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 Austin?
Fire and smoke damage restoration in Austin typically costs between $3,200 and $12,500 for a full cleanup and rebuild after a house fire. Smaller contained incidents, like a grease fire in the kitchen or a single-room smoke event, usually run $1,800 to $4,800. The final number depends on square footage affected, whether structural repairs are needed, and how far smoke traveled through the HVAC system. If you call us at (361) 326-2081, we’ll give you a written price before any tool touches your home.
Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration Cost Breakdown (2026)
Here’s how fire and smoke restoration pricing breaks down across the Austin market as of 2026. These are the line items we see most often on real jobs, from Steiner Ranch to Mueller to Circle C.
| Service | Typical Austin Range | What You’re Paying For |
|---|---|---|
| Soot and smoke residue cleaning (walls, ceilings, trim) | $1,200 – $3,800 | Sponge cleaning, dry cleaning, and HEPA vacuuming of surfaces in affected rooms |
| Ozone or thermal fogging treatment | $400 – $1,100 | Neutralizing airborne and embedded smoke odor at the molecular level |
| HVAC and duct cleaning after fire | $600 – $2,200 | Removing soot from supply and return ducts, replacing filters, cleaning registers |
| Content cleaning and pack-out | $800 – $4,500 | Itemized cleaning of furniture, clothing, dishes, electronics, and soft goods offsite or in a specialized chamber |
| Carpet and pad replacement (per room) | $350 – $900 per room | Tear-out and disposal of smoke-saturated carpet, new pad, and new carpet installation |
| Priming and repainting (per room) | $400 – $1,200 per room | Sealing smoke-stained drywall with stain-blocking primer, then repainting to pre-loss condition |
| Structural repairs (framing, drywall replacement, insulation) | $1,500 – $8,000+ | Depends on burn damage to studs, joists, and wall cavities; larger fires climb quickly |
| Water damage remediation from firefighting | $500 – $3,500 | Extraction and drying of water used to suppress the fire, before mold can take hold |
What drives a job toward the top or bottom of these ranges? Three things move the needle fastest. First, whether the fire reached structural framing or stayed cosmetic. Soot on drywall is an afternoon; burned ceiling joists are days of work. Second, how far smoke traveled. A contained kitchen fire costs less than a fire in a central hallway that pushed smoke through the return air system and into every bedroom. Third, water damage from the fire department. In Austin’s climate, water pooled behind baseboards or under vinyl plank between the fire and our arrival can start growing mold within 48 hours, and mold remediation adds a separate line item to the bill.
We’ll talk through all of this in plain English when we walk the job. You’ll get a written, itemized scope with every line priced out. That number is the number. It doesn’t change at the door.
What Affects Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration Pricing in Austin
No two fire jobs price the same. Here are the factors that actually move your estimate in the Austin area.
- Square footage of the affected area. A 150-square-foot kitchen fire is a very different job from smoke contamination across a 2,900-square-foot two-story in Circle C. More surface area means more cleaning labor, more HEPA vacuuming, and more material if repainting is required.
- Type of smoke and what burned. Grease fires leave a thick, sticky residue that takes longer to clean than light drywall-paper smoke. Synthetic materials like carpet and upholstery produce a denser, more penetrating smoke that can require ozone treatment to fully clear. Each smoke type demands a different cleaning chemistry and labor rate.
- How far smoke traveled through the home. Austin homes with open floor plans spread smoke faster. If the return-air vent was pulling smoke while the fire burned, it’s now distributed through the ductwork, which means duct cleaning and possible HVAC component cleaning. That adds $600 to $2,200 to the total.
- Structural damage to framing, subfloor, or trusses. If the fire charred studs or floor joists, those pieces need to be cut out and replaced, not just cleaned. This is the single biggest cost driver, and it’s common in Austin older stock homes built in the 1960s and 1970s with true dimensional lumber that holds heat differently than engineered truss systems.
- Water left by firefighting. Fire crews put out the fire; they don’t dry your house. Standing water seeps into subfloor, wall cavities, and under cabinets. In Austin’s summer humidity, that needs fast extraction and drying before you add mold abatement costs on top of fire restoration.
- When you call us. The sooner we start after the fire is out, the less embedded soot becomes and the fewer surfaces need aggressive chemical cleaning. Same-day response means less permanent staining. We answer the phone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with a live person, so you’re never leaving a voicemail while smoke odor sets in.
