also serve?
Stamford, which shares part of ZIP 06831 and Aquarion’s water systems with Greenwich, and Port Chester, on the New York side of the Byram River. From our Harrison office we also work in Rye Brook, Rye and the rest of Westchester County, so one crew can handle a property on either side of the state line.
Talk to Strongwater
Smoke, soot or hose water in a Greenwich house?
Call (718) 357-9191. Our crews work out of Harrison, about 7.5 road miles from Greenwich Town Hall.