Fire and smoke damage restoration cost in 2026: three sources compared

What do the published fire damage restoration cost guides say?

Three cost guides publish detailed fire and smoke restoration figures. All rows were re-checked on October 19, 2026.

At the extremes, Angi says costs can drop to about $800 for minor smoke from a small cooking fire and reach $180,000 for major structural fires. HomeAdvisor shows the same $800 to $180,000 outer range without explaining how it relates to its headline range. Per square foot, Angi says about $5.50 on average, within $4 to $7, and HomeGuide says $4 to $7.

Why the published numbers disagree

Angi’s $27,477 average sits $9,477 above the top of HomeGuide’s $8,000 to $18,000 range. The cause is mostly what kind of fire each dataset includes.

Angi and HomeAdvisor belong to the same company and publish the same $27,477 average and the same $3,083 to $52,031 range. Angi says its figure comes from 305 projects, a small sample for a job type where one structural fire can cost 50 times a kitchen flare-up. A few large jobs pull the average up.

HomeGuide’s $8,000 to $18,000 is an editorial average range, and its per-square-foot table runs from $4,000 for a 1,000 sq ft home to $28,000 for 3,500 sq ft or more. That describes cleanup and moderate repairs, not rebuilding after a total loss, which HomeGuide prices separately at about $180 to $450 or more per square foot.

Both sources also contain internal inconsistencies. Angi gives ozone treatment as $400 to $800 in one table and $400 to $600 in another. HomeGuide’s two pages give ozone as $300 to $700 and $300 to $1,000. Small inconsistencies like these are why we show each figure with its source rather than a single blended number.

Smoke, soot and odor removal costs

Smoke and soot cleanup is the part of a fire job most homeowners can sanity-check. The table compares each sub-cost by source.

HomeAdvisor notes that dry soot is at the lower end and oily soot costs more. Thermal fogging, ozone treatment and hydroxyl generators treat odor after cleaning, not instead of it. Our guide to smoke odor removal compares the methods, and our smoke damage cleanup guide covers what a crew should do first.

What drives your fire restoration price

• Size and type of fire. HomeGuide prices by fire class, from $8,000 to $14,000 for ordinary combustibles to $15,000 to $25,000 for combustible metals, with kitchen grease fires at $11,000 to $18,000.
• Home size. HomeGuide’s table runs from $4,000 to $7,000 for 1,000 sq ft up to $16,000 to $28,000 for 3,500 sq ft or more.
• Soot type. Oily soot costs more to remove than dry soot, per HomeAdvisor.
• Firefighting water. Every source adds $1,000 to $6,000 or more for water damage.
• Contents. Pack-out, cleaning and storage of belongings can rival the structure cost.
• Structural repairs. Kitchens, roofs, electrical and drywall are priced as rebuild line items below.

What should be on a fire restoration quote?

Ask for mitigation, contents and reconstruction as three separate sections.

The wide gaps between Angi and HomeGuide on drywall and roofing reflect scope: Angi’s figures look like room-level repairs, and HomeGuide’s look like whole-house replacement. Our guide to the fire damage restoration process explains the order of work, and the fire and smoke hub covers everything else.

What does insurance usually cover for fire damage?

Fire is one of the core perils a homeowners policy is built around. How much you receive depends on your dwelling and contents limits, your deductible, and whether your policy pays replacement cost value or actual cash value. Additional living expenses may cover a hotel or rental while the home is repaired, up to the policy’s limit.

HomeGuide advises documenting all damaged items and their replacement costs, sharing the restoration company’s detailed estimate with your insurer, and asking whether the company bills the insurer directly. Angi notes that emergency pack-out is often covered and that you should check your policy.

Smoke-only claims, where the house did not burn, are where disputes are most common. If your insurer limits or denies part of a claim, our guide to a denied insurance claim explains the next steps and when to talk with your state insurance department, a licensed public adjuster or an attorney.

How to compare fire restoration quotes

Fire jobs are where quotes are hardest to compare, because every company draws the line between cleanup and rebuild in a different place. Ask each company to split its estimate into three parts: emergency mitigation (board-up, water extraction, drying), cleaning (soot, smoke, odor, ducts, contents) and reconstruction (drywall, electrical, roofing, kitchen). Then compare each part against the same part of the other quotes and against the ranges above.

Ask for room-by-room quantities, not just totals. A smoke cleaning line should say how many rooms, and a soot line should say which surfaces. If a quote lists ozone or thermal fogging, ask what cleaning happens first, because odor treatments are meant to follow cleaning. If a quote includes contents, ask for the pack-out inventory, how items will be stored, and what storage costs each month.

If an estimate was written in software such as Xactimate, ask for the full line-item printout so you can compare it with the adjuster’s estimate line by line. Our list of questions to ask a restoration company covers licensing, insurance and payment terms.

Fire claims in Florida

Florida sets a firm deadline for property insurance claims. Under s. 627.70132, a new or reopened claim is barred unless notice is given within one year after the date of loss, and a supplemental claim within 18 months. Your policy may require faster notice. A supplemental claim is common on fire losses, because hidden smoke and water damage often appear after the first estimate, so keep every photo and receipt from the start.

Before the restoration crew starts

Wait for the fire department to clear the home, and do not reconnect utilities yourself, per Ready.gov. Photograph every room before anything is moved. If firefighting water soaked the structure, drying needs to start within 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold, the window EPA gives. Our fire emergency steps cover the first day, and our water damage restoration cost page shows what drying alone usually costs.