How to Save on Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration
Restoration is never fun to pay for, but there are ways to keep the bill honest without cutting corners.
- Call the same day the fire is out. Soot that sits for a week etches into paint, embeds in fabrics, and migrates deeper into drywall. A fast response means less chemical stripping and less repainting. If you call (361) 326-2081 after hours, a live person picks up. No answering service, no “we’ll call you back on Monday.”
- Document everything before anyone moves anything. Take photos of every room, even rooms with no visible damage. Your insurance adjuster needs that record, and so does your restoration estimator. The clearer the starting point, the more accurate your line-item price will be.
- Don’t start cleaning before we arrive. It’s tempting to scrub a soot smear off the wall yourself. But wiping soot into drywall with a household sponge can force the particles into the gypsum and make professional cleaning harder, which raises cost. Let us assess first.
- Ask for a written itemized estimate, not a lump sum. A one-line quote of “$9,500” doesn’t tell you what you’re paying for. A written, line-item scope means you can question any item, approve or decline scope, and know exactly what the work covers. We’ll always put the price in writing before work begins. The number on that sheet is the number you pay.
- Separate emergency work from full restoration. You may need board-up and water extraction immediately, while content cleaning and repainting can be done week two. Staging the work can help you manage insurance disbursement timing. We’ll help you build a phased plan that makes sense.
The free estimate we give you costs nothing and commits you to nothing. Call (361) 326-2081 and we’ll walk the property, take moisture readings where needed, and hand you a written price the same day.
Our home page walks through the full range of services we offer. If you’re dealing with fire and smoke right now, see our detailed Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration in Austin page for how we work through the cleanup and rebuild process.
How Does the Restoration Process Work After a Fire?
Here’s the step-by-step path we follow on most Austin fire jobs, from the first phone call to the final walkthrough.
Step 1: Call and get a live person, any hour
You reach us at (361) 326-2081. A live person answers, takes the address, and asks a few questions: where was the fire, is the power off, has anyone been in the structure. We’ll schedule a visit, often same-day.
Step 2: On-site inspection and moisture mapping
We walk the entire affected area, including rooms with no visible damage. Using thermal imaging and moisture meters, we find water from firefighting that’s hiding in floor cavities, behind baseboards, and under cabinets. We also map where smoke traveled, including inside ductwork.
Step 3: Written itemized price before any work starts
You’ll receive a written scope of work with every line priced. We explain each line in plain English. If a line item doesn’t make sense, ask us. We won’t touch a tool until you sign off on the number.
Step 4: Emergency mitigation first
Board-up if needed, water extraction, and setup of professional drying equipment. We run Dri-Eaz, Phoenix, XPOWER, and B-Air equipment, and we’ll explain what each machine is doing: air movers speeding evaporation, dehumidifiers pulling moisture from the air, and containing the affected area to prevent cross-contamination. This is the step that prevents mold from taking hold on top of smoke damage.
Step 5: Soot and smoke removal
We clean surfaces using methods matched to the smoke type: dry-chemo sponge cleaning for dry smoke residue, wet cleaning for grease smoke, HEPA vacuuming for loose particles. Specific rooms may get ozone treatment or thermal fogging to neutralize odor molecules that surface cleaning can’t reach.
Step 6: Structural repair and finishing
Once the space is clean and dry, we rebuild: drywall replacement where needed, priming with stain-blocking sealer, repainting, flooring replacement if required, and reinstallation of any content we packed out.
Step 7: Final walkthrough and your 365-Day Done Right Promise
Before we leave, we walk the space with you. You’ll get your written 365-Day Done Right Promise. If anything we repaired fails within a full year, we return and make it right at no charge. That�s a documented guarantee, not a verbal promise.
FAQs – Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration Cost
How much does smoke damage cleanup cost in Austin?
Smoke damage cleanup alone, without structural repairs, typically costs $1,200 to $5,500 in Austin depending on how many rooms are affected and how deeply soot embedded into surfaces. A small single-room smoke event runs $1,200 to $2,800 including ceiling and wall cleaning and odor treatment. Whole-house smoke cleanup with duct cleaning and content cleaning lands in the $4,000 to $5,500 range. Call (361) 326-2081 for an exact price, written down before we start.
What does a kitchen fire restoration cost in Austin?
