Fire and smoke damage restoration companies by state

A newer standard for an old problem

After a house fire, three kinds of damage usually arrive together: the burn itself, the soot and smoke residue that spreads well past the burned room, and the water used to put the fire out. Fire and smoke restoration deals with the second, and a good company handles the water side under S500 as well.

The IICRC's document for this work is ANSI/IICRC S700, the Standard for Professional Fire and Smoke Damage Restoration. Its first edition came out in 2025, and when we checked iicrc.org in September 2026 a consensus body had already started revising it.

S700 covers assessing where fire residues and odors have reached in a building, its systems (heating and air conditioning included) and its contents, then cleaning and odor management. It also covers contractor qualifications and a written Restoration Work Plan.

Its limits are worth reading too. The IICRC page says S700 does not comprehensively address reconstruction, wildfires, chemical or industrial fires that pose environmental hazards, or buildings with special requirements such as healthcare facilities and labs. If your loss falls into one of those, ask the company what it follows instead.

Signs of a company that does this work properly

A lot of fire work happens off site, with contents cleaned or stored elsewhere. That shifts what matters on a company's website:

• A process that starts with an assessment and a written plan, then moves through cleaning, deodorization and contents. S700's own word for the plan is the Restoration Work Plan.
• Contents handling. Look for pack-out, inventory and off-site cleaning or storage described in plain terms, and ask for a copy of the inventory. It is your record of what left the house.
• Communication during the job. Our score credits a company that says how and how often it will update you while the work is going on.
• Insurance claim support and an estimate approach you can understand before work starts.
• Ductwork. The IICRC also publishes S590 for assessing HVAC systems after a water, fire or mold event, so ask whether the ducts are part of the scope.

A 24/7 line, a stated response time and S700 named on the site all count toward the score. If the fire left the house open, look for board-up on the service list too.

What the table shows

Rows count listed companies, state by state, whose own site documents fire and smoke damage restoration. Fewer of our listed companies document fire work than water work, and a company in this table may still be stronger on water. Open the state list to compare scores and coverage side by side.