Water damage drying
Fire & smoke cleanup
Mold remediation
Storm response
Sewage cleanup
ReconstructionFree visual inspection and a written scope of work before any mitigation begins - photos, moisture readings, and drying logs go in your claim file
The scope we write is the scope we bill. Anything new gets shown to you, in writing, before we touch it.
Get your free estimateRestoration work we handle
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterHow Much Does Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration Cost in Miami?
Fire and smoke damage restoration in Miami typically costs between $3,200 and $8,500 for a moderate residential fire affecting two to three rooms. Smaller kitchen fires with mostly smoke and soot cleanup run $1,800 to $3,500, while whole-home restoration after a major fire can exceed $15,000. Most Miami homeowners pay about $5,400 on average, with the final number driven by square footage, smoke penetration depth, and whether water damage from firefighting is involved.
We know that’s a wide range. That’s deliberate. A fire in a Little Havana condo kitchen leaves a different footprint than a fire that tears through a Kendall single-family home. The numbers below break down exactly where your money goes, so you can walk into any conversation with a restoration company knowing what’s reasonable and what isn’t.
Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration Cost Breakdown (2026)
Here is what a typical Miami fire damage restoration job costs, line by line. These are real ranges from our work across Dade County, not national averages pulled from a database.
| Restoration Component | Typical Miami Cost Range | What It Covers |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency board-up & tarping | $400 – $1,200 | Securing windows, doors, and roof openings immediately after the fire. Required before any other work can begin. |
| Water extraction & drying | $1,000 – $4,500 | Removing water left behind by firefighting. Pumps, extractors, and commercial drying equipment from Dri-Eaz and Phoenix. |
| Soot & smoke residue cleaning | $1,500 – $5,000 | Wiping down every surface, including walls, ceilings, fixtures, and personal items. This is the most labor-intensive part of the job. |
| Odor removal (thermal fogging, ozone, hydroxyl) | $600 – $2,500 | Neutralizing smoke odor that has penetrated drywall, insulation, and fabrics. In Miami humidity, this step is non-negotiable. |
| HVAC & duct cleaning | $400 – $1,800 | Removing soot and smoke particles from your air system so they don’t recirculate through the house for months. |
| Structural repairs (drywall, paint, trim) | $1,500 – $7,000+ | Replacing charred or water-damaged drywall, repainting, and restoring trim. Costs climb with room count and ceiling height. |
| Content cleaning & storage | $500 – $3,000 | Cleaning, deodorizing, and storing furniture, clothing, and personal belongings while your home is being restored. |
| Total typical job | $3,200 – $8,500 | Moderate fire affecting two to three rooms in a standard Miami home. |
What Drives the Price Up or Down
The biggest variable in Miami is water. Firefighters put a lot of water on a fire, and that water seeps into subfloors, baseboards, and wall cavities before we even arrive. The longer water sits, the higher the bill. A fire caught within minutes by a working smoke alarm leaves mostly soot. A fire that burned for 15 minutes before the alarm tripped leaves damaged studs, soaked insulation, and ceiling drywall that has to come out.
Construction type matters too. Older Miami homes with plaster walls and original wood floors absorb smoke differently than newer concrete-block construction common in developments built after 1990. Plaster is porous and holds odor, meaning more sealing and repainting. Concrete block doesn’t burn, but the paint and drywall on top of it certainly does.
Ceiling height is another silent driver. A lot of Miami homes built in the last 25 years, especially in neighborhoods like Pinecrest, Palmetto Bay, and parts of Coral Gables, have 10-foot or vaulted ceilings. More surface area to clean means more labor hours. High ceilings can add 15 to 25 percent to the soot-cleaning portion of your bill.
What Affects Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration Pricing in Miami
- Proximity to salt air. Homes east of US-1, from South Beach through Coconut Grove, deal with salt-laden humidity that accelerates corrosion on metal fixtures, electrical connections, and hardware after a fire. We see rust forming within 72 hours on exposed surfaces. It adds an extra cleaning pass.
