Fire damage, smoke cleanup, or soot removal - post free. Genie 911 urgency skips the bidding process and connects you directly with the next available local restoration pro for a sensitive cleanup job.
What's Included in This Category
This category covers fire damage cleanup, smoke odor and residue removal, and soot removal after a fire has been put out and the property has been cleared by the fire department. It does not cover fire suppression itself or structural rebuilding after major fire damage — those are separate needs, and a restoration Service Professional can usually tell you which parts of your situation fall into which category once they see it.
The HVAC Detail Most People Miss
If your HVAC system was running during or after the fire, smoke particles can get pulled into the ductwork and recirculated through the whole house every time the system runs. Leaving the system off until a Service Professional has assessed it is a small detail that makes a real difference to how much of the property needs cleaning versus just the room where the fire happened. Mentioning in your post whether the HVAC was running is genuinely useful information for a pro pricing the job.
What a Pro Needs to See to Bid Your Job
Photos of the affected rooms, an estimate of how many rooms have visible soot or smoke odor versus direct fire damage, and whether the fire department has already cleared the property for entry all help a Service Professional bid accurately. Avoid cleaning soot yourself before a pro sees it — soot residue is often acidic and can etch surfaces further if wiped with the wrong method, and photographing the damage first also helps if you are filing an insurance claim, since most insurers expect damage to be reported within a short window after the fire. For the full picture on documentation, insurance timelines, and what a standard policy typically covers for fire and smoke damage, see fire and smoke damage: what to do and what insurance covers. For an urgent situation, post through Genie 911 so pros who are currently available can respond as soon as they are free. Once more than one bid comes in, here is how to compare them on more than just price — timeline, scope, and communication all matter for a job like this.
You Can Choose Your Own Restoration Company
After a fire, an insurer will often suggest — or send — a restoration company from its own preferred-vendor list to start work quickly. In most cases, the policyholder still has the right to choose their own restoration professional instead, rather than being limited to whichever company the insurance company recommends first; the exact process and any paperwork involved can vary by insurer and state, so it's worth confirming the specifics with your adjuster rather than assuming. Getting your own bid — which is exactly what posting this job does — gives you something to compare against whatever the insurer's vendor proposes, on scope of work as well as price.
That comparison matters most on the judgment calls that affect the size of the job, like whether smoke-affected ductwork needs full replacement or can be professionally cleaned, or how many rooms beyond the fire's immediate location genuinely need remediation versus just the one or two rooms closest to it. If a preferred vendor has already started emergency mitigation, it's still reasonable to get an independent second opinion on the fuller scope before major work is authorized. Keep every estimate, photo, and piece of correspondence with your insurer together — it's the same documentation habit that protects a claim no matter which Service Professional ends up doing the work.
It's also worth asking any Service Professional you're considering whether their estimate is a like-for-like replacement of what was damaged or an upgrade in materials or scope — insurers generally only cover restoring a property to its pre-loss condition, not an improvement on it, so a bid that goes beyond that may leave you covering the difference yourself. Sorting this out at the estimate stage, before work starts, avoids an unwelcome surprise once the invoice arrives and the claim has already been filed.