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 Orlando?
Fire and smoke damage restoration in Orlando typically costs between $3,200 and $28,000, with most homeowners in neighborhoods like College Park, Winter Park, and Lake Nona landing somewhere in the $6,000 to $15,000 range. If the damage is mostly smoke and soot with no structural compromise, you’re likely looking at $2,800 to $6,500. A full rebuild after a kitchen fire that spread to framing, ductwork, and roofing can push past $40,000.
Those numbers come from real Orlando-area jobs we’ve quoted and completed since 2006. The final figure depends on square footage affected, how long smoke sat before cleanup started, what burned (synthetics and plastics leave a much stickier residue than wood), and whether water from firefighting efforts soaked into drywall and subfloor. We put every price in writing before any work starts, so you’ll know your exact number before a single tool comes off the truck.
Key Takeaways:
- Smoke-only cleanup: $2,800 – $6,500 for a typical 1,500 – 2,000 sq ft Orlando home
- Full restoration with structural repair: $12,000 – $28,000
- Severe fires requiring rebuild: $40,000+
- Most Orlando jobs fall between $6,000 and $15,000
- Call (850) 771-2670 for a free, written estimate with no obligation
Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration Cost Breakdown (2026)
Here’s what you can expect to pay in the Orlando market as of 2026. These are the line items we actually see on estimates from MetroWest to Baldwin Park to Dr. Phillips:
| Service Line Item | Typical Cost Range (Orlando, 2026) |
|---|---|
| Emergency board-up and tarping | $400 – $1,200 |
| Soot and smoke residue cleanup (per room) | $300 – $900 |
| Ozone treatment / thermal fogging (whole home) | $800 – $2,400 |
| HVAC and duct cleaning after smoke damage | $500 – $1,800 |
| Odor sealing and repainting (per room) | $450 – $1,100 |
| Drywall removal and replacement (per 4×8 sheet) | $90 – $180 installed |
| Carpet and pad removal + disposal | $250 – $700 per room |
| Content cleaning and pack-out (furniture, clothing, electronics) | $1,500 – $5,000 |
| Structural wood cleaning and sealing | $2,000 – $7,500 |
| Antimicrobial treatment (post-fire, prevents mold from firefighting water) | $400 – $1,200 |
What drives these numbers up or down? The biggest variable is the type of fire. A protein fire (burned food on the stove) produces almost invisible residue that spreads through the whole house but cleans relatively easily. A synthetic fire (burning couch, mattress, electronics) creates a greasy, acidic film that etches surfaces within 72 hours and requires aggressive chemical cleaning. In Orlando’s humid climate, that timeline shortens because moisture in the air accelerates the chemical reaction between soot and surfaces. Homes near Lake Eola or Conway with older single-pane windows and higher indoor humidity often show etching faster than newer construction in Lake Nona.
Another factor: whether the fire department used water. Most Orlando Fire Department responses involve water, and that water soaks into drywall, baseboards, and subfloor. The same moisture that put out the fire becomes a mold risk within 24 to 48 hours in Florida heat. That means fire restoration in Orlando almost always includes a water-damage component, which is why our crews are trained to IICRC standards for both fire and water loss.
If you want a specific number for your home, call (850) 771-2670. We give you a written price before any work starts, and it’s the same number on your final invoice. No surprise line items.
What Affects Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration Pricing in Orlando
- Time between fire and cleanup start. Soot becomes harder to remove every hour it sits. After 72 hours, you’re looking at replacement instead of cleaning for many porous surfaces. In Orlando’s humidity, that clock runs faster. Homes in Winter Garden and Apopka where we arrive same-day often see cleanup costs 30-40% lower than homes that waited a week.
- What burned. Wood and paper leave a dry, dusty soot that vacuums up. Plastics, foam, and synthetic fabrics leave a sticky, corrosive residue that requires solvent-based cleaning. A kitchen fire that consumed plastic containers and vinyl flooring will cost more than a fire that burned hardwoods.
- How far smoke traveled. Smoke follows the HVAC system. A contained fire in one room can leave residue in every room of a 2,500 sq ft house if the AC was running. That’s why duct cleaning and whole-home ozone treatment are nearly always on our Orlando estimates.
