Fire damage · Chicago, IL
Fire out, smoke everywhere? Soot keeps working after the flames stop.
Smoke and soot go on damaging surfaces for days after a fire, and the water used to put it out starts problems of its own. Call and tell us what happened and your ZIP code, and we will connect you to an independent restoration company that covers your area.
Connects you to an independent restoration company. Home Service Lab does not perform the work and does not set the price.
- Smoke damage
- Soot on walls and ceilings
- Smoke smell that will not clear
- Water from firefighting
- Kitchen fire
- Broken windows or roof opened up
- Damaged contents
- Electrical fire
After the fire, in order
Do these in this sequence. The first one is not negotiable, and the third is the one your insurer will lean on when the claim is assessed.
- Do not go back in until the fire service says it is safe. Floors, ceilings and roof structure can be weaker than they look, and smoldering material can flare up again. If the fire department has not cleared the building, stay out, whatever you left inside.
- Leave the utilities off. Gas, electricity and water stay off until a professional has checked them. Your utility company or a licensed electrician can tell you when it is safe to reconnect.
- Photograph everything before anything is moved or thrown out. Every room, every damaged item, inside cupboards and closets. Once the cleanup starts you cannot show what it looked like, and the contents claim depends on it.
- Secure the property. Board up broken windows and doors, and tarp any opening in the roof. Insurers expect reasonable steps to prevent further damage, and an open house invites weather and theft.
If anyone breathed in a lot of smoke, get medical help. Symptoms of smoke inhalation can appear hours later. Questions about smoke, soot and your health are for a doctor.
What restoration companies get called for
The jobs that come through this line most.
Written so you know roughly what you are dealing with before anyone arrives. None of this replaces someone walking through the building.
Board-up and roof tarping
Usually the first visit. Plywood over broken windows and doors, and a tarp over any hole the fire or the fire service made in the roof. It protects the building while the claim and the cleanup get organized.
Water from firefighting
Hoses put a lot of water into a building, and it soaks into floors, walls and insulation the same way a burst pipe does. It needs drying on the same timeline as any other water damage, or mold follows.
Smoke and soot cleaning
Soot is acidic, and the longer it sits the more it discolors and etches the surfaces underneath. Different fires leave different residue and the cleaning method depends on which kind you have, so ask what they found.
Odor removal
Smoke smell gets into drywall, insulation, ductwork and soft furnishings. Covering it up does not last. Getting rid of it usually means cleaning the surfaces it came from and treating the air and the HVAC system.
Contents cleaning and pack-out
Belongings are packed, listed, taken away for cleaning or storage, and brought back when the house is ready. Ask for the inventory in writing, because it doubles as evidence for the contents claim.
Structural cleanup ahead of the rebuild
Removing charred material, cleaning what can stay, and leaving the structure ready for a contractor. Cleanup and rebuild are often two separate jobs done by two separate companies, so check which one you are being quoted for.
In Chicago
After a fire in Chicago, board up first and file the claim yourself.
The Illinois Department of Insurance tells policyholders to make temporary repairs as soon as possible after a disaster, such as boarding up windows and patching holes in walls or roofs, even before the insurance company's representative has been out.
Under Illinois' Home Repair and Remodeling Act, a contractor can't call in or file a claim on your behalf, and can't climb on the roof to inspect for damage without your express permission.
Most rebuilding work in Chicago needs a City of Chicago general contractor license from the Department of Buildings. Ask for the license number before the rebuild starts.
Insurance, briefly
Worth knowing before the adjuster calls.
This is general information, not insurance advice or a coverage promise. Your policy and your insurer decide what is covered. These are the points that most often catch people out.
Additional living expenses
Many homeowners policies include additional living expenses (ALE), which can pay for a hotel or rental, meals and other extra costs while you cannot live at home. Ask your insurer what your policy allows and for how long, and keep every receipt from day one.
Make a contents inventory
List what was damaged or lost, room by room, with photos where you have them. It is slow work and it is the basis of the contents claim. A pack-out inventory from the restoration company helps.
