If a stovetop fire just filled your kitchen with smoke, or a space heater took out a bedroom overnight, you need real numbers before you call anyone back. In Utah, fire damage restoration typically runs $2,500 to $8,000 for a contained, single-room loss and $60,000 to $150,000 or more for a whole-structure fire, depending on square footage, how far the smoke traveled, and how much framing needs to be rebuilt. Here is how that range breaks down by loss size, by phase of the job, and by what a homeowners policy is likely to cover.
How Much Does Fire Damage Restoration Cost by Loss Size?
The cost of a fire restoration job depends almost entirely on how far the fire and smoke traveled, not just how big the flames got. A contained stovetop fire with light smoke staining costs far less to restore than a smoke-only event that worked its way through the HVAC system into every room in the house.
| Loss Type | Typical Cost Range |
|---|---|
| Kitchen or stovetop fire, contained to one room, light smoke | $2,500 - $7,000 |
| Smoke-only damage with no direct flame contact (odor and soot throughout) | $3,000 - $12,000 |
| One room burned, smoke spread through the house via HVAC | $8,000 - $25,000 |
| Multi-room fire with some structural charring or framing damage | $25,000 - $60,000 |
| Whole-structure loss, major framing or roof damage, full rebuild | $60,000 - $150,000+ |
| Contents pack-out, cleaning, and short-term storage (billed separately) | $1,500 - $8,000 |
A single-room stovetop fire limited to soot cleaning and odor treatment through a fire damage restoration call can often stay under $7,000 because the loss never left the kitchen. The moment smoke moves through return air ducts into bedrooms and closets, the job changes from a spot clean to a full-house restoration.
What Drives the Price of a Fire Restoration Job Up or Down?
Four factors move a fire restoration estimate more than any others: how much square footage the smoke reached, whether firefighting water soaked the structure, the type of smoke residue left behind, and how much framing or roofing needs to be rebuilt.
Smoke type matters more than people expect. Protein smoke from a grease or kitchen fire leaves an almost invisible, hard-to-remove film that discolors paint and metal fast. Synthetic smoke from burning plastics and furniture leaves a thicker, oilier soot that is easier to see but harder to scrub off porous surfaces like drywall and carpet. Restoration crews generally follow the ANSI/IICRC S700 standard for fire and smoke restoration, which spells out how soot, char, and odor get documented and treated based on the type of combustion involved.
Smoke-only damage, even with no flame contact, often needs full-house smoke damage restoration because soot residue is acidic and keeps etching surfaces if it is not cleaned quickly. Firefighting water adds another layer of cost, since extinguishing a fire usually means extracting and drying hundreds of gallons of water from floors, walls, and insulation before soot cleaning can even start.
What Does Each Phase of a Fire Restoration Job Cost?
A fire restoration job is really several smaller jobs stacked together: securing the property, cleaning, deodorizing, and rebuilding. Most estimates break down along these lines.
- Emergency board-up and tarping: $300 - $1,500. Protects the structure from weather and theft while the claim gets filed.
- Soot and smoke cleaning (walls, ceilings, hard surfaces): $1,500 - $15,000, depending on square footage affected.
- Odor treatment via thermal fogging, ozone, or hydroxyl generators, typically handled under odor removal: $500 - $3,000.
- Contents pack-out, cleaning, and short-term storage: $1,500 - $8,000.
- Reconstruction and rebuild, often handled under general contracting once the insurance scope is approved: $15,000 - $120,000+, depending on how much framing, drywall, flooring, and paint have to be replaced.
Many fire jobs also need water extraction because firefighting hoses soaked the structure before the flames were out. That portion of the job is priced the same way a standalone flood loss would be; see the breakdown in our guide to water damage restoration costs in Utah for how that number gets built.
Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Fire Damage Restoration?
Most standard homeowners policies cover fire damage from sudden, accidental events, including the dwelling, detached structures, and personal contents, up to your policy limits and minus your deductible. That typically includes structural repair, smoke and soot cleaning, and a separate contents claim for damaged belongings, as outlined by the Insurance Information Institute.
What a standard policy usually will not cover: a fire set intentionally, damage from an appliance that failed gradually over time rather than suddenly, or any repair cost above your dwelling or contents limits. The Utah Insurance Department publishes a plain-language guide to filing a home claim that is worth reading before the adjuster calls.
The deductible is where most homeowners get surprised. A $1,000 or $2,500 deductible on a $4,000 kitchen fire changes the math a lot. Photograph everything before any cleanup starts, keep an itemized list of damaged contents, and get a written scope of work that matches what the adjuster is estimating. That documentation is what keeps a claim moving instead of stalling on disputed line items.
What Happens During a Fire Damage Restoration Job?
- Board-up and tarping to secure broken windows, doors, and roof openings against weather and theft.
- Assessment, documenting char depth, smoke type, and how far soot traveled through the structure.
- Water extraction and drying, if firefighting hoses soaked flooring, drywall, or insulation.
- Soot and smoke cleaning of salvageable surfaces, fixtures, and contents.
- Odor treatment to neutralize smoke smell at its source, not just mask it with fragrance.
- Reconstruction, framing, drywall, flooring, and paint, to bring the space back to pre-loss condition.
For a closer look at how each of those steps actually plays out on a real job, see the full fire damage restoration process.
Who Should You Call for Fire Damage Restoration in American Fork?
A fire restoration job touches structural drying, soot cleaning, odor treatment, and rebuild all at once, so it typically needs one contractor who can coordinate all four instead of four separate vendors. A licensed and insured restoration company serving American Fork, Orem, Lehi, and the rest of Utah County since 2012, with 24/7 phone coverage, can handle that coordination directly rather than leaving the homeowner to schedule each phase separately. Every estimate should start with a written scope that matches what the insurance adjuster needs to see, since no two fire losses cost the same. Call FIX Restoration at (801) 930-9750 to schedule a damage assessment.
Fire damage rarely stays contained to the room where it started. Smoke and soot travel through HVAC ducts and wall cavities long before you can smell them, which is why an accurate cost estimate starts with an inspection, not a guess from square footage alone.
About FIX Restoration
The company is a licensed and insured restoration business serving American Fork, Utah and the surrounding Utah Valley since 2012. It holds a 4.9-star Google rating across 558 reviews and operates a 24/7 phone line for fire, smoke, water, and storm damage calls. Crews handle fire and smoke damage restoration, odor removal, and general contracting and reconstruction work across American Fork, Provo, Orem, Lehi, and the rest of Utah County.