Sell a Fire Damaged House in Texas
We Buy Fire Damaged Houses in Texas.
In Texas, you can sell a fire damaged house as-is, for cash, without fixing a thing.
You don't have to clean it. You don't have to be there. We have worked 48 fire damaged homes in Texas and bought 10 of them.
Selling a fire damaged house is not like a normal home sale, and most Texas sellers find that out the hard way. If you want to sell your fire damaged house for cash, or you just want to know how to sell a fire damaged house at all, this page walks you through it.
5.0 stars from 26 reviews. BBB Accredited. A+ rating. We pay all closing costs.
Fire Damaged Home in Texas? Get a Fair Offer Today
Request a cash offer from Fire Cash Buyer and we'll give you a call to scheduled when we can walk it. Then give you an offer in 24 hours
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Can You Sell A Fire Damaged House In Texas?
Yes. No Texas law stops you, and you do not need to repair it first. The Texas Property Code only requires that you tell the buyer about the fire. Selling a house with fire damage means selling it as-is to a buyer who prices the repairs themselves. That is what we do.
Will You Buy My House?
Probably. Here is what we buy:
Houses that burned all the way down
Houses with smoke or water damage only
Houses the city has tagged or ordered torn down
Houses with no insurance
Houses still in probate
Houses with a mortgage still on them
Land where the house has to come down
You can leave anything you don't want inside. We handle the rest
Who Buys Fire Damaged Houses In Texas?
Four kinds of buyer. They are not the same, and the difference matters.
Companies That Only Buy Fire Damage
That's us. We price fire repair every day, so our number holds up after the inspection.
Regular "we buy houses" companies
They take a fire deal now and then. Most guess wrong on the repair cost, then lower the offer later or walk. If a company's website never says the word fire, that's what you're looking at.
Wholesalers
They put your house under contract, then sell that contract to someone else. Ask straight out whether the person talking to you is the one paying.
Regular buyers and small builders
Real, but rare. Loans backed by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac or the FHA require the house to be safe and livable, and a burned house usually isn't. So most of these deals die at the bank, which is why cash matters here.
What Will You Pay Me?
We can't say until we see it. Anyone who gives you a price over the phone is guessing. But here is what we can tell you. When a seller names their price first, we agree at a median of 88% of what they asked.
Based on 19 sales. Figure as of Q3 2026. We update it every 3 months. Ask us for today's number.
You pay nothing. No commission. No repair costs. No closing costs. No cleaning.
Why Can't You Just Tell Me A Price Now?
The price depends on the damage, and nobody can see damage over the phone. Smoke travels further than it looks. Roofs get cut open. Land value changes by city. We look at the house, then give you a number within 24 hours
Will Anyone Buy A Burnt House?
Yes. We buy total losses.
Some houses can be fixed. Some can't. If yours can't, that's not bad news. It just means the value is in the land, and every repair quote you've been handed doesn't matter.
Your house may be a teardown if the fire hit the roof beams, the foundation moved, or the cost to rebuild is close to what the house would be worth after.
If you can't afford to tear it down, tell us. That is not a reason we say no.
What The Fire Department Did To Your House
Most people don't expect this part.
1 in 5 houses we buy has a hole cut in the roof by the fire department. They also break walls to find fire hiding inside them, and the water they use soaks the floors.
None of that is their fault. It's how you stop a fire. But it means the damage is almost always bigger than what you can see from the street.
One more thing that surprises people: more fires start in the garage than in the kitchen. We've looked at 186 of them.
Do I Have To Tell Buyers About The Fire?
Usually yes. Texas law (Texas Property Code Section 5.008) says you must fill out a Seller's Disclosure Notice, and the fire goes on it. Selling as-is does not change that.
But some sales are exempt. That includes:
Homes sold by an executor handling someone's estate
Homes sold through a court order or foreclosure
Homes sold between co-owners, or to a spouse or your own child
If your house is in probate or a trust, the rules may be different for you. Probate in Texas runs through the county court where the person lived, so the county your house sits in sets the pace — Harris County, Dallas County and Tarrant County each move at their own speed. Ask a Texas attorney about your title.
