Fire & smoke cleanup
Water damage drying
Mold remediation
Storm response
Sewage cleanup
ReconstructionFree visual inspection and a written scope of work before any mitigation begins - photos, moisture readings, and drying logs go in your claim file
The scope we write is the scope we bill. Anything new gets shown to you, in writing, before we touch it.
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AfterHow Much Does Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration Cost in San Bernardino?
Fire and smoke damage restoration in San Bernardino typically runs $3,200 to $18,500 for most homes, with a typical single-room fire and smoke cleanup landing around $5,800. Small jobs limited to smoke odor treatment and surface cleaning can come in under $2,000, while a fire that reaches the attic, roof structure, or multiple rooms can push past $30,000. The final number depends on how far smoke traveled, how much water the firefight left behind, and whether structural charring needs repair.
We handle fire and smoke restoration as one of our three core disciplines, alongside water damage restoration and mold remediation, so a single IICRC-certified team carries the job from emergency board-up through final clearance. If you’re staring at a burned kitchen right now, call (877) 358-7678 for a free estimate. We’ll walk the damage with you and put real numbers on paper.
Key Takeaways
- Most San Bernardino fire and smoke restoration jobs cost $3,200 to $18,500.
- Smoke odor removal alone runs $450 to $1,800; soot cleaning of walls and ceilings adds $1,200 to $4,500.
- Water damage from firefighting is often the hidden cost: drying and extraction add $900 to $3,800.
- Insurance usually covers fire restoration. We document moisture readings, soot mapping, and photo evidence to support your claim.
- Professional equipment matters here: Dri-Eaz and Phoenix dehumidifiers, XPOWER and B-Air air movers, and Injectidry wall-cavity systems remove smoke and moisture that box fans and shop vacs can’t reach.
Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration Cost Breakdown (2026)
Here’s how the pricing breaks down line by line for the San Bernardino market. These ranges reflect real residential and light-commercial jobs, not national averages pulled from a trade magazine.
| Service | Typical Cost Range | What It Covers |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency board-up & site security | $350 – $1,400 | Securing doors, windows, and roof openings after the fire |
| Water extraction & structural drying | $900 – $3,800 | Removing firefighting water; Dri-Eaz/Phoenix dehumidifiers and air movers |
| Soot & char removal (walls, ceilings, framing) | $1,200 – $4,500 | Dry and wet soot cleaning, HEPA vacuuming, surface prep |
| Smoke odor treatment (thermal fogging, hydroxyl, ozone) | $450 – $1,800 | Neutralizing smoke molecules in porous materials and HVAC |
| Content cleaning & pack-out | $600 – $3,200 | Cleaning, deodorizing, and storing salvageable belongings |
| HVAC & duct cleaning | $400 – $1,200 | Removing smoke residue from the air system so it doesn’t re-circulate |
| Drywall & structural repairs | $1,500 – $8,000+ | Patching, replacing burned sections, priming and painting |
| Injectidry wall-cavity drying | $500 – $2,000 | Drying inside wall cavities without full tear-out |
| Reconstruction / rebuild | $4,000 – $30,000+ | Framing, roofing, cabinetry, and finish work on larger losses |
What drives the total up or down? Three things matter most. First, how far smoke traveled. Smoke moves through a house the way air moves, so a kitchen fire can leave residue in bedrooms two walls away. Second, how much water went in. A fire that got knocked down with 400 gallons of water needs real drying before anyone touches drywall, or you’re looking at a mold problem in 48 to 72 hours. Third, whether structural materials burned. Soot cleans up; charred framing gets replaced. We use Injectidry systems to dry inside wall cavities when possible, which often protects materials that a tear-out crew would have removed by default.
What Affects Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration Pricing in San Bernardino
No two fires leave the same damage. These are the factors that move the price on a San Bernardino job.
- Fire type and fuel source. A grease fire in a San Bernardino kitchen behaves differently from an electrical fire in a garage or a wildfire ember ignition in the foothill neighborhoods above the city. Protein fires from cooking leave a nearly invisible film that smells far worse than it looks and takes longer to neutralize.
- Smoke migration through the structure. In San Bernardino’s older housing stock, especially the 1950s-70s tract homes common around Del Rosa and the neighborhoods off Highland Avenue, unsealed wall cavities and return-air chases let smoke travel to rooms nowhere near the fire. The farther it went, the more cleaning and odor treatment you need.
- Water damage from firefighting. This is the cost homeowners don’t see coming. Extraction and structural drying are separate line items, and they have to happen before any rebuild starts.
- Extent of char and structural involvement. Surface soot cleans off. Burned studs, joists, or roof decking get replaced, and that’s where prices climb fast.
- Contents and salvageable belongings. Pack-out and content cleaning are priced by volume. A house packed full of furniture and heirlooms costs more to inventory and clean than a sparsely furnished one.
- Insurance scope and documentation. A well-documented claim with moisture readings, soot mapping, and photos supports a full scope of work. We document the job to IICRC standards because the paperwork is what gets your loss fully covered.