You can choose your own restoration company
You are generally free to pick who does the work rather than taking the company your insurer suggests. Insurer-preferred companies can be perfectly good, but being told you have no choice is worth questioning.
Before you agree to work
Six things worth asking on the doorstep.
We connect the call. We do not supervise the job. After a fire you will be tired and under pressure to sign something quickly, which is exactly when these checks matter.
- Are you licensed for this work in this state?Licensing rules for restoration and contracting vary by state. Where a license is required, check the number with your state board before work starts.
- Can I see your current liability insurance certificate?Restoration involves demolition, chemicals and heavy equipment inside your home. Ask for the certificate itself, not a verbal yes.
- Written scope and estimate before you start.What gets cleaned, what gets removed, what gets replaced, and what it costs. A vague scope is how a cleanup turns into a much bigger bill.
- Who deals with my insurer, and how?Some companies work with your adjuster directly and some leave it to you. Know which before the first invoice arrives.
- Are you asking me to sign an assignment of benefits?An assignment of benefits hands your claim rights to the company. Read it properly, and do not sign it in the driveway on the night of the fire.
- Can I have the drying and deodorization plan in writing?Which rooms, which equipment, how long, and how they will confirm the moisture and the smell are gone. It gives you something to hold them to at the end.
Cost
Why we will not quote you a price.
Nobody can price fire restoration over the phone, because the number depends on a walk-through that has not happened yet. What actually moves it:
- How many rooms and floors the smoke reached, which is usually far more than the fire itself.
- Light, dry soot cleans differently from the greasy residue a kitchen fire leaves, and costs differently.
- Firefighting water adds a drying job on top of the smoke and soot work.
- Pack-out, cleaning and storage of belongings is often priced separately from the building work.
- Smell trapped in insulation and ductwork can mean removal and replacement rather than cleaning.
- Cleanup and reconstruction are separate jobs. Check which one the estimate covers.
Being straight with you
We route the call. We do not do the restoration.
This site is a free service to assist homeowners in connecting with local service contractors. All contractors are independent and this site does not warrant or guarantee any work performed. It is the responsibility of the homeowner to verify that the hired contractor furnishes the necessary license and insurance required for the work being performed. All persons depicted in a photo or video are actors or models and not contractors listed on this site.
Questions
Fire damage, answered.
How to restore a fire damaged house?
Start by protecting what's left. The Illinois Department of Insurance says to make temporary repairs, like boarding up windows and patching holes in the roof, as soon as possible.
The rebuild itself, in Chicago, needs a contractor with a City of Chicago general contractor license.
When can I go back into my house?
When the fire service says it is safe, and not before. Even then, the utilities stay off until a professional checks them. If the structure was badly damaged, your local building department may need to inspect it as well.
Should I wait for my insurance adjuster before anyone starts?
Generally no for the urgent work. Board-up, tarping and getting the firefighting water out are the kind of reasonable steps most policies expect you to take to prevent further damage.
Photograph everything first, open the claim, and keep your receipts. Check your own policy wording, because we are not your insurer.
Can I clean the soot myself?
Light soot on a small area, sometimes. The common mistake is wiping it with a wet cloth or an ordinary cleaner, which can smear it deeper into paint, grout and fabric. If the residue is greasy, covers more than one room, or the smell is in the walls, it is a job for a restoration company.
Is smoke and soot a health risk?
That is a question for your doctor. We do not give health advice, and you should be wary of any company that does. If anyone in the household has breathing problems, ask a doctor before they go back into the house.
Why does the smoke smell keep coming back?
Smoke odor settles into porous materials and the HVAC system. Air fresheners and open windows hide it for a while, then it returns, especially on warm or humid days. Removing it for good means treating the materials it came from and the ductwork.
Do you cover my ZIP code?
Fire damage coverage is more concentrated around metro areas than plumbing, because fewer companies do this work. Call and give us the ZIP and we will tell you in under a minute rather than take your details and leave you waiting.
Still smells like smoke?
One call connects you to an independent restoration company covering your ZIP. Free to connect, no obligation.
(833) 561-0471