After a fire, answered 24/7
Fire damage restoration and rebuild in New York, NY
Fire out and the building's a mess of soot and water? We secure it, clean what can be saved, dry what the hoses soaked and rebuild what burned.
- Answering 24/7
- Board-up to rebuild
- Soot, water and structure
Quick answer
Fire damage restoration in a New York, NY home covers three problems at once: the burned structure, the soot that spread and the water used to put the fire out. Published guides put fire damage restoration at about $4 to $7 per square foot, averaging $8,000 to $18,000. We secure the building first, then clean, dry and rebuild.
Three kinds of damage from one fire
The burned area is the obvious part: charred framing, cabinets, drywall and wiring that have to come out. The soot is the wider part, carried by smoke into rooms and apartments the fire never reached, and it needs its own soot cleanup. The water is the part people forget. Hose streams soak ceilings, floors and walls, and the units below take it too.
We work in that order after the building is secured: remove what burned, clean what the smoke reached and dry what the water soaked, then rebuild. Documenting each step is part of the job, because a fire claim is itemized room by room.
Kitchen fires
Most home fires start in the kitchen. A stovetop fire leaves heavy, greasy soot on cabinets and ceilings and can burn through the wall behind the range. Cabinets near the fire usually come out; the rest of the kitchen is degreased, and grease-laden range hood ducts are cleaned before the kitchen is used again.
Electrical fires
Electrical fires often start inside a wall or ceiling and burn along the wiring before they break out, so the damage is hidden. The electrician makes the circuits safe; we open the burned cavity, remove charred framing and insulation, clean the soot out of the neighboring bays and rebuild once the new wiring is inspected.
Water left by firefighting
Firefighters use a lot of water, and it goes down through floors and into the apartments below. That water mixes with ash and soot, so it's dirtier than a clean leak. We extract, remove soaked insulation and ceilings and run structural drying while the fire cleanup goes on upstairs.
What happens after a fire and you call
Secure
Board-up, roof covers and fencing where needed, once the fire department releases the building.
Document
Room-by-room photos and a list of damaged structure and contents.
Remove
Burned materials and debris come out; salvageable contents are packed out.
Clean and dry
Soot is cleaned from every affected surface and firefighting water is dried.
Rebuild
Framing, walls, cabinets and finishes are rebuilt and the rooms handed back.
How long fire restoration takes
Board-up and cleanup start within days. Soot cleaning and drying typically run a week or two for one apartment or a floor of a house. Rebuilding takes longest and depends on how much burned, what permits the work needs and how fast materials and approvals come through.
We give you the sequence at the start and update it as the insurer approves each stage.
Fire and water together
Fire and water often arrive together here. During Sandy more than 100 homes burned in Breezy Point while the neighborhood was flooded, and every fire in an apartment building sends water from the hoses into the floors below. That's why our fire jobs are planned with drying crews from the start, not as an afterthought once the soot is cleaned.
What a fire restoration job covers
From the night of the fire to the finished rooms.
- Emergency board-up of broken windows and doors, and a roof cover if needed
- A room-by-room photo record before anything is removed
- Removal of burned materials, debris and ruined contents
- Soot testing and cleaning of every affected surface
- Extraction and drying of water from firefighting
- Odor treatment once surfaces are clean
- Rebuild of framing, drywall, plaster, cabinets and finishes
What fire damage restoration costs
The size of the burn, how far smoke spread and how much water was used set the price.
| Job | Typical range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Fire damage restoration | $4 to $7 per sq ft, $8,000 to $18,000 average | HomeGuide |
| Emergency board-up and tarping | $300 to $1,500 | HomeCostLab |
| Smoke and soot removal | $500 to $5,000 | HomeGuide |
| Duct cleaning after smoke | $500 to $2,000 | HomeCostLab |
These are planning ranges from published national cost guides, not a quote and not our price. We give you a written scope after we have measured the damage.
Burned area
More charred structure means more removal and rebuilding.
Smoke spread
Soot through the whole unit or building multiplies cleaning.
Firefighting water
Wet floors and units below add extraction and drying.
Contents
Pack-out, cleaning and inventory of belongings add time.
Structure
Charred joists and framing need repair or replacement.
Permits and inspections
Structural and electrical work may need permits before rebuilding.
Finishes
Cabinets, flooring and trim chosen for the rebuild set the final number.
Questions after a fire
What people ask in the first days.
As soon as the fire department releases the building. Board-up and securing the property usually come first, often the same night.
Only when the fire department says it's safe. Wear a mask and gloves, and take photos before you move anything.
Fire is a covered peril on most homeowners and renters policies. We document every room and item so your adjuster can review it.
More than people expect. Hard goods and many fabrics clean well; items that are charred or melted are listed for the claim.
Yes. The same company that cleans and dries the building rebuilds it, so nothing falls between contractors.
It usually took water from firefighting. We document and dry it as a separate space with its own records.
Related fire and rebuild services
Smoke and Soot Cleanup
Dry and oily soot cleaned off walls, ceilings, ducts and belongings.
Emergency Board-Up
Plywood over broken windows, doors and storefronts after fire or impact.
Contents Pack-Out
Belongings inventoried, packed out, cleaned and returned after a loss.
Odor Removal
Smoke, sewage, pet and tobacco odors treated at the source, then deodorized.
Water & Fire Damage Reconstruction
Kitchens, baths and basements rebuilt once the structure is dry.
Dealing with a fire right now?
Call once everyone is safe. We answer day and night and can secure the building tonight.
Updated September 2026