A typical Austin kitchen fire restoration runs $3,000 to $8,500, with most landing around $4,500 to $6,500. The range accounts for grease smoke residue, cabinet cleaning or replacement, countertop damage, and repainting the kitchen ceiling and adjacent rooms where smoke traveled. If the fire reached the cabinetry or drywall behind the range, structural work pushes the total toward the top of that range. Estimates are free, and the written price we give you won’t change at the door.
Is fire damage restoration covered by homeowners insurance?
In most cases, yes. Standard Texas homeowners policies cover fire and smoke damage, and most also cover the water damage from firefighting efforts. You’ll still owe your deductible, which in Austin commonly ranges from $1,000 to $5,000 depending on your policy. We’ll work directly with your insurance adjuster, provide the documentation they need, and explain what your specific policy appears to cover. Call (361) 326-2081 and we can talk through the first steps with you.
How long does fire and smoke restoration take?
A typical Austin fire and smoke restoration job takes 5 to 14 days from start to finish. Smaller smoke-only jobs can be done in 3 to 5 days. Larger jobs with structural repairs, content pack-out, and full repainting can stretch to 3 to 6 weeks. The drying phase alone is usually 3 to 5 days, because moisture from firefighting must be fully removed before drywall repair or painting can begin. We’ll give you a realistic timeline in writing when we provide your estimate.
Is it cheaper to clean smoke damage myself?
It may seem cheaper up front, but DIY smoke cleanup often ends up costing more. Household cleaners push soot particles deeper into drywall and porous surfaces, which means more aggressive professional treatment later. Ozone and thermal fogging equipment, needed to neutralize smoke odor molecules, isn’t available for rent in most of Austin and costs more to misuse than to hire out. Plus, smoke-damaged HVAC systems left uncleaned recirculate odor for months. If budget is the concern, call (361) 326-2081 and ask us to prioritize the scope. We’ll build a phased plan that fits what you can do now, and we’ll put the price in writing before anything starts.
Can you come out the same day I call?
In most cases, yes. We run same-day response across Austin, including Round Rock, Pflugerville, Cedar Park, Leander, Georgetown, Buda, and Kyle. A live person answers your call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and schedules a visit that day whenever possible. Call (361) 326-2081 as soon as the fire is out and we’ll get moving.
Why Austin Homeowners Call Dryden Restoration
Since 2005, Dryden Water Damage Restoration has handled fire and smoke damage for Austin homeowners as part of the Kingswell family of independently owned restoration businesses. We’re not a franchise. We’re not a middleman. Carl Brandt and our Austin team answer the phone, show up in a Dryden uniform, and do the work with professional-grade equipment from Dri-Eaz, Phoenix, XPOWER, B-Air, and Injectidry.
Our approach follows three industry standards: IICRC, RIA, and IFA. Those are the recognized training and ethics benchmarks in damage restoration. We’ll explain what we’re doing and why, in words you don’t need a contractor’s license to understand.
The Kingswell Way is simple:
- Say the price before the work begins, in writing.
- Show up in the window we gave. No all-day “sometime between 8 and 5” waiting.
- Leave the place cleaner than we found it.
- Put the guarantee in writing. Every job gets the 365-Day Done Right Promise.
- Come back if it fails. If a covered repair fails inside a year, we return and fix it. Free.
If you’re facing fire damage right now, you don’t need another thing to worry about. Call (361) 326-2081. A live person answers. We’ll get you a written estimate, walk you through what’s urgent and what can wait, and get your home back. No pressure. No surprises at the door.
Pricing reflects the Austin market as of 2026. Dryden Restoration Austin offers free estimates – call (361) 326-2081.
Written by Carl Brandt, Owner at Dryden Restoration Austin, serving Austin and surrounding communities since 2005.
What Our Customers Say
"Our water heater let go overnight and flooded the hallway. They answered at 6am, showed up fast, and dealt with my insurance adjuster directly so I didn't have to fight that battle."
- Lydia Ferraro"Small kitchen fire left smoke damage through half the house. Dryden handled the cleanup and the smell, start to finish, and kept me updated the whole way. Felt like they actually cared."
- Kim Petersen"Honest crew. They could have told me the whole floor needed to come up. Instead they dried it properly, monitored it for a few days, and saved most of the hardwood. Checked their own work before closing it out."
- Andre Washington