- Square footage affected. More area equals more labor, more equipment, and more materials. A 1,100 sq ft condo in downtown Orlando will cost less than a 3,400 sq ft two-story in Windermere with the same severity of fire.
- Water from firefighting. The water that saves your home also soaks drywall, floors, and insulation. Every gallon of water used by fire crews becomes part of the restoration scope. We use psychrometric drying (tracking the air’s moisture level so we know when your home is truly dry, not just surface-dry) to make sure we’re not sealing moisture inside walls.
- Whether contents need pack-out. If your furniture, clothing, and personal items need to be removed, cleaned, stored, and returned, that adds $1,500 to $5,000 depending on volume. Homes in Baldwin Park and Thornton Park with higher-value contents often opt for this.
Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Fire & Smoke Damage in Orlando?
In almost every standard Florida homeowners policy, yes. Fire is a covered peril, and so is the smoke damage and the water damage from firefighting efforts. The deductible is typically $1,000 to $2,500 for most Orlando homeowners, though some policies carry a higher percentage deductible. We work directly with your adjuster, document every step with before-and-after photos, and provide the written scope and pricing they need to process your claim quickly. You pay your deductible, and the rest goes through your policy. We’ve handled claims with every major carrier in the Orlando market, and our documentation process is designed to minimize back-and-forth.
How the Restoration Process Works (And When You’ll Know Your Price)
Here’s our standard process, what you can expect at each step, and how we keep you informed the whole way. This is what we call The Relay Standard: book in a tap, live arrival time, photo updates, price in writing, text invoice.
- Emergency call and assessment. You call (850) 771-2670, a live person answers (yes, at 2 a.m. too), and we give you a technician’s live arrival time you can track like a rideshare. No four-hour windows.
- On-site inspection and written estimate. The technician arrives, assesses the damage, and writes your price. In writing. Before any work starts. You approve it or you don’t, and you’ll never feel pressured. If you approve, you get a digital invoice texted to your phone with a payment link. The number on the screen is the number you pay.
- Board-up and ventilation. If windows or roofing were compromised, we secure the home immediately. Then we set up air movers and HEPA filtration to start pulling soot particles out of the air while the cleanup plan proceeds.
- Soot and residue removal. Our technicians clean surfaces using methods specific to what burned. Dry soot gets HEPA-vacuumed and dry-chem sponged. Oily synthetic residue gets solvent cleaning. We clean walls, ceilings, trim, floors, and fixtures.
- Deodorization. Smoke odor isn’t just on surfaces; it’s in the air and inside porous materials. We use ozone treatment and thermal fogging to neutralize odor molecules, not just mask them. For stubborn odors in drywall or wood, we seal with a shellac-based primer before repainting.
- Water damage drying. If firefighting water soaked into your home, we run professional drying equipment from Dri-Eaz, Phoenix, XPOWER, B-Air, and Injectidry until moisture readings confirm the structure is dry. This is done to IICRC, RIA, and IFA standards.
- Antimicrobial treatment and repairs. We treat affected areas to prevent mold, then repair or replace drywall, insulation, flooring, and trim as needed. Every repair carries our 365-Day Done Right Promise: if it’s not done right, we make it right, in writing, on every job. And if a repair fails, you get a free second visit.
- Final walkthrough and photo documentation. You get before-and-after photos by text so you can see exactly what was done. Your insurance adjuster gets the same documentation. You approve the final result before we consider the job complete.
For a deeper look at our full fire and smoke restoration capabilities, visit our Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration in Orlando page.
How to Save on Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration
Nobody budgets for a house fire, and the costs can feel overwhelming even with insurance. Here are practical ways to keep your restoration bill down without cutting corners:
- Call the same day. The single biggest money-saver is fast action. Soot that sits for 72 hours becomes permanent etching that requires replacement instead of cleaning. A same-day call from a homeowner in Audubon Park can save thousands compared to someone who waits a week.
- Turn off the HVAC immediately. If the system keeps running after a fire, it spreads soot through every room and into the ductwork. Shut it off and leave it off until a professional inspects it. This alone can reduce scope by 20-30%.
- Don’t try to clean it yourself. We see this in Orlando regularly: a homeowner scrubs soot with a household cleaner, which pushes the oily residue deeper into drywall and makes professional cleaning harder and more expensive. Soot is acidic and oily; household cleaners smear it. Let a professional handle it from the start. In places like Celebration and Dr. Phillips where walls are often high-end finishes, DIY attempts routinely double the cost to fix.
