Wet smoke, dry smoke, protein smoke, petroleum smoke — each requires different cleaning chemistry. Surface cleaning, HVAC duct decontamination, hydroxyl or ozone final treatment.
Nearly invisible greasy coating
Acidic, etches surfaces fast
Dry soot deposits throughout home
Neighbor's fire infiltration
Duct cleaning + coil cleaning
Occupied-space safe
Suppression water + smoke
Smoke type + scope filed
Low-heat smoldering fires. Greasy, smeary residue. Hard to clean — easy to spread further with wrong method.
High-heat fast-burning fires. Powdery dry residue. Easier to clean than wet smoke.
Kitchen grease fires. Nearly invisible but coats everything. Strong odor often only sign of damage.
Electrical / plastic fires. Acidic residue. Etches metal, plastics, finishes within 24-72 hours.
Dispatcher screens for active fire (call 911 first), structural safety, dispatches nearest crew once safe.
Visual + olfactory smoke type identification. Containment setup. HEPA air scrubbers running.
Affected textiles, clothing, upholstery, drapes inventoried and packed for off-site cleaning.
Smoke-type-appropriate chemistry. Walls, ceilings, cabinetry, fixtures.
Duct cleaning, coil cleaning, blower wheel cleaning. Critical for odor elimination.
Hydroxyl (occupied-space safe) for residual odor. Ozone for unoccupied final pass.
Kitchen fires are Houston's most common smoke event. Electrical fires are growing. Adjacent-property smoke claims happen weekly.
Smoke damage is typically covered under standard Texas HO-3 as direct result of fire, even when there's no fire damage at your specific property. Adjacent-property smoke infiltration covered too.
Smoke claims often combine fire damage, smoke damage, and water damage from fire suppression. Our scope distinguishes each component for proper carrier pricing.
We know each major Texas carrier's playbook for this loss type
Most projects bill direct to insurance. Out-of-pocket cost is typically your deductible only.
Free on-site smoke-type identification + scope documentation.
We bill carrier for cleaning, HVAC decon, soft goods, and hydroxyl/ozone treatment.
Out-of-pocket smoke cleanup ranges by smoke type and square footage.
"Kitchen grease fire — small flames, huge smoke problem. They cleaned every surface, packed out our soft goods, treated the ducts, and ozone-treated the house. Insurance paid the full $9,800 scope."
"Electrical fire in our garage put soot through the entire house. They identified the smoke type, used the right chemistry, and got us cleaned up before the acidic soot etched our finishes."
"House next door burned. Smoke infiltrated our home through HVAC for two days before we could re-enter. They documented the source-property cause and our own carrier paid the full scope with subrogation rights."
Surface cleaning doesn't remove embedded soot in porous materials, HVAC ducts, or attic insulation. The smoke residue keeps off-gassing. Proper professional treatment addresses the source materials AND deodorizes at the molecular level.
Usually yes under your own homeowners HO-3 (smoke is a covered peril regardless of fire location). The neighbor's carrier may subrogate later.
Light surface cleanup only. Protein smoke (grease fires) embeds in finishes and requires enzymatic / solvent cleaning to fully remove.
Small kitchen fire: 3-7 days. Major structural fire combined scope: 4-8 weeks. Adjacent-property smoke-only claims: 5-14 days.
Hydroxyl: occupied-space safe, slower (3-10 days). Ozone: faster (24-72 hours) but requires unoccupied space.
Smoke alone doesn't, but fire suppression water often does. Combined fire+water claims need both smoke remediation AND water damage drying.
Kitchen grease, electrical, wood stove, neighbor's fire — smoke-type identification, HVAC decon, hydroxyl treatment.