- Miami’s humidity and smoke odor. Smoke particles bind to moisture in the air. In Miami, where relative humidity hovers around 75 percent most of the year, smoke odor penetrates deeper into drywall, carpet, and fabric than it would in a dry climate. Odor removal often requires thermal fogging or hydroxyl generation, not just surface cleaning.
- Fire type. Protein fires (kitchen grease, food) leave a nearly invisible, sticky residue that is extremely difficult to remove and carries a strong odor for months if not treated properly. Synthetic fires (burning plastics, furniture foam) produce dense black soot that smears when touched. Clean wood or paper fires produce lighter ash that is easier to clean. The fuel source changes the chemistry of the cleanup and the price.
- Water damage from firefighting. A fire in a single room can mean 500 to 1,500 gallons of water dumped through the house. If that water sat overnight before the restoration company arrived, expect mold remediation costs of $1,000 to $3,000 layered on top of fire restoration.
- Permit requirements and local codes. Miami-Dade County requires permits for structural repairs tied to fire damage in most municipalities, including the City of Miami, Hialeah, and Coral Gables. Permit fees run $150 to $600 depending on the scope. Your restoration contractor should handle this paperwork; if they won’t, that’s a red flag.
- Content salvage vs. replacement. Personal property with smoke damage costs $1.50 to $4.00 per square foot to clean professionally off-site in a content-cleaning facility. Heavily damaged items may be cheaper to replace. Your insurance policy will typically cover either path, but the deductible math varies.
Fire Damage Restoration in Miami: How the Process Works
We follow a specific sequence on every fire job in Miami, from Hialeah to Homestead. Here is the step-by-step, so you know what to expect when a crew arrives.
- Immediate board-up and stabilization. We secure every opening, from windows to roof penetrations. This prevents weather intrusion and unauthorized entry. Cost is $400 to $1,200 depending on window count and accessibility. It happens same-day, usually within a few hours of your call.
- Water removal and drying. Firefighting water gets extracted first. We set commercial dehumidifiers and air movers, and take psychrometric readings, which means we measure the moisture in the air and inside the walls to track drying progress daily. This prevents the mold bloom that follows almost every fire if water isn’t removed within 48 hours.
- Soot and residue cleaning. Technicians clean every surface, working top-down. Ceilings first, then walls, then floors, then fixtures. We use dry chemical sponges for initial soot removal, then wet-clean surfaces with appropriate detergents. This is the most time-intensive phase, often taking 3 to 7 days on a moderate job.
- Odor neutralization. Surface cleaning does not remove smoke odor that has penetrated drywall and insulation. We deploy thermal foggers or hydroxyl generators. Thermal fogging heats a deodorizing agent into a fog that penetrates the same pores smoke entered. Hydroxyl generation uses UV light to create oxidizing molecules that break down odor compounds. This takes 24 to 72 hours of continuous operation.
- HVAC and duct cleaning. Your air handler and ductwork are full of soot particles. If we skip this step, the odor returns in weeks because the system keeps blowing contaminated air through the house. Expect $400 to $1,800 for this phase.
- Structural repair and rebuild. We replace charred drywall, insulation, and flooring. We repaint with odor-sealing primer, then finish paint. This is where permit work under Miami-Dade code applies. We handle all permits and inspections.
- Content cleaning and final walkthrough. Off-site cleaned belongings return. We walk the property with you, room by room, to confirm the job is right before we leave. Every Marsh job includes a written guarantee and a 365-Day Done Right Promise printed on the work order, meaning if something is not right within a year, we come back and fix it at no charge.
Will Insurance Cover Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration in Miami?
Yes. Fire damage is a covered peril on every standard Florida homeowners insurance policy, including HO-3 and HO-5 forms sold in Miami-Dade County. Your policy will cover restoration, structural repairs, and personal property replacement, minus your deductible. Most Miami homeowners carry deductibles between $1,000 and $5,000. If your deductible is $2,500 and restoration costs $5,400, insurance pays $2,900.
