hoa and fire loss

First of all you need to understand about insurance claims. Generally, you will not cash the check until work has been performed. In the best case, you contractor will deal directly with the insurance company. Payment will be issued directly from the insurance company to the contractor.

Chances are very good the repair will cost more than your initial check. If you are paying the contractor you are going to have to chase these banks down multiple times. The bank usually will not sign off on the check until their property has been repaired. If you are lucky enough to have only local banks involved you can go to the bank and speak with a human being about this and they may be easier to work with.

I would contact your insurance agent and see if they have a "recommended" contractor in your area. This in no way means they are better or worse than anyone else, it is just that the contractor has already agreed to jump through the insurance companies hoops and agreed to their payment procedure. The contractor will work directly with the insurance company on cost over runs, which is a blessing. Otherwise it is possible that you could get stuck with unapproved repair expenses.

You need to make sure your contractor is either endorsed by the insurance company or is a large stable company. After a fire repair there is a higher likely hood of mold and mildew problems that everyone will want to blame on everyone else. The contractor did not repair it properly, the insurance company did not pay to address the potential for mold or mildew..etc.