Fire Damage Insurance Estimate: Complete Example & Breakdown

Fire damage estimates must cover four damage categories: direct fire, smoke migration, soot contamination, and firefighting water damage. Here's what a complete fire scope looks like.

Overview

Fire damage estimates are among the most complex in the insurance industry. A complete scope must account for direct fire damage, smoke and soot migration to non-burned areas, odor treatment, contents damage, and water damage from firefighting. Insurance companies frequently scope only the directly burned area — missing smoke migration, duct contamination, and contents in adjacent rooms.

What a complete fire damage estimate includes

Structural demolition — fire-damaged

Removal of all fire-damaged structural materials. Priced per square foot.

Smoke and soot cleaning

Cleaning of all smoke-affected surfaces throughout the structure, not just the fire zone. Priced per square foot.

HVAC cleaning

Duct cleaning and HVAC decontamination is required when smoke entered the system. Major scope item frequently missed.

Contents cleaning or replacement

All contents affected by smoke, soot, or water require either professional cleaning or replacement.

Odor treatment

Thermal fogging, ozone treatment, or hydroxyl treatment for smoke odor throughout the structure.

Water mitigation

Firefighting water causes its own water damage requiring separate mitigation scope (see water mitigation estimate).

Board-up and temporary protection

Securing the structure after fire with board-up, tarping, and temporary fencing.

Line item breakdown with typical ranges

Category	Line Item	Unit	Typical Range	Notes
Demo	Remove drywall — fire damaged	SF	$1.25–$2.25/SF	Document each area with photos before removal
Demo	Remove structural framing — fire damaged	BF	$2.50–$5.00/BF	Board feet — structural engineer may be required
Cleaning	Clean smoke/soot — walls and ceilings	SF	$0.35–$0.75/SF	All affected areas, not just fire zone
Cleaning	HVAC system cleaning	EA	$800–$2,500/EA	Full system if smoke entered ducts — frequently missed
Contents	Contents — pack out and inventory	HR	$55–$95/HR	Full inventory required for replacement coverage
Contents	Contents cleaning — electronics	EA	$150–$400/EA	Per item professional cleaning
Odor	Thermal fogging — treatment	SF	$0.12–$0.25/SF	Entire affected structure
Temporary	Board-up — openings	SF	$3.50–$6.00/SF	All compromised openings from day one
Temporary	Roof tarping	SQ	$45–$95/SQ	Any roof penetrations from fire

* Ranges based on national Xactimate averages. Actual pricing varies by market, labor rates, and material costs.

Common items insurance companies leave out

Scoping only the fire zone and missing smoke migration rooms

Not including HVAC cleaning when smoke entered the system

Missing contents in adjacent rooms (smoke damage is covered)

Omitting water mitigation scope for firefighting water

Not including odor treatment for the entire structure

Failing to document and inventory contents before packing out

Missing temporary protection (board-up, tarping) from the first day

How to compare your estimate to the insurance company's scope

1Compare affected square footage to your room-by-room documentation

2Verify HVAC cleaning is included if any smoke reached returns

3Confirm contents scope covers all rooms with smoke exposure, not just the fire room

4Check that water mitigation scope is present as a separate section

5Verify odor treatment covers the full structure

6Look for temporary protection line items from the first day of loss

Compare estimates automatically with Appraisly

Appraisly

Appraisly compares your estimate to the insurance company's Xactimate scope line by line — finding missing items and discrepancies so you can supplement with confidence.

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