Why we don't publish prices
We don't publish prices for fire restoration. No standardized regional price index for fire and smoke damage restoration is published for the cities we serve; costs reflect local company reporting, and two fires in houses of the same size can cost wildly different amounts to put right. A number on a website can't see your house. What we can do is explain what drives the cost, so you can read an estimate and understand why two estimates differ.
What drives the cost
How far the damage reached
A fire contained to one room with smoke in the rest of the house is a different job from one that reached the attic. The area of direct fire damage, how far smoke traveled and how many rooms need cleaning all drive the labor, the materials and the time.
The kind of residue
Dry soot from fast, hot fires is the easiest to clean. Wet, smeary residue from smoldering plastics and foam, and the nearly invisible protein residue from kitchen fires, take more time and stronger cleaning methods, and more materials end up being replaced rather than cleaned.
Water from firefighting
Most fire jobs are also water damage jobs. Extracting water, removing wet materials and running drying equipment for days all add cost. Drying that starts late can lead to mold, which adds more.
Contents
The number of belongings, how badly they're affected and how they need to be cleaned make a big difference. Inventorying and packing out a full house, cleaning furniture and textiles, and storing everything for months is often a large share of the total.
Tear-out and rebuilding
What has to be removed and rebuilt (drywall, insulation, flooring, cabinets, framing, roofing) is usually the biggest variable. Custom finishes, older materials that are hard to match and structural repairs cost more.
Code requirements
Rebuilding can require bringing repaired areas up to the current building code: wiring, smoke alarms, framing details and more. That can add work the original house didn't have. Some insurance policies include coverage for code upgrades and some don't.
Testing in older homes
Houses built before 1978 may contain lead-based paint, and older materials may contain asbestos. Testing, and special handling if they're found, adds cost and time.
Timing and access
Emergency board-up at night or on a weekend costs more than scheduled work. Buildings that are hard to reach, multi-story, or that need temporary power add cost too.
Mitigation and rebuild are often priced separately
Emergency work (board-up, water removal, drying, soot cleanup and odor treatment) is often estimated and billed separately from the rebuild. Mitigation is usually priced on what was actually done: equipment days, hours of labor, materials used. The rebuild is usually priced from a scope of work before it starts. If you're comparing companies, make sure you're comparing the same phase, and ask whether the rebuild estimate depends on what tear-out reveals.
Why estimates differ so much
Two estimates for the same fire can differ because one company saw more of the damage, one plans to clean what the other plans to replace, or one includes contents and the other doesn't. Line them up item by item. A much lower estimate often leaves out drying, sealing, duct cleaning or contents, which then reappear as extras later.
Reading an estimate
A good estimate names:
- what will be removed, cleaned or replaced, room by room;
- how water will be removed and the structure dried;
- how soot and odor will be treated, including the ducts;
- how contents will be inventoried, cleaned and stored, and what storage costs;
- permits and inspections;
- the schedule, and what could change it;
- the warranty, in writing.
Questions to ask about price
- What exactly is included, and what would change the price once walls are opened?
- Is contents cleaning and storage included, or separate?
- How are supplements for hidden damage handled?
- What's the payment schedule, and who pays whom if insurance is involved?