After a fire, the company you hire matters more than most homeowners realize. Fire restoration is not general contracting plus deodorizer. It is a mix of demolition, hazardous materials handling, industrial-scale cleaning, structural drying, and reconstruction, with health consequences for occupants and significant insurance documentation requirements layered on top. The wrong contractor can leave smoke residue etched into surfaces, miss contamination in HVAC systems, or hand you a denied insurance claim. The right one restores your property to pre-loss condition and gets you back home faster.
Green Clean has provided fire damage restoration to Minneapolis, St. Paul, and the greater Twin Cities metro since 1996. This guide walks through the seven questions every Twin Cities homeowner or business owner should ask before signing a contract with a fire restoration company. Each question is paired with what a good answer sounds like and the red flags that should send you to the next bidder.
Fire restoration is one of the few major home services where the consequences of a bad choice often do not become visible for weeks or months. Smoke residue is acidic and continues to etch surfaces and corrode metals long after the visible cleanup is done. Soot particles are sub-micron and migrate through ductwork into rooms that were not touched by flames. Water from firefighting efforts creates a separate water damage event that can drive mold growth within 24 to 48 hours. A contractor who handles only the visible damage leaves all of that in place.
Industry research from the Allianz Risk Barometer shows that fire and explosion account for over 36 percent of business interruption insurance claims by value, and the same long-tail damage patterns apply to residential losses. The seven questions below are designed to separate contractors who handle fire properly from contractors who are general cleaners with a marketing budget.
The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) is the ANSI-accredited standards body for the restoration industry. An IICRC Certified Firm is verifiable in the IICRC public directory, employs trained technicians, carries current liability insurance, and follows a written complaint policy. Technician-level certifications confirm that the people actually working in your home have formal training in the specific work they will be performing.
For a fire damage project, the certifications that matter most are:
What a good answer sounds like: the contractor identifies as an IICRC Certified Firm by name, provides certification numbers on request, names the specific technicians who will be on your job, and matches their credentials to the loss type. What to walk away from: vague answers, “we follow IICRC standards” without firm certification, or one general certification used to cover every type of damage.
Smoke residue becomes increasingly difficult to remove after 48 to 72 hours as acidic compounds etch into surfaces. Water damage from firefighting efforts can trigger mold growth within 24 to 48 hours. The ANSI/IICRC S700 Standard for Professional Fire and Smoke Damage Restoration, published in January 2025, codifies these timelines as the basis for emergency response protocols.
A qualified contractor should be able to dispatch a mitigation team within one to two hours of your call for emergencies in their service area. The first 24 hours should include safety assessment and coordination with fire department personnel, boarding up damaged openings, installing temporary structural supports if needed, initiating water extraction, applying corrosion inhibitors to metal surfaces and electronics, deploying HEPA air filtration, and beginning content protection.
What a good answer sounds like: specific response time commitments, a named list of first-24-hour mitigation activities, and equipment they will bring on the initial visit. What to walk away from: vague timing (“as soon as we can”), no mention of immediate mitigation work beyond demolition, or a focus on the rebuild conversation before the loss has been stabilized.
Most fire damage claims involve significant dollar amounts and complex scope-of-loss disputes. The quality of documentation your restoration contractor provides directly affects what your insurance carrier approves. A contractor who works fire losses daily understands what adjusters need: itemized inventories, photographs of damage before cleanup begins, moisture readings, air quality measurements, written scope of work, daily activity logs, and chain-of-custody documentation for relocated contents.
Just as important: the contractor should work in coordination with you, the homeowner or property manager, alongside the insurance adjuster, not in place of you. Be wary of any contractor who asks you to sign documents giving them direct authority over your claim or who positions themselves as your sole point of contact with the insurer.
What a good answer sounds like: specific documentation deliverables, willingness to provide them on a regular schedule, and a clear explanation of how mitigation and rebuild are scoped and billed separately. What to walk away from: pressure to sign work authorization or assignment of benefits before you have had an opportunity to research and evaluate companies.
Smoke residue is not one substance. The IICRC recognizes four primary residue types, each requiring different cleaning chemistry and methods:
A qualified fire restoration contractor identifies the residue type before choosing cleaning methods, because the wrong method on the wrong residue can permanently damage surfaces. Wet-cleaning dry smoke smears it into pores. Dry-cleaning wet smoke pushes residue deeper into the surface. Mismatched chemistry can etch finishes, discolor materials, or set odors permanently.
What a good answer sounds like: the contractor walks you through how they assess residue type and matches that to specific cleaning protocols. What to walk away from: “we just clean it all the same way” or a focus on cleaning chemicals without mention of residue type.
Smoke and soot travel through ductwork and deposit throughout the building, including in rooms that were not directly affected by the fire. If the HVAC system is not professionally cleaned, soot and odor migrate back into restored spaces every time the system runs, undoing the cleaning work and prolonging the smell. Following guidance from the National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA), HVAC inspection and cleaning is a standard part of any meaningful fire restoration scope.
What a good answer sounds like: HVAC assessment is part of the initial scope, cleaning approach is described in detail (HEPA vacuum, source removal, sometimes coil cleaning and component decontamination), and the contractor can speak to which components are cleanable versus replaceable. What to walk away from: HVAC mentioned only as an upsell, or the contractor proposing to “spray something through the vents” rather than clean them.
