(I thought you might have been back in your house by now. Damn that is taking a long time....)
There has been lots of hold ups between the city, the adjuster and the contractors. The contractors are unsure of the cities expectations to bring a hundred year old house torn down to the studs up to code and then the adjuster needs everything broken down into what's a code upgrade and what's a repair.
Additionally, the building inspectors won't come right out and say what their expectations are and what compromises they are willing to make. You need to submit a plan, and they will either approve or reject it. I do understand why it's done that way, it can just delay things for weeks or even months. Then the adjuster might say that's pricier than it should be, can you get another quote.
Major hang ups thus far.
Windows, couldn't match, custom Windows to match the originals were $110k for 50 windows. We opted for total replacement that didn't match the original for about half that.
Insulation, walls needed built out to accommodate r-value code. This was a huge issue. We couldn't get anything approved. Ended up building the frame out and also putting poly-Iso board outside the house under the siding and roof. Other issues arose as a result.
Dry wall, as it was originally wood lath and plaster we wanted something that would have the same sound deadening. This was probably the biggest set back of all as it resulted in us firing our initial contractor. At the end of the day and 9 months in we had it done with double 5/8th, resilient channels, green glue and Roxul sound dampening batting for less than the original on the adjusters estimate. It sounds like a tomb inside.
Window and door trim. There was over a linear mile of window and door trim. Much of it would have been intact had the insulation issues, Windows and building out the walls for insulation didn't need to happen. We also couldn't figure out what the wood type was as with age it took on the color of yellow pine, but with the grain of maple. It turned out to be birch which would be nearly impossible to come by in this region, as birch trees fell victim to disease in the 50s, so we opted for maple. Huge price tag on that one and we aren't quite over that hump.
Anyway, that's where we are now and not that far away from getting back home.
Oh, and most importantly Dooley is breathing normally and resting with his very loving brother.