Read the law: Texas Property Code Section 5.008 seller's disclosure.
Does My Insurance Company Have A Deadline?
Yes, and most people don't know it. Texas has a law called the Prompt Payment of Claims Act (Texas Insurance Code Chapter 542).
Your insurance company must:
Say they got your claim and start looking into it — about 15 days
Say yes or no in writing — 15 business days after you send what they asked for
Pay you — about 5 business days after they say yes
If they miss those dates without a good reason, they may owe you 18% interest a year plus your lawyer's fees. Storm-related claims follow slightly different rules under Chapter 542A.
Who Do I Call If My Insurer Stalls?
The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI). They regulate insurance companies in Texas and take complaints. Their help line is 800-252-3439, open 8am to 5pm Central. TDI is also home to the State Fire Marshal's Office.
TDI licenses public adjusters too, so you can check anyone who offers to fight your claim for you: TDI adjuster lookup.
Who Decides What My Burned House Is Worth For Taxes?
Not your insurer, and not us. Your county appraisal district does, and it is separate from your city. That means the Harris Central Appraisal District in Houston, the Dallas Central Appraisal District, the Tarrant Appraisal District in Fort Worth, the Travis Central Appraisal District in Austin, or the Bexar Appraisal District in San Antonio. A burned house may qualify for a lower value, which lowers the taxes
piling up while it sits. Call your district and ask.
One more thing worth knowing: the Texas Real Estate Commission licenses real estate agents and brokers. We are a buyer, not a brokerage. Nobody here earns a commission on your house.
Texas Isn't One Market
What happens after a fire changes depending on where you are.
Gulf Coast
Wet air means mold grows fast. Fire claims can get stuck behind storm claims.
North Texas
Higher home values, faster city permits. Rebuilding makes sense here more often.
Hill Country
Wildfires. We see houses that survived while everything around them burned.
West Texas
Few buyers, few contractors willing to drive out. Houses sit longer here.
East Texas
Older homes, lower values. Rebuild cost often beats what the house would be worth.
Where We Buy In Texas
North of Dallas we've bought in Plano, including a 3,000 square foot home lost the day after the Super Bowl. We've closed in Wylie, and in Flower Mound where values run high enough that rebuilding is worth pricing out before you sell. Allen was a seller who needed to relocate fast. In Lewisville we bought a rental duplex after lightning hit the roof and totalled it. West of that we've closed in Arlington, Grand Prairie and Garland, where one sale had been stuck in probate for five years before we finished it.
On the Houston side we've bought twice in Katy. We've also closed in Sugar Land, where one seller asked us to move at his pace because losing the house had hit him hard, and in Richmond further out along the corridor.
In Central Texas we've bought in Round Rock, north of Austin, and in College Station.
We buy in Fort Worth and across Tarrant County, in Austin and down through San Antonio.
We also work West Texas, where local buyers are hardest to find. We've closed in Lubbock, and we take properties in Midland and Odessa that sit because few contractors will drive out for one job. Same story in El Paso.
In East Texas and along the coast — Tyler, Waco, Beaumont, Corpus Christi — homes are older and worth less, so the rebuild cost often beats what the house would sell for finished. That's when selling the land makes more sense than fixing the house.
Small towns count too. Being far from a big city does not disqualify your house.
How Fast Can I Sell My Fire Damaged House In Texas?
Most people who call us need to sell my fire damaged house fast — their words, not ours. Here are our real numbers:
Most sales: 14 days
Fastest: 1 day
Slowest: 157 days
That slow one was probate. Others are slow because of an old lien, an unfinished estate, or an insurance claim that has to settle first.
None of those make us walk away. We once paid for a lawyer to speed up a Texas probate. We spent months helping find a mortgage payoff from a bank that closed in the 1990s. If your situation is messy, that's the kind we're built for.
I Don't Live In Texas Anymore. Can I Still Sell?
Yes. Half the houses we look at, we look at without the owner there. We send someone, or we work from photos.