What insurance does not cover is usually the difference between what the adjuster approves and what the contractor’s estimate actually requires. We see this gap constantly in Miami. Adjusters use national pricing software that often undercounts labor costs in South Florida, where contractor wages run higher than the national average. A written, line-item estimate from a restoration company gives you negotiating power with your carrier.
Two specific things to know about Miami insurance claims:
- Matching statutes. Florida does not have a matching statute for fire repairs the way it does for roofing, but insurance carriers will often push to repair only damaged sections, which can leave visible seams between old and new drywall or paint. We document everything photographically and can submit supplemental claims when the scope grows during demolition.
- Mold exclusions. Not all Florida policies include mold remediation coverage, and many cap it at $10,000. A fire that sat wet for 48 hours or more before restoration means mold is likely. Get your restoration started quickly. The faster water is extracted, the smaller the mold problem becomes, and the less likely you are to hit a policy cap.
How to Save on Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration
Fire restoration is not the category where you want the cheapest bid. Soot left behind smears permanently. Odor not treated at the source returns in six months. Water not fully extracted becomes mold. That said, there are legitimate ways to control cost without cutting corners.
- Call immediately. Every hour of delay between the fire and the start of restoration increases the cost. Soot bonds harder. Water penetrates deeper. Odor spreads further into porous materials. A job started within 24 hours costs less than the same job started 72 hours later.
- Get a written estimate with a line-item breakdown. A contractor who gives you a single number without explaining what’s in it is guessing. You need line items so you can compare against other bids and against your insurance adjuster’s report. Marsh gives every customer a written price before any work begins. Not a verbal ballpark. A written price.
- Know your policy before disaster. Read your insurance policy’s declaration page today, not after a fire. Know your deductible, your dwelling coverage limit, and your mold cap if one exists. This knowledge lets you make informed decisions when an adjuster pushes back.
- Ask about content cleaning vs. replacement. Sometimes cleaning a $400 sofa that’s insured for $350 makes no sense. A good restoration company will tell you when replacement is the better financial call. That honesty saves you deductible dollars.
- Address emergency water removal as a standalone task. If you’re waiting on an insurance adjuster, water extraction can proceed separately from full restoration. Removing standing water immediately prevents thousands in secondary damage. Your policy covers emergency mitigation; you do not need approval to stop further destruction.
If you’re unsure where to start, call us at (689) 888-7601. A live person answers, 24 hours a day, including holidays. Not a voicemail, not a callback queue. We’ll talk through your specific situation and give you a free estimate.
FAQs – Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration Cost
How much does smoke damage cleanup cost in Miami without a fire?
Smoke damage cleanup without structural fire damage typically costs $1,200 to $4,000 in Miami. This covers soot wiping on all surfaces, ceiling cleaning, odor neutralization, and HVAC cleaning in a home up to about 2,500 square feet. The final number depends on how long the smoke sat and whether you have textured ceilings or wallpaper. Call (689) 888-7601 for a written estimate tailored to your home.
Is it cheaper to repair or replace after fire damage?
It depends on the item and the extent of damage. For structural elements like drywall and trim, repair is almost always cheaper than full replacement. For personal property like furniture and clothing, replacement often costs less than professional content cleaning when the item’s value is under $500. Rule of thumb: repair the structure, replace the contents unless those contents have sentimental value. A reputable restoration company will walk you through the math on each category.
How long does fire and smoke damage restoration take in Miami?
Most moderate residential fire restoration jobs in Miami take 2 to 4 weeks from board-up to final paint. Water extraction and drying take 3 to 5 days. Soot and residue cleaning runs 3 to 7 days. Odor removal takes 1 to 3 days of equipment runtime. Structural repairs and repainting typically add 1 to 2 weeks. Permits and inspections can add a few days depending on your municipality. We give a timeline in writing before work starts.