- Get the estimate in writing first. With Wendell Restoration Orlando, the written price before work starts means you’ll never be hit with a surprise upcharge. You can compare numbers and decide with full information. Call (850) 771-2670 for a free estimate, and you’ll know exactly where you stand before committing to anything.
- Ask about insurance-direct billing. We bill your insurance company directly for covered work, which means you only handle your deductible. That removes the need to float thousands of dollars while waiting for reimbursement.
FAQs – Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration Cost
How much does fire and smoke damage restoration cost per square foot in Orlando?
Most Orlando fire restoration jobs run $8 to $15 per square foot for cleanup and deodorization, with structural repairs adding on top of that. A 2,000 sq ft home with moderate smoke damage throughout would typically land between $10,000 and $20,000. For an exact number on your home, call (850) 771-2670 and we’ll give you a written price after a free on-site assessment.
Can the smoke smell be completely removed from a house?
Yes. When done correctly with professional ozone treatment, thermal fogging, and proper sealing of porous surfaces, smoke odor can be eliminated entirely. The process typically costs $1,500 to $4,000 for a whole-home treatment in Orlando. We don’t mask the odor; we neutralize the molecules causing it, then we verify with a walkthrough before we call the job done.
How long does fire and smoke restoration take in Orlando?
Most residential fire restorations in Orlando take 5 to 14 days from start to final walkthrough. Smoke-only cleanup with no structural damage can be done in 3 to 5 days. Structural rebuilds can take 4 to 12 weeks. With Wendell Restoration Orlando, you’ll know your timeline at the estimate stage, and we give live arrival times and before-and-after photo updates by text throughout the process so you’re never wondering where things stand.
Is it cheaper to restore or replace after a fire?
In most Orlando homes, restoration costs 30-50% less than full replacement of affected materials and contents. A room with smoke damage but intact framing can usually be cleaned and sealed for a fraction of the cost of gutting it. The tipping point is when heat damage has compromised structural members or when soot etching is too deep to clean. Our technicians are trained under IICRC, RIA, and IFA standards to give you an honest recommendation, not the most expensive one.
Does insurance cover fire and smoke damage restoration in Florida?
Yes, fire is a named covered peril in standard Florida homeowner policies, including smoke and water damage from firefighting. You pay your deductible (typically $1,000 to $2,500 in the Orlando market) and insurance covers the rest. Wendell Restoration Orlando works directly with your adjuster and provides complete photo and written documentation for every stage of the claim.
Can you start fire damage restoration today in Orlando?
Yes. Our phone line is answered by a live person 24/7 at (850) 771-2670, and we typically have a technician at your door in under two hours anywhere in Orlando, from Metrowest to Waterford Lakes. Fire damage doesn’t wait, and neither do we.
What to Do Right Now
If you’ve had a fire in your Orlando home, the fastest way to limit the damage and the cost is to call (850) 771-2670 right now. Here’s what you’ll get on that call:
- A live person. Not a voicemail. Not a callback queue. Not a phone tree.
- A technician’s live arrival time you can track, not a vague window.
- A free on-site assessment with a written price before any work starts.
- Background-checked, uniformed technicians you’ll know by name before they arrive.
We’ve been restoring Orlando-area homes since 2006 as part of the Relay Home Co. family, independently owned and operated to The Relay Visibility Guarantee. Every job includes the 365-Day Done Right Promise: if it’s not done right, we make it right, in writing. And if a repair fails, you get a free second visit. No catches.
If you’re still researching before you call, bookmark our home page for service details and pricing guides. If you’re ready for a number, call (850) 771-2670 and get your written estimate today.
Written by Blake Sorensen, Owner at Wendell Restoration Orlando, serving the Orlando market since 2006.
Pricing reflects the Orlando market as of 2026. Wendell Restoration Orlando offers free estimates – call (850) 771-2670.
What Our Customers Say
"Mold removal in a basement corner after the leak. Retested clean."
- Gordon K."Respectful crew, daily updates, and no surprises."
- Yasmin O."Good drying job. Fans were loud, but the status texts explained each step."
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