Once the fiery blaze that engulfs a home or business is extinguished, fire damage restoration is the next step to return the property to a habitable condition. The cost of fire damage cleanup varies widely and is determined by a number of circumstances unique to each structure.

Homeowners and business owners whose property has been affected by fire have one burning question: “How much will fire damage cleanup cost?” A reputable fire damage restoration service will never provide an answer over the phone. An in-home assessment is necessary to deliver an accurate quote.

Average Fire Restoration Cost

A typical home or business owner may incur costs between $800 to $93,000 for fire damage restoration services. Restoration costs for an entire home will exceed $100,000. Most property owners pay between $3,200 and $25,000. The national average price for fire damage cleanup is $12,000.

Factors Determining Restoration Cost

A technician’s visual onsite assessment determines several factors that affect price: how much fire, smoke, and soot damage the property has sustained, what fire-damaged goods require a thorough cleaning and repair and what unsalvageable possessions must undergo a complete replacement.

The size of the burned structure also heavily impacts the cleanup price tag. For example, contractors may arrive at an estimate of $4.70 per square foot to restore a home with 2,600 square feet. For such a home, the final figure is nearly $12,000 in fire damage restoration costs.

Property owners with insurance should know that their policies may cover all or a portion of the fire damage restoration costs. Insurance companies may require that licensed, professional contractors handle the fire damage cleanup. Major cleanup costs will take into account the following:

1. Water Damage

The raging fire is likely to have been extinguished by water. The watery mess will have soaked through floorboards, carpeting, ceilings, cabinetry and walls. Unanticipated water damage and water stains are the result. The longer the property remains wet, the greater the ruin.

Another undesirable outcome of fires extinguished by water is mold growth. Infestations latch on quickly, within 24 to 48 hours. The damp wood, drywall, carpeting and clothing provide ample nourishment to mold spores. Cleanup costs will include mold prevention methods.

Water damage restoration may be included in the services provided by a fire damage cleanup service. The extent of water damage weighs in significantly on the final costs. A cleanup company may charge $800 to $4,300 to remove a water damaged wall and take mold prevention steps.

2. Soot Removal

Fire is accompanied by soot pollution. Soot is a byproduct of organic materials that fail to completely combust. The physical properties of soot depend on the substances burned. Soot particles may be dry dust or oily grime. The fine, black particles are mostly composed of carbon.

The composition of soot may consist of acids, chemicals, dust and metals. Given its high acidity level, soot will stain carpeting, walls, ceilings and anything else it touches. If not cleaned up immediately, soot will penetrate surfaces and lead to permanent damage.

Soot damage must be cleaned up immediately. The longer a property owner waits to remove the soot, the higher the cleanup costs will be. Depending on the extent of fire damage, a professional smoke and soot removal service costs between $1,800 to $6,400.

3. Smoke Cleanup

Foul smoke odors are an outcome of a property fire. Smoke is as pervasive as soot. Porous materials, like carpeting, drapes, and upholstery, readily absorb smoke. The unpleasant smoke odors will continue to intensify, and the damage will stealthily spread for as long as they are left untreated.

Cleanup of smoke damage should begin at the source and occur only after the process of water and soot damage restorations are complete. The cost to remove smoke damage from porous materials, like walls and cabinetry, ranges from $200 to $1,400.

Professionals use two common methods to remove smoke damage. Thermal fogging eliminates smoke odors from various types of fabrics; costs range from $200 to $600. Ozone treatment breaks down odors at the very source; prices range from $200 to over $500.

4. Fire Reconstruction

A widespread property fire will have likely taken a disastrous toll on carpeting and cabinetry, making fire reconstruction essential to the restoration process. Cabinetry may require refinishing; new carpeting may need to be installed; or scorched drywall will have to be replaced.

Reconstruction services are often a part of fire damage cleanup. Costs for reconstruction vary based on the type of damage sustained. At the low end, replacing and painting drywall may cost $200; however, destroyed kitchen cabinetry may cost more than $5,000 to replace.

5. Miscellaneous Cleanup

A ravaging fire will have deposited soot and smoke particles inside the vents and HVAC system. To preserve the health of occupants inside the home and to keep pollutants from blowing back into the property, the HVAC systems must be thoroughly cleaned and deodorized.

Fire damage restoration can be a staggering expense, which is why home and business owners turn to reputable contractors for fire damage restoration services. Their experienced crews understand that timing is critical when restoring a fire damaged property.

Emergency Fire Damage Restoration Professionals

These professionals provide emergency services every day of the year. Their skilled fire damage restoration technicians arrive onsite quickly and start the remediation process right away to halt the spread of damage. You can expect high-quality repairs, efficiency and rapid response.

Services from fire damage cleanup companies are comprehensive. They provide immediate water damage restoration services in addition to fire damage cleanup. Their specialists will also board up and tarp damaged structures to prevent further damage from the elements and wild pests.

Many restoration professionals offer emergency fire damage restoration services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

About Vince Sandri

Vince Sandri is a content writer and blogger with more than 12 years of experience. His expertise is in creating content related to disaster restoration, including information about preventing and reacting to natural disasters like flooding, water damage, fire and smoke damage, mold growth, storm damage and more.
Vince has been the main contributor to RestorationMasterFinder.com since 2014. Over that time, he has written numerous service pages and blogs for disaster restoration providers featured on RestorationMasterFinder.com. Vince has done extensive research and covered a wide range of topics relating to disaster restoration to help homeowners, business owners, and property managers better protect their property. He understands the problems that disasters like flooding, fire, smoke, and mold can cause as well as the best ways to respond to these issues to limit the damage.
Vince completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at Aurora University and his master’s degree at DePaul University. He has been writing SEO website pages, blogs, and press releases since 2012. Vince is also a musician and can be seen playing in the Chicago, IL area.