Restoration
Soot Cleanup Cost Calculator
Prices soot cleanup, where the wrong first wipe drives the residue into the surface.
Result
A planning estimate, not a quote. Access, the age of the equipment, what is found once it is opened up and local labour rates all move the real figure, sometimes a long way.
Get a Free Business AuditHow the calculation works
Hours times crew times rate, plus materials and the call-out, largely by surface area. Soot cleanup is methodical surface-by-surface work, and the method depends on both the residue and the substrate. Dry soot from a fast, hot fire is removed dry first, with specialist sponges and HEPA vacuuming, before anything wet is introduced. Wet, greasy residue from a smouldering or protein fire needs degreasing chemistry. Getting that order wrong on dry soot turns a removable deposit into a stain.
What moves the number
- Residue type, dry or greasy, which determines whether cleaning starts dry or wet.
- Surface area and the substrates involved.
- Whether surfaces are porous, which limits how fully residue can be removed.
- Protection needed for occupants and unaffected areas.
Where this one goes wrong
Dry soot is removed dry first. Introducing water or a wet cleaner to dry soot on a porous surface drives it in and sets it, converting a surface deposit into a permanent stain that then needs sealing or replacement. Dry sponges and HEPA vacuuming come before any wet method. Protective equipment matters too: soot contains fine particulate and combustion products, and cleaning it disturbs them, so respiratory protection is routine rather than cautious. Containing the work area keeps residue from being tracked into clean parts of the building, which is otherwise how a localised job spreads.
Before you quote
- Dry clean dry soot before introducing any moisture.
- Identify the residue type before choosing a method.
- Use respiratory protection, since cleaning disturbs