Fire restoration has two distinct phases. Mitigation is the emergency response and stabilization work: water extraction, content protection, structural drying, smoke and soot cleaning, deodorization, and HVAC remediation. Reconstruction is the rebuild: drywall replacement, framing repairs, flooring, painting, cabinetry, trim, and any structural rebuild. These phases require different credentials. The IICRC certifications cover mitigation. State contractor licensing covers reconstruction.
Some restoration companies handle both phases under one roof. Others handle mitigation only and refer rebuild to general contractors. Either model can work, but the contractor should be transparent about which they offer and where the handoff happens. A clear handoff protects you from scope gaps where neither party takes responsibility for the work in between.
What a good answer sounds like: clear explanation of which phases the contractor handles directly, named referral partners or in-house teams for the phases they do not, separate written scopes for mitigation and rebuild, and named project management contacts for each phase. What to walk away from: ambiguity about who does the rebuild, pressure to commit to rebuild before mitigation is even underway, or no clear license for the reconstruction phase.
Fire restoration experience does not transfer perfectly across geographies. A contractor who has done extensive work in the Twin Cities understands the local housing stock, the regional insurance carriers, the building code requirements in the seven county metro area, and the climate factors that affect drying and reconstruction timelines. A national chain or out-of-area company brought in after a major event may have less of this context than a long-established local firm.
Ask for references from fire losses similar to yours in scope and property type, completed within the past 24 months, ideally within the same metro area. Drive past completed projects if you can. Check Google reviews, Better Business Bureau records, and the IICRC firm directory. Ask the references about response time, communication during the project, scope changes that came up, and whether the final result matched what was promised.
What a good answer sounds like: named local references provided without hesitation, Better Business Bureau accreditation, a long history of operation in the area, and verifiable Google or Yelp reviews. What to walk away from: reluctance to provide references, references that are all from out of state, or a company that cannot point to years of local presence.
Beyond the seven questions above, certain patterns indicate a contractor you do not want to work with regardless of how the rest of the conversation goes:
How much does fire damage restoration cost?
Residential fire damage restoration costs vary significantly by scope. Minor smoke damage from a contained kitchen fire may run a few thousand dollars. Major structural fires with full smoke migration, water damage from firefighting, content restoration, and reconstruction can run into the hundreds of thousands. Most fire restoration is paid through homeowner’s or commercial property insurance, so the practical question is usually how the contractor scopes the loss and works with your adjuster.
How long does fire damage restoration take?
Emergency mitigation typically takes one to two weeks for residential losses, longer for severe damage or commercial properties. Full reconstruction depends on scope and can add anywhere from a few weeks to several months. Smoke odor removal continues throughout the project. Total timelines from initial response to fully restored property generally range from one month for minor damage to 6-12 months or longer for severe structural fires.
Does my homeowner’s insurance cover fire damage restoration?
Standard homeowner’s and commercial property policies cover fire damage, including emergency mitigation and reconstruction, subject to your policy limits and deductible. Additional living expenses (ALE) coverage typically pays for temporary housing while your home is uninhabitable. Business interruption coverage may apply for commercial properties. Review your policy and work with your adjuster to understand your specific coverage before signing a contract with any restoration contractor.
Should I get multiple quotes for fire damage restoration?
Sometimes it makes sense to go with a contractor right away if they came from a reputable source- not necessarily the company that shows up while the fire is still fresh. For losses where immediate mitigation is needed within the first 24 hours, the priority is engaging a qualified contractor quickly to prevent secondary damage. For the rebuild phase, multiple written estimates are reasonable. Be cautious about comparing quotes that differ significantly in scope of work, since the cheapest quote often reflects a less complete job rather than a better price.
What is an “assignment of benefits” and should I sign one?
An assignment of benefits (AOB) is a contract that transfers your insurance claim rights to the restoration contractor, allowing them to deal with the insurer directly and receive payment without going through you. AOBs can simplify the process in some cases, but they have also been associated with billing disputes, inflated claims, and homeowners losing control of their own claims. Read any AOB carefully, understand exactly what you are signing, and consider consulting your insurance agent before signing. A reputable contractor will not pressure you to sign one immediately.
What’s the difference between a fire restoration company and a general contractor?
A fire restoration company specializes in the full sequence of post-fire work: emergency mitigation, smoke and soot cleaning, deodorization, structural drying, content restoration, HVAC remediation, and (often) reconstruction. A general contractor handles the rebuild phase but typically does not have IICRC certifications or the specialized equipment for smoke and soot work. For a fire loss, the restoration company should handle mitigation. Reconstruction can be done by either, depending on the contractor’s capabilities.
Green Clean has provided 24/7 emergency fire damage restoration to Minneapolis, St. Paul, and the greater Twin Cities metro since 1996. Our IICRC-certified technicians follow ANSI/IICRC S700 protocols for fire and smoke restoration and ANSI/IICRC S500 protocols for the water damage that accompanies most fire losses. We document every step of the mitigation process, coordinate directly with your insurance adjuster, and provide written scopes of work for both mitigation and reconstruction phases. We are happy to answer all seven of these questions, share references, and walk you through certifications before you sign anything.
When fire affects your property, the contractor you choose shapes everything that follows. Take the time to ask the right questions. We will give you direct answers.
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