How Much Does Fire Damage Restoration Cost? [2025 Data]
The average fire damage restoration cost is $27,175, and most people spend between $3,107 and $51,243. Many factors can affect the cost, but the extent and type of damage are the most influential.
The extent of the fire damage is the most important factor to consider, with major house fires costing many times more to repair than minor smoke damage from a small fire.
Your homeowner’s insurance will likely cover the restoration cost or at least a good portion of it, so your out-of-pocket costs could be quite low or non-existent.
Plan to relocate during major renovations, both to avoid interruptions to your daily routine and to keep your family safe. Relocation costs should be covered by insurance.
Most of the cost goes toward labor, but DIYing can be dangerous and extremely time-consuming, so always hire a pro.
Fire damage restoration costs an average of $27,175, and most projects total between $3,107 and $51,243. You could pay as little as $800 to remediate smoke damage after a minor cooking fire, but prices can climb as high as $180,000 if a major fire does structural damage and destroys a good portion of your home beyond repair. Understanding the average cost can help get you started on the path back to normalcy.
Fire Restoration Cost by Type of Damage
Many different steps go into restoring a home following fire damage. While fire damage cleanup costs vary based on the severity and duration of fire exposure, the table below includes a good idea of how much the required services will cost for different types of fire damage.
| Type of Damage | Cost |
|---|---|
| Water Damage | $1,000 – $6,000 |
| Soot Removal | $2,000 – $6,000 |
| Smoke Damage | $200 – $1,200 |
| Remove Damaged Items | $50 – $100 per lb. |
| Duct Cleaning | $250 – $500 |
| Furniture Deodorizing | $200 – $1,000 |
| Thermal Fogging | $200 – $600 |
| Ozone Treatment | $400 – $800 |
Water Damage Cleanup
Fires can lead to water damage if the heat causes damage to PEX supply lines, if sprinklers were activated, or if authorities used a hose to control the fire. Cleaning up the subsequent water damage costs between $1,000 and $6,000. Water damage cleanup involves removing standing water, drying out building materials, cleaning and sanitizing to prevent mold growth, and removing materials like carpet, drywall, and insulation that are beyond repair. It's important to seek water damage remediation right away because mold can start growing within 24 hours after water damage.
Soot Removal and Cleanup
While the smoke and fire may be gone, soot can linger on your walls, carpeting, furniture, and upholstery. It leaves unsightly stains, discoloration, and serious health hazards in your home.
Depending on the material that’s holding onto soot, cleaning involves vacuuming, blowing, and treating with a strong cleaning solution. Soot removal costs average between $2,000 and $6,000.
Removal of Damaged Items
Having a professional remove damaged items safely from your home costs between $50 and $100 per pound. If you want to remove and restore damaged items, you can consider hiring an emergency pack-out service, which is often covered by insurance.
Smoke Damage Restoration
Like soot, smoke residue can linger on your walls and upholstery if you don’t get help from a professional, as smoke odors won’t just go away on their own. Smoke damage restoration costs between $200 and $1,200 per room, and it involves deep cleaning, deodorization, and ozone smoke treatments. Ozone smoke removal costs between $400 and $800 on its own.
Duct Cleaning
Cleaning your air ducts and vents can help to prevent your HVAC system from carrying smoke odors and soot to rooms that didn’t suffer direct fire damage. The cost to clean air ducts ranges from $250 to $500 on average.
Deodorizing Costs
While many items in your home could be salvageable following a fire, you may find that they still have a strong smoke odor. You have several choices for removing the lingering smoke smell from your home:
Standard furniture and textile deodorizing: $200–$1,000
Thermal fogging: $200–$600
Ozone treatment: $400–$600
Ask your fire damage remediation pros to help you decide which option is best based on your home. You may be able to begin deodorizing while your home's interior is still drying from water damage.
“We learned from our real estate agents about whole-house purifying treatments,” says Bob Tschudi, Angi Expert Review Board member and general contractor in Raleigh, NC. “For about $100, these devices totally eliminate any smells, from cigarette smoke to fire smoke damage.”
Fire Damage Restoration Cost Factors
Several factors can affect fire damage restoration costs, including the extent of damage and the home’s size.
Home Size
More extensive fire damage will require more labor and more materials to restore, so the larger your home or the portion of your home that sustained fire damage, the higher your fire damage restoration costs will be. It costs an average of $5.50 per square foot to restore fire damage, and prices range from $4 to $7 per square foot depending on the extent of the damage and the type of damage you need addressed.
| Home Size (Sq. Ft.) | Average Cost |
|---|---|
| 1,000 | $4,000–$7,000 |
| 1,750 | $7,000–$12,250 |
| 2,000 | $8,000–$14,000 |
| 2,500 | $10,000–$17,500 |
| 3,000 | $12,000–$21,000 |
| 4,000 | $16,000–$28,000 |
Geographic Location
Fire damage restoration costs mostly go toward labor, which accounts for between 50% and 70% of your total. For minor damages like light fire damage, smoke damage, and deodorizing, nearly 100% of your total can go toward labor. As is the case with all labor-intensive jobs, the cost will vary based on the geographic location and scales with the local cost of living. You’ll pay more in coastal states, on average, as well as in major cities.