Grand Prairie
Four owners — three siblings in three states, and their dad overseas. We got his signature through the U.S. embassy.
Arlington
The owners spoke no English. Their daughter handled it. We went slow so they understood every page. Closed in 3 weeks.
Lewisville
Lightning hit a rental duplex. The owners took the insurance money, sold to us as-is, and moved the cash into their next deal.
Texas Seller's We've Worked With
3,000 sq ft house lost the day after the Super Bowl. Overwhelmed by a 60-page insurance estimate. Closed in under a month.
Jim, Plano
Kids' fireworks set the garage on fire. Took the insurance payout, sold to us. About 21 days.
Mike, San Antonio
Thought the whole thing might be a scam. Said so in his review.
Roger, Houston
Asked us to go slow because losing the house hurt. We did.
Rich, Sugar Land
Fire was 5 years earlier, probate never finished. We stayed until the money hit his account.
Biraju, Garland
Plus Phuong (Katy) and Ojuolape (Grand Prairie).
How To Verify We're a Real Fire Damage Home Buyer
If you're worried about getting taken advantage of, you should be. Three of our reviewers said they were scared of exactly that.
Ask every buyer these four questions:
How many fire damaged houses have you bought, and when? Ours: 798 worked in 38 states. 10 bought in Texas. Ask them to name the cities.
Will you show proof of funds before I sign? We will. Every time.
Can I talk to someone you bought from? We'll connect you.
Are you buying, or selling my contract to someone else? We buy.
If someone offers you a huge number, be careful, not happy. We've watched sellers get a big promise from a company with no reviews and no track record, then get cut after the inspection.
What Happens Next
Send us the address. Photos help but aren't needed.
A real person calls you, usually within a day.
We look at the house. You don't have to be there.
You get a number within 24 hours.
If it doesn't work, tell us your number.
We close through a title company. You pay nothing.
Questions Texas Homeowners Ask Wanting To Sell After a Fire
Can I Sell Without Fixing Anything?
Yes. No repairs, no cleaning, no clearing it out.
Can I Sell While My Insurance Claim Is Still Open?
Usually yes. About half our sellers were still mid-claim. Your claim and your sale are separate.
What If I Still Owe On The Mortgage?
That's normal. The title company handles the payoff. Tell us early if you owe more than the house is worth.
My Fire Was Years Ago. Too Late?
No. We've bought houses where the fire was years back and nothing happened since.
Who Buys Burnt Houses And Total Losses?
We do. You don't need a standing house to sell.
What Companies That Buy Fire Damaged Houses Work In Texas?
A few fire damaged house buyers specialize in it. Most are general cash buyers who take a fire deal now and then. Ask any of them how many fire damaged homes they've bought and which Texas cities. We've worked 48 in Texas and bought 10.
Are There Cash Buyers For Fire Damaged Homes In Texas?
Yes. We pay cash and show proof of funds before you sign. Cash matters because FHA and conventional loans require a safe, livable house, so most non-cash offers on a burned home fall apart at the lender.
Can I Sell Fire Damaged Property I Rent Out?
Yes. We buy rentals and investment property too. Landlords sell fire damaged property to us as-is all the time. If you claimed the loss, ask your CPA about a Section 1033 exchange — a fire counts as an involuntary conversion, and the rules are different from a 1031. One Texas owner sold us a fire damaged duplex and rolled the money into their next deal.
Can I Sell My House As Is With Fire Damage Still There?
Yes. Sell house with fire damage exactly as it stands, or sell fire damaged home and land together. No repairs, no cleanup, no clearing it out.
Do You Charge Anything?
No. No commission, no fees, no closing costs.
Fire Cash Buyer
We buy fire damaged houses across 38 states. 798 properties worked. 26 reviews, 5.0 stars. BBB Accredited, A+.
Fire Damaged Home in Texas? Get a Fair Offer Today
Request a cash offer from Fire Cash Buyer and we'll give you a call to scheduled when we can walk it. Then give you an offer in 24 hours