Fire Damage Restoration in San Francisco, California

Fire damage in San Francisco gets worse every day it sits: soot etches glass and metal, odor sinks deeper into drywall and framing, and suppression water starts the clock on mold. Call (888) 755-3821 and we will connect you with a fire and smoke restoration company that serves all 51 San Francisco ZIP codes, including 94102, 94103, 94104 for emergency board-up and the start of cleanup.

San Francisco is one of the largest cities in California, home to roughly 827,500 residents, with a huge range of property types, from century-old homes to new construction, mid-rise apartments and office and retail space. Late summer and fall bring wildfire smoke and structure fire risk, while kitchen fires remain the leading cause year-round.

Types of fire losses in San Francisco, CA

Whatever the construction type in San Francisco, the pattern is the same: the visible damage is usually a fraction of what the moisture meter finds. Older electrical systems are a leading cause of fires in this housing stock.

• Lightning-caused attic and roof fires
• Garage, workshop and vehicle fires
• Oil furnace puff-backs that coat every room in soot
• Wildfire smoke, ash and soot infiltration, and structure fires at the wildland edge
• Small fires that were extinguished quickly but filled the house with smoke
• Smoke damage from a fire in a neighboring home or apartment unit
• Candle and holiday decoration fires
• Electrical fires from aging wiring, overloaded circuits and outdated panels

Soot, odor and water: three clocks running at once

Soot is acidic. Within hours it discolors plastics and countertops; within days it etches glass, pits metal and permanently stains grout. Smoke odor penetrates drywall, insulation and upholstered contents and becomes harder to remove each day. Meanwhile the water used to put out the fire is soaking into the same materials, starting the mold clock that every water loss faces.

That is why restoration companies in San Francisco aim to be on site within a day or two of the fire even when reconstruction will take months. Board-up protects the property; extraction and drying stop the water damage; and the first cleaning pass removes the most corrosive residue.

Our fire damage restoration process in San Francisco

1. Emergency contact and safety check. Once the fire department releases the property, the crew evaluates structural stability, utilities and air quality.
2. Securing the structure. Broken openings are boarded, damaged roofing tarped and the site secured.
3. Suppression water cleanup. Extraction and drying equipment address the water left by firefighting.
4. Structural cleaning. Walls, ceilings, cabinets, fixtures and the HVAC system are cleaned using methods chosen for wet, dry or protein smoke.
5. Contents processing. Furniture, clothing, electronics and documents are inventoried, cleaned where possible and stored until the home is ready.
6. Deodorization at the source, sealing of framing and subfloor, and reconstruction of damaged areas to code.

Salvage versus replace

More than most people expect. Glass, ceramics, metal and sealed wood clean well. Many textiles are restorable with specialty laundering and ozone. Electronics that were not exposed to heat can often be cleaned and tested, and documents and photos can be freeze-dried. Items generally not salvageable include food and medicine exposed to heat or smoke, melted plastics, mattresses, particleboard furniture and heavily sooted drywall and insulation.

What fire damage restoration costs in San Francisco and what insurance covers

The cost of fire damage restoration depends on the size of the fire, the type of smoke residue, how far it traveled through the building and how much of the structure and contents can be cleaned rather than replaced.

Fire is a named peril on standard policies. Expect the claim to involve a structural estimate, a contents inventory and, if you cannot stay in the home, additional living expense coverage.

Get the scope and pricing in writing, ask what the carrier typically covers, and keep every receipt for emergency expenses.

Areas we serve in and around San Francisco

We route calls from all 51 San Francisco ZIP codes, including 94102, 94103, 94104 to restoration companies that work San Francisco and San Francisco County every week.

ZIP codes served in San Francisco: 94102, 94103, 94104, 94105, 94107, 94108, 94109, 94110, 94111, 94112, 94114, 94115 and 39 more.

The same crews also serve nearby communities including Daly City (5 mi), Brisbane (6 mi), Sausalito (7 mi), South San Francisco (8 mi), Belvedere Tiburon (8 mi), Emeryville (9 mi), Alameda (9 mi), San Bruno (10 mi), Oakland (10 mi) and Pacifica (11 mi). If you are just outside San Francisco, call anyway; coverage areas overlap.

What to expect when you call about fire damage restoration in San Francisco

• There is no cost or obligation to call and talk through what you are seeing
• A live person answers around the clock, because water and fire do not keep business hours
• One number covers water, fire, smoke, mold, sewage and biohazard emergencies
• You can ask about licensing, insurance and IICRC certification before any work begins, and you should
• We route you to a local company that already works in San Francisco and San Francisco County