How Much Does Fire Damage Restoration Cost?
A fire of any type is devastating. It destroys your property and, for many survivors, their sense of safety.
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If you’ve had a fire in your home, you’ll want to do everything possible to get your life back to normal. But the devastation could also mean paying a high price.
Read on to learn more about what it’ll cost to repair your home after fire damage and the different factors determining the price.
What Is the Average Cost of Fire Damage Restoration?
The cost of fire damage restoration depends on the extent and type of damage. A smaller fire may have a restoration bill in the region of $2500-$5000. But the more extensive the damage, the higher the cost of restoring your home. Homeowners may spend between $6000 and $25,000 on repairs.
If you’re asking for quotes from local restoration companies, they’ll ask for the square footage of your house. Here’s the average fire repair cost per square foot:
- 1,000 to 2,000 square feet: $4,000 to $12,000
- 2,500 to 3,000 square feet: $12,000 to $15,0000
- 4,000 square feet: $16,000 to $25,000
9 Factors That Influence Fire Damage Restoration Costs
Many factors affect fire damage restoration costs beyond the price per square foot. Understanding these factors can help you estimate fire damage repair costs and prepare an accurate budget for your home.
1. Water Damage Repair
If your home sprinkler system kicked in and the firefighters used hoses to douse the flames, you’ll need water restoration services. Water damage is often a side effect of a house fire that many homeowners don’t know to expect.
Water can put out the fire in your house, but it can also cause damage, such as water stains, soaked cabinets and ceilings, and mold. The dangers of mold exposure are why you can’t lose a second in seeking water damage restoration after a house fire.
Water damage restoration services prevent damage from disintegrating materials and mold infestation. The process requires extracting surface water and dehumidifying your house to air it out. Water damage restoration costs range between $1,000 to $6,000.
2. Smoke Damage Repair
Smoke causes unpleasant odors and pollution in your house. It can seep through fabrics and materials, making it difficult to remove.
Smoke can be just as dangerous as flames. The National Fire Protection Association reports that most deaths in fires are the result of smoke inhalation rather than burning.
Ozone treatment breaks down and removes smoke odors directly from the source. Another treatment option is thermal fogging, which removes smoke from hidden areas in your home, like fabrics. Smoke damage repairs cost between $200 and $4,000.
3. Soot Damage Repair
While the fire and smoke may be gone, soot often lingers in your furniture, carpeting, upholstery, and walls and creates discoloration, stains, and potential health hazards.
Soot is the remnant from materials that don’t combust. It tends to be fine and powdery or greasy and oily. The longer you wait to clean up the soot, the worse it becomes.
Soot ash can stain and contaminate your floors, ceilings, and walls. It can cause permanent damage to your home when left untreated. Additionally, it causes toxic odors and stains and contains strong acids that deteriorate just about anything.
Depending on the material, soot removal involves vacuuming, blowing, and using a robust cleaning solution.
The average cost of soot damage repair runs between $400 and $6,000. Oily soot cleanup costs more since this byproduct derives from grease fires.
4. Odor Removal
Odor removal and chemical contamination add $1,000 to $3,000 to the total restoration bill. An ozone treatment uses ozone atoms to oxidize odors. Ozone treatments for houses are between $300 and $600 per floor.
An alternative is thermal fogging treatment, which removes lingering odors in hard-to-reach areas. It’s a deodorizing agent that is heated before it’s misted across textiles and furniture. The agent in the fogging treatment is attached to the smoke particles and absorbs them, neutralizing the smell.
Ask your fire damage restoration professionals to help determine which solution is best for your home. They may begin deodorizing while your house’s interior is drying from water damage.
5. Burnt Materials Removal
Fire damage restoration experts will remove any burnt material before proceeding with structural repairs. They dispose of unsalvageable items from your home. Many contractors provide a per-pound estimate starting at $60 per pound. On average, homeowners pay between $300 to $1,6000 to discard fire-damaged materials.
6. Chemical Damage
Chemical buildup typically occurs from the use of fire extinguishers. A fire restoration company uses special equipment to expel the chemical residue from fire extinguishers. Removing all chemical residue costs between $600 to $2,000.
7. Fire Restoration
The flames from a fire will wreck anything they touch, and cleanup is a labor-intensive task that requires checking each room and item in your home.
That said, restoration can often be the better alternative to replacement. Restoring your property and items to life can save you thousands on buying new furniture, rugs, and other irreplaceable items.
8. Ducts, Vents, and Inaccessible Areas
The soot and smoke from the fire can permeate your HVAC ducts and damage them severely. Cleaning the vents and air ducts removes the trapped smoke odors. The cost for duct cleaning is $200 to $500.
Some areas of the property may be inaccessible due to excessive fire damage. In this situation, special equipment is necessary for the cleanup method.
9. Property Size
A fire restoration expert will typically ask about the property size and the number of rooms. The more rooms and bigger your space, the higher the cost to repair the damaged house.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below, we’ll answer a few common questions about fire damage restoration.
How Much Does It Cost to Clean Smoke off Walls?
Professional wall cleaning services may cost between $450 and $900. On average, homeowners pay about $600 to clean smoke off walls in a 1,200 square feet, three-bedroom, one-bathroom home with wood or painted walls.
On the low end, expect to pay around $400 for an 800 square feet one-bedroom, one-bathroom home with plaster or drywall. Homeowners can also pay $1,250 for a 2,500 square feet four-bedroom, three-bathroom home with brick walls or wallpaper.
The cost to clean smoke off walls depends on your home’s size, the number of rooms, and the type of material that comprise the interior walls. For example, drywall, wood, and plaster are the cheapest to clean, while natural stone and brick are the most expensive.
How Much Does It Cost to Recover From a Fire?
The cost to recover from fire damage depends on the size of your house, the extent of the damage, and your location. The national average cost is about $19,271 for complete repair, but the cost ranges between $6,000 and $25,000.
An initial assessment will determine how much smoke, soot, fire, and water damage the property has suffered.
Experienced Fire Damage? Call Us to Help!
Fire damage is an unfortunate tragedy that homeowners may experience, but fire restoration can ease the stress and difficulty.
If you’ve experienced fire damage, call the professionals at www.alldryus.com. We’ll repair your property right away. Our fire and smoke damage restoration takes care of soot and smoke cleanup to water damage restoration.
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With Ben’s knowledge, and visionary leadership, All Dry USA has expanded into a national, full-service property damage restoration company with multiple locations across the United States. Ben holds numerous specialty licenses and certifications in restoration and construction.