Fire damage restoration in the Twin Cities costs a median of $22,800 for mitigation in our residential fire records. This phase can include board-up, char removal, smoke and soot cleaning, odor treatment, and drying the water used to fight the fire. Among jobs with documented reconstruction, the median full claim was $241,000.

We pulled these figures from Bedrock Restoration’s residential fire records dating back to 2022. The reported costs include Minnesota sales tax and reflect invoiced work on Twin Cities properties.

A smoke-only cleanup and a whole-home fire are very different projects. To make the numbers useful, we separate mitigation from reconstruction and show the reported ranges for different types of damage.

Fire damage restoration cost at a glance

The middle half of our fire mitigation jobs fell between $6,800 and $47,600. The largest single fire mitigation in our records reached $177,000 before reconstruction began.

For comparison, our water mitigation median is $3,800. The fire mitigation median is about six times that figure, although the two groups contain different projects and scopes. See our Twin Cities water damage restoration cost breakdown .

What drives fire and smoke damage restoration costs?

A house fire can leave several kinds of damage in the same property. The estimate needs to account for each affected area and the work required to clean, stabilize, and restore it.

Smoke and soot beyond the room that burned

Smoke can reach rooms far from the flames through openings and air movement. Residue may settle on walls, ceilings, furnishings, and other contents. Odor can remain in porous materials even when visible soot is limited.

The smoke damage cleanup cost depends on the affected area, residue, materials, and contents requiring treatment. A small odor cleanup has a different scope from cleaning multiple rooms and their belongings.

Water used to fight the fire

Firefighting water can soak drywall, insulation, and flooring. Extraction, drying, and removal of unsalvageable materials add another scope of work to the fire cleanup.

Burned and heat-damaged materials

Framing, fixtures, and finishes near the fire may require assessment and removal. Materials that cannot be restored also become part of the reconstruction estimate.

Securing the property

Broken windows, damaged doors, and roof openings can leave the home exposed. Board-up and temporary weather protection help secure the property after emergency responders release it.

Contents inventory, cleaning, and pack-out

Furniture, clothing, electronics, and personal belongings may need inventory, packing, transport, cleaning, or loss documentation. The volume and condition of those items can materially affect the scope.

Why an initial fire estimate may miss part of the damage

Visible damage does not always show the full extent of a fire loss. An estimate focused only on the room that burned may overlook smoke residue, hidden heat damage, or water in adjacent spaces.

In one example from our files, a kitchen fire initially appeared to affect a single room. Further inspection identified damage beyond that room, including a scorched dining room outlet two rooms away.

A complete assessment should follow the damage through the property. It should identify affected rooms, contents, and moisture from firefighting, along with any areas requiring further investigation.

Fire damage repair costs: reconstruction after cleanup

Mitigation cleans, dries, and stabilizes the property. Reconstruction replaces what the fire damaged and what cleanup required crews to remove.

Across 22 Bedrock fire jobs with a documented rebuild, the recorded medians were:

Each median is calculated separately, so adding the phase medians does not produce the median full claim. The $39,000 mitigation median applies to this rebuild subset, rather than the full residential fire sample.

In this subset, the reconstruction median is five times the mitigation median. That compares group medians; it is not a multiplier for estimating an individual home’s repairs.

We quote mitigation and reconstruction under separate contracts and perform both under Minnesota contractor license BC787322. Assessing both phases helps connect the cleanup scope with the repairs needed afterward.

Insurance and fire damage restoration costs

In our records, 98% of residential fire losses with a recorded payer ran through homeowners insurance. This describes how those jobs were paid; it does not establish coverage for a particular loss.

Coverage details depend on your policy and circumstances. Ask your insurer about dwelling limits, belongings coverage, deductibles, and additional living expenses while repairs are underway.

Clear documentation helps explain the work needed. That can include photos of affected rooms, a contents inventory, moisture readings, and an estimate that accounts for damage beyond the point of origin.

Steps that can help limit further damage and unexpected costs

1. Wait for clearance before entering. Follow emergency responders’ instructions before returning to the property or accessing affected rooms.
2. Arrange property protection promptly. Once access is permitted, discuss board-up, tarping, and mitigation with a qualified restoration team.
3. Leave affected contents for assessment. Avoid wiping soot or moving damaged items before discussing documentation and handling with your restoration team.
4. Document the loss when safe. Photograph affected spaces and keep records of estimates, communications, and expenses.
5. Ask what each estimate includes. Confirm whether contents work, water mitigation, odor treatment, and reconstruction are included or quoted separately.
6. Discuss changes as hidden damage is found. Ask the team to explain and document additional work before proceeding under the agreed contract process.

Frequently asked questions