| State | Average Cost |
|---|---|
| California | $91,700 |
| Florida | $64,900 |
| Georgia | $58,000 |
| Illinois | $60,500 |
| Michigan | $58,500 |
| New York | $78,200 |
| North Carolina | $61,900 |
| Ohio | $60,200 |
| Pennsylvania | $60,200 |
| Texas | $58,700 |
Severity
Restoration costs also depend on the type and cause of the fire and how and where the fire started. The Fire Equipment Manufacturers’ Association classifies fires into five categories, each with differing restoration cost ranges. In a residential setting, electrical fires tend to cause the most damage and are the most expensive to repair, followed closely by cooking and gas fires.
| Type of Fire | Restoration Cost |
|---|---|
| Combustible metal fire | $16,000–$25,000 |
| Cooking fire | $12,000–$20,000 |
| Electrical fire | $12,000–$23,000 |
| Gas fire | $14,000–$20,000 |
| Standard combustible fire | $9,000–14,000 |
Emergency Response Timing
How quickly your emergency responders get to your fire will affect how much the fire spreads, the extent of the fire-damaged materials in your home, the extent of the smoke damage, and even how much water damage or chemical damage your home suffers when the pros extinguish the fire. The faster the response time, the less damage your home will suffer, and the lower your fire damage restoration costs will be.
Accessibility
Depending on where the damage is in your home, accessibility to the area can play a role in your fire damage restoration costs. Hard-to-reach areas, such as attics, crawl spaces, or basements, may require additional labor and specialized equipment to restore, which can drive up prices.
Insurance Coverage
Homeowner’s insurance will normally cover your fire damage restoration costs if the fire started as an accident. However, your actual coverage amount will depend on your insurer and your policy. You’ll always need to pay a deductible, which will also vary by policy, but you may see higher out-of-pocket repair costs if you opt for high-end materials for the build-back or choose to make changes to your home’s layout during the renovation.
Pre-Existing Conditions
If your home already had structural issues, outdated wiring, or mold, these conditions could complicate restoration and potentially increase your expenses. You may want to include these renovations while the professionals are already on site, but your insurance may not cover add-on items, so you may pay more out of pocket for this type of work.
Specialized Item Restoration
Finally, the cost of restoring delicate or high-value items, such as artwork, antiques, or electronics, is much higher than restoring standard items. All of the costs mentioned above assume a standard home with standard belongings, so your total can vary widely depending on the items you need to repair or replace.
Fire Damage Restoration vs. Replacement
Fire damage restoration will usually cost less than replacing all fire-damaged materials and starting over with a full renovation. However, whether or not restoration of existing materials is possible depends on the extent of the damage and the materials themselves.
For example, remodeling a kitchen costs $14,600 to $41,300, but leaving the salvageable materials in place, replacing what’s beyond repair, removing soot, and treating smoke damage costs an average of $16,000 to $20,000, which will very often be more affordable than a total remodel.
You should have a local fire damage restoration company assess your property to see which is a better option for you. If firefighters were able to extinguish the fire quickly and you don’t see a lot of melted or charred materials, restoration is probably the best option. If the damage is severe or any structural components were damaged, full replacement is likely the safest option.
The table below includes some average repair costs associated with house fires. You can assess the extent of the damage and get a ballpark estimate for your repair costs based on these numbers.
Ordinary Combustible Fires
When wood, paper, plastic, or other common materials catch ablaze, experts call it an ordinary combustible fire, or a Class A fire. These fires don’t spread quite as quickly as kitchen oil fires or electrical fires, and they are susceptible to fire extinguishers, so the price tag for damage restoration comes in slightly less than most other types. However, they still create plenty of soot and smoke damage, so you’ll pay between $9,000 to $14,000 for restoration services to a home of 2,500 square feet.
Gas Fires
Gas fires are different from kitchen oil fires, referring instead to flammable household liquids like petroleum, oil, and even oil paints. These fires are tough to put out, requiring smothering or a chemical that produces a similar result. As such, they create tons of damage in their wake and necessitate some unique procedures, as the flammable liquid likely leaves dangerous residue throughout the home.
You’ll pay between $14,000 to $20,000 for restoration services in a home of 2,500 square feet.
Electrical Fires
Electrical fires are particularly notorious. They can start at faulty outlets, the power grid itself, or appliances like computers. These fires often start without human interference and spread quickly before anyone notices anything is wrong. This process often translates to ruined furniture, appliances, and walls, with soot and smoke damage to match.
Restoring damage after an electrical fire can cost between $12,000 and $23,000 for a 2,500-square-foot home.
Combustible Metal Fire
These fires are relatively uncommon in residential settings, regularly occurring in industrial locations. A combustible metal fire involves an actual metal, such as aluminum or titanium, catching ablaze. Just like gas fires, they are tough to put out, as water actually encourages these fires to spread.
Given time, this type of fire spreads quickly throughout the home, leaving plenty of chemical residue that needs to be removed. Hiring a pro to restore damage after a combustible metal fire is expensive, at $16,000 to $25,000 for a home of 2,500 square feet.
Kitchen Oil Fire
Some of the most common house fires start with kitchen oil, grease, or related animal fats. These kitchen fires flare up quickly and can damage kitchen walls, cabinets, and appliances. They can also rapidly spread to other parts of the home, causing damage and leaving soot and debris in their wake.
As such, kitchen fire restoration costs are on the expensive side, with an average of $12,000 to $20,000 for a home of 2,500 square feet.
Cost to Rebuild After House Fire
Once you’ve paid a restoration pro to remove soot, smoke damage, debris, impacted furniture and appliances, and deodorize your home, it’s time to think about actual rebuilding. Of course, rebuilding costs vary wildly depending on damage severity, but here are some figures worth considering.
Remodeling a kitchen costs $14,600 to $41,300 in the case of a kitchen grease fire. The average cost to install drywall, in the case of a whole-house fire, is $1,800 or $1.50 to $3 per square foot. Roof repair costs $400 to $1,800, while replacing a roof costs $5,900 to $12,800, depending on size and type.
Some major fires require differing levels of foundation repair, costing between $2,200 to $7,800, depending on the extent and location of the damage.
| Type of Work | Cost |
|---|---|
| Kitchen Repairs | $14,600 – $41,300 |
| Drywall Installation | $1,000 – $3,000 |
| Roof Repair | $400 – $1,800 |
| Roof Replacement | $5,900 – $12,800 |
| Foundation Repair | $2,200 – $7,800 |
| Electrical Repair | $900 – $3,000 |
| Floor Repair | $400 – $20,000 |
DIY vs. Hiring a Pro for Fire Damage Restoration
If you had a small fire that resulted in some minor smoke damage, but you were able to put the fire out quickly yourself, you could opt to DIY the smoke damage restoration. A deep cleaning and deodorizing could do the trick, and you can do this using products and tools available from your local home improvement store.
If your home suffered more severe damage, especially anything related to structural, plumbing, or electrical components, or it required firefighters to put it out, hire a local fire damage restoration company. Not only can it be unsafe to work in a home that sustained fire damage, but you could miss problems with structural damage and hidden water or moisture that could lead to more expensive and dangerous issues down the road. Plus, your insurance should pay for all or most of the cost.
Fire Prevention Costs
If a recent fire has inspired you to upgrade your home's fire suppression system, you can fold those costs into your project. The average cost of a home fire sprinkler system falls between $0.80 and $7 per square foot. Here's a breakdown of other fire prevention costs:
Extinguishers: $20–$100 each
Standard smoke detectors: $20–$65
Home security system with fire detection: $300–$1,250
Fire door cost: $400–$900
How Angi Gets Its Cost Data
Home is the most important place on earth, which is why Angi has helped more than 150 million homeowners transform their houses into homes they adore. To help homeowners with their next project, Angi provides readers with the most accurate cost data and upholds strict editorial standards. We survey real Angi customers about their project costs to develop the pricing data you see, so you can make the best decisions for you and your home. We pair this data with research from reputable sources, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, academic journals, market studies, and interviews with industry experts—all to ensure our prices reflect real-world projects.
Want to help us improve our cost data? Send us a recent project quote to [email protected]. Quotes and personal information will not be shared publicly.
Homeowner’s insurance will usually cover fire damage restoration unless you or someone in your home started the fire purposefully or if negligence was the underlying cause. In all other cases, including electrical fires, accidental cooking fires, and gas fires, you’ll need to pay a deductible, but the rest of the costs should be covered. Once you have the fire out and the damage has stopped spreading, contact your insurance company to file a claim and get fast approval for remediation.
The first step in fire damage restoration is having a pro come in right away to help control moisture (if authorities used water to extinguish a fire at your home). Skipping moisture removal puts your home at risk for invasive mold and rot that can cause added property damage and health issues. Once you have the bulk of the water out, you’ll need to run blower fans for 24 to 72 hours to remove moisture.
Fire damage restoration can take as little as a week to repair minor damage, but a full property renovation after a major fire can take longer than a year, including time to get approval for the work and get your contractors paid through your insurance company. Overall, it’s always best to talk to your insurance provider and your repair team about your individual situation to get the best estimate.
You should pick ozone treatment to remove smoke odors because it’s a high-tech fire treatment that removes odor molecules from the air in each room of your home. It’s better at getting rid of smoke smells than many sprays and air fresheners because it oxidizes the actual material that’s causing the odor rather than just covering up the smell.
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