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fire damage clean up
How Much Can it Cost to Clean up After a Fire?
fire damage clean up
House fires can be devastating and unforgiving. According to statistics, fires cause about 78 percent of all civilian deaths in the United States. Not only can they irreparably damage your private property, but also make it hard to salvage what’s left. In fact, clean-up costs can run into thousands and take weeks.
In this article, we’ll talk about fire damage clean-up costs.
What Immediate Steps Should You Take After a Fire?
If your home has been engulfed by a fire, it is important to act fast even after the fire has been put out. Here are some of the precautionary measures that you should take:
- Think of your own safety first. Your property is important, but not as important as your own life. Be sure that your residence is safe to enter and that the infrastructure is sturdy. A restoration company can help you assess the safety of your house.
- Get in touch with a clean-up company immediately – the more you delay the fire damage clean-up process, the more stubborn it can be to get the burnt odor caused by soot out of your house.
- The cost of fire damage clean-up can depend on the size of your home. It can cost up to $50,000 to clean up a big house with multiple rooms. Whereas, it can cost only about $2,500 to clean up a single-bedroom apartment. Also, the cost largely depends on the nature of the damage and the structure.
What Costs to Expect in Fire Damage Clean Up
Here is a small breakdown to help you understand fire damage clean-up costs.
Soot and Smoke Clean Up
Fire clean-up involves taking steps to remove smoke and remove soot. Soot stains everything, and it is highly corrosive, which is why it must be cleaned immediately.
Fire damage clean-up professionals will often use a special type of film to get rid of stubborn soot. Moreover, they may perform some cosmetic repairs.
Since soot can linger around the house, you might even need to have your air ducts cleaned out.
Taking all of these into consideration, the cost of soot removal from your house can be between $400 to $1,700 depending on the extent of the damage.
The cost of soot and smoke cleanup is roughly the same. The only difference is that smoke requires deodorization. Professionals will usually choose one of the two mentioned methods:
- Ozone Treatment: This treatment aims to break down the odor of smoke from its very source and can cost around $200-$550.
- Thermal Fogging: Smoke left behind on fabric can be stubborn. Thermal fogging can help remove it. The process costs $250-$650.
This will help remove the smoke odor.
Water Damage Clean Up
Water damage is serious and can lead to dire consequences. It is important to hire a professional to suck out every drop of water and ensure your property is safe and protected.
Water removal includes using pumps to remove water, performing drywall repairs in all affected rooms, dehumidifying the property to prevent the buildup of mold around the house, and additional drying; you can expect the total cost of water damage clean-up to be around $1,500 and $4,000. It can go even higher in the case of flooded property.
Structural Damage Clean Up
This is one of the first things that is investigated before fire damage clean-up is initiated. A professional will first assess the extent of structural damage and make a report. Moreover, experts will perform debris removal and take care of ash-soot.
Structural repair after a fire can include floor replacement, sheetrock installation, wood replacement, and roof rebuilding. Since this is the major part of a fire damage cleanup, the average cost is between $15,000 to $25,000 per room.
While it is possible to salvage the infrastructure of your home, sometimes there is no option left but to demolish some parts of the home due to extensive damage. These sections then have to be rebuilt, which adds to the cost.
Chemical and Toxin Clean Up
This step is not always necessary, but it could be needed in situations that involve toxic chemicals or large fires. Fire extinguishers, though helpful, leave a chemical residue wherever they are used. This chemical is toxic and can lead to issues if inhaled.
To get rid of chemical and leftover toxic residue, professionals usually perform chemical cleanups and ozone treatments. The cost for these procedures is between $600 to $2,000 and it is an important part of the fire cleanup process.
Will Insurance Cover Fire Damage Clean Up Costs?
Your insurance company may cover a part of the cost. Work with a fire damage clean-up company that provides free quotes and makes it easier to work with an insurance company so that you can reduce the burden.
Del Mar Builders has been in the business for years and has handled all kinds of fire damage including residential and commercial damage. We can even work with the fire department and perform quick fire damage restoration so that your claim can easily get approved. Get in touch with us today to know more about fire damage clean-up costs and how we can help.