How to Save on Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration
You can’t undo the fire. You can keep the restoration bill from ballooning past what it needs to be.
- Get the estimate before the demo starts. Free estimates through (877) 358-7678 put a real number in front of you before anyone swings a hammer. Compare scopes, not just totals.
- Don’t run box fans or a shop vac. Consumer fans push soot into more rooms and shop vacs aerosolize what should be HEPA-filtered. That makes the job bigger, not cheaper.
- Move salvageable belongings out of the smoky rooms early. Content that stays sealed in a smoke-filled house absorbs odor and costs more to clean later.
- Choose minimally invasive drying where it’s an option. Injectidry wall-cavity systems can dry behind drywall without tearing it out, which can save thousands in reconstruction on a water-damaged fire loss.
- Ask what your policy covers before the scope is locked. Most homeowner policies cover fire restoration including drying and rebuild; knowing your deductible and coverage keeps you from paying out of pocket for work the insurer would have handled.
- Fix the small stuff before it becomes big. Boarding a broken window the same day prevents water intrusion and vandalism that would stack a second loss on top of the first.
Why IICRC Certification and the Right Equipment Change the Price
A cheaper bid often means cheaper tools, and that’s where the real cost hides. A generalist with rented air movers may charge less up front, then charge again when the smoke smell returns or the moisture returns because the drying was guesswork. Our technicians are trained and tested to the IICRC standard for fire, water, and mold work, and we run the same professional-grade equipment used on large commercial losses: Dri-Eaz and Phoenix dehumidifiers, XPOWER and B-Air air movers, and Injectidry systems for wall cavities. We work under the Restoration Industry Association (RIA) code of ethics and IFA standards, which means accountability to a peer community, not just a self-certification.
We also handle the full chain under one roof. Water extraction, structural drying, smoke and odor removal, mold prevention after the firefight, and the rebuild. When a homeowner has to piece together a water crew, a cleaning crew, and a general contractor, the gaps between them are where damage comes back. One team means one documented protocol from extraction to clearance, and one call if you want the full scope behind our Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration in San Bernardino service, or to start at our home page.
What the Free Estimate Includes
When we walk a burned property in San Bernardino, we look at soot patterns on walls and ceilings, sniff-test for protein residue, check HVAC returns for smoke pull, and take moisture readings where firefighting water pooled. Then you get a scope broken out by line item, matching the table above. No “somewhere between a lot and a lot more.” If you’re in the middle of this and need answers today, call (877) 358-7678. Estimates are free.
FAQs – Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration Cost
How much does fire and smoke damage restoration cost in San Bernardino?
Most San Bernardino homeowners pay $3,200 to $18,500, with a typical single-room loss around $5,800. Smoke-only jobs run $450 to $1,800, and multi-room structural losses can exceed $30,000. Call (877) 358-7678 for a free, exact quote after we see the damage.
Does homeowners insurance cover fire and smoke damage restoration?
Yes, in most cases. Standard San Bernardino homeowner policies cover fire restoration, including water extraction, drying, soot cleaning, odor treatment, and rebuild up to your policy limits, minus your deductible. We document the loss with moisture readings, soot mapping, and photos to support your claim. Call (877) 358-7678 to schedule the inspection your insurer will want.
Is it cheaper to treat smoke odor myself or hire a restoration company?
DIY smoke treatment usually costs less on paper ($50-$200 in supplies) but often fails, and a failed attempt means paying twice. Professional smoke neutralization runs $450 to $1,800 and reaches into wall cavities, HVAC, and porous materials where sprays and candles can’t. Call (877) 358-7678 to get it handled once.
How long does fire and smoke restoration take, and does it affect the price?
Smoke-only jobs often finish in 2 to 4 days; jobs with structural damage and rebuild run 2 to 8 weeks. Time itself generally doesn’t change the line-item price, but delaying the start does: moisture left in the structure can grow mold in 48 to 72 hours, adding a remediation scope. Call (877) 358-7678 to get the clock started the right way.
Can you dry the walls without tearing everything out?
Often, yes. Injectidry wall-cavity drying systems can remove moisture from inside wall cavities without full demolition, which can save thousands on a fire loss with water damage. When tear-out is necessary for charred or structurally compromised material, we’ll show you why. Call (877) 358-7678 to find out which applies to your home.
Pricing reflects the San Bernardino market as of 2026. San Bernardino Restoration Co offers free estimates – call (877) 358-7678.
Written by the team at San Bernardino Restoration Co.
What Our Customers Say
"Third party air clearance test at the end, at their suggestion, so we had proof rather than just their word."
— Shane Brooks"Dealt directly with the insurance adjuster and documented everything with photos and readings. Our claim went through without a single dispute."
— Dana Fletcher"Mold behind the shower wall. Contained the area with plastic and negative air before opening it, which is the part that protects the rest of the house."
— Maria Martinez