How Much Does Fire Damage Restoration Cost by Square Foot?
It costs roughly $4.70 per square foot to restore a 2,600-square-foot home following fire damage. The complete bill for a home of this size will be in the ballpark of $12,200. On average, you’ll pay $4 to $6.50 per square foot for fire restoration services. Larger homes accrue steeper fees, as seen below.
| Home Size | Average Cost |
|---|---|
| 1,000 square feet | $4,000 – $6,500 |
| 1,750 square feet | $7,000 – $11,500 |
| 2,000 square feet | $8,000 – $13,000 |
| 2,500 square feet | $10,000 – $16,000 |
| 3,000 square feet | $12,000 – $20,000 |
| 4,000 square feet | $16,000 – $26,000 |
| More than 4,000 square feet | $4 – $6.50 per additional square foot |
Fire Restoration Cost by Damage Type
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, this is a good idea of how much services related to restoring your home will cost.
| Type of Damage | Cost |
|---|---|
| Water Damage | $1,000 – $4,000 |
| Soot Removal | $2,000 – $6,000 |
| Smoke Damage | $200 – $1,000 |
| Remove Damaged Items | $50 – $100 per pound |
| Duct Cleaning | $200 – $500 |
| Furniture Deodorizing | $200 – $1,000 |
| Thermal Fogging | $200 – $600 |
| Ozone Treatment | $200 – $400 |
Water Damage Cleanup
If sprinklers were activated or authorities used a hose to control the fire, cleaning up the subsequent water damage typically costs between $1,000 and $4,000. Water damage cleanup involves thoroughly cleaning and repairing or removing materials like carpet, drywall, and insulation that have taken on water. It's important to seek water damage remediation right away because allowing the moisture to linger invites mold issues into your home.
Soot Removal and Cleanup
While the smoke and fire may be gone, soot can linger on your walls, carpeting, furniture, and upholstery and create stains, discoloration, and serious health hazards in your home. Depending on the material, cleaning soot 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 it's not addressed by a professional. Completely removing smoke odors after a fire costs between $200 and $1,000 for most homeowners.
Duct Cleaning
Cleaning your air ducts and vents can help to prevent trapped smoke odors from being carried through your home. Costs range from $200 to $500.
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: $200–$400
While thermal fogging extracts smoke from fabrics, ozone treatments break odor molecules down at the source. Ozone treatments work by attaching ozone and oxidizing odorous molecules in the air and on surfaces. 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.”
Common Types of House Fire Restoration Costs
Restoration costs also vary depending on the type of fire and where the fire started. The Fire Equipment Manufacturers Association classifies fires into five categories, each with differing restoration cost ranges.
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 cause damage to kitchen walls, cabinets, and appliances. These fires 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.
Electrical Fires
Electrical fires are particularly notorious, starting at faulty outlets, the power grid itself, or via appliances like computers. These fires often start without human interference, spreading quickly before homeowners notice 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 costs anywhere from $12,000 to $23,000 for a home of 2,500 square feet.
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.
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 removal. 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.
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 $25,000 to $40,000 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 $3.00 per square foot. Roof repair costs $400 to $1,550, while replacing a roof from the ground up costs $2,500 to $6,500, depending on size and type.
Some major fires require differing levels of foundation repair, costing between $500 to $7,000, depending on the extent and location of the damage.
| Type of Work | Cost |
|---|---|
| Kitchen Repairs | $25,000 – $40,000 |
| Drywall Installation | $1,000 – $3,000 |
| Roof Repair | $400 – $1,550 |
| Roof Replacement | $2,500 – $6,500 |
| Foundation Repair | $500 – $7,000 |
| Electrical Repair | $900 – $3,000 |
| Floor Repair | $400 – $20,000 |
How Much Does It Cost to Do Fire Damage Restoration Work Yourself?
Once your home has sustained fire damage, all bets are off for DIY fixes. You should always let licensed fire damage cleanup pros handle any fire restoration or cleanup work. Trying to tackle this yourself is extremely dangerous and could also affect your insurance policy. Fire restoration pros specialize in salvaging and restoring items, cleaning up soot, and removing lingering odors.
This is also a good time to note that you should always talk to your insurance company first before hiring anyone to tackle home restoration following a fire.
Future Suppression Plans
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 adding fire protection to your home falls between $200 and $1,100. Here's a breakdown of what's on the list:
Extinguishers: $30–$100
Standard smoke detectors: $10 or less
High-quality smoke detectors: $600–$900
Sprinklers: $0.80–$2.50 per square foot