Can you come today for fire damage restoration in Miami?
Yes. We dispatch emergency board-up and water extraction crews the same day you call, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Miami’s humidity does not wait, and neither can you when standing water is soaking into your slab. Call (689) 888-7601 and a live person answers immediately. We’ll send a technician with a confirmed name and photo before they arrive, so you know exactly who is walking up to your door.
What does fire damage restoration cost per square foot in Miami?
Fire damage restoration in Miami runs $4.50 to $11.00 per square foot for the affected area, not the whole home. A 1,200-square-foot fire-affected zone in a 2,500-square-foot house would fall between $5,400 and $13,200. Cleanup-only jobs land at the low end. Jobs requiring structural rebuild, flooring replacement, and content handling land at the high end.
Do you work with my insurance company directly?
Yes. We communicate directly with your insurance adjuster, provide photographic and written documentation, and submit supplemental claims when the scope grows during demolition. You do not need to be the middleman. Our technicians are credentialed through IICRC, the restoration industry’s recognized training body, which helps when an adjuster questions methodology or line items.
Who Shows Up at Your Door Matters in Miami
A fire leaves you shaken. The last thing you need is to open your door to a crew you know nothing about. We built our company around that specific problem, because it’s the thing almost nobody else in this industry takes seriously.
Every Marsh Water Damage Miami technician operates under the Threshold Verified standard. That means five things happen before a crew ever rings your bell:
- Every technician passes a background check and identity verification before their first day.
- You receive the technician’s name and photo before the visit, sent to your phone or email.
- The technician arrives in uniform with a photo ID badge and shows it at the door. Every time.
- The technician explains what they’re doing and why, in plain English, before touching anything.
- You get a written price before any work begins, plus a written guarantee on every repair.
This is not a marketing gimmick. It’s printed on every work order we’ve issued since Tobias Reyner has led our Miami operation, and it applies to every single visit, from the first board-up to the final walkthrough. If you’re home alone with young kids, or you’re an older homeowner who’s been burned before by a contractor who promised one thing and sent another, this standard exists for you.
We also operate as part of the Threshold Group family of restoration companies, founded in 2005. That gives us the buying power and equipment access of a large organization, but each location runs independently under the same Verified standard. Our Miami team carries IICRC, RIA, and IFA credentials. We run Dri-Eaz dehumidifiers, Phoenix extractors, XPOWER air movers, B-Air remediation equipment, and Injectidry drying systems. The same gear a national franchise deploys on a commercial school or hospital flood, applied to your living room.
Free Estimates – No Pressure, Just Numbers
If you’ve had a fire, you need numbers. Real numbers. You need to know what this costs before you sign anything, before you interview three companies, before you talk to an adjuster.
Call (689) 888-7601. A live person answers. We’ll ask about the fire, walk you through what we’d recommend, and give you a free estimate based on what you describe. If you want us out there, we’ll send a technician with a name and a photo sent to your phone in advance. Written price before any work starts. Written guarantee on every repair. And a 365-Day Done Right Promise: if it’s not right within a year, we make it right, including a free second visit. No arguments.
We handle Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration in Miami from board-up to final paint. If you’d like to see everything we do, start at our home page. But if you have fire damage right now, skip the website. Call the number.
Pricing reflects the Miami market as of 2026. Marsh Water Damage Miami offers free estimates – call (689) 888-7601.
Written by Tobias Reyner, Owner at Marsh Water Damage Miami, serving Miami-Dade County since 2005.
What Our Customers Say
"Good job overall. Equipment noise was loud at night, but they explained why it was needed. Dried out fully and passed the final reading."
- Carla J."Dishwasher leak had gone under the kitchen floor. They found it with a thermal camera and dried it without ripping up everything."
- Helen B."Mold test came back clean after their drying. Peace of mind for us."
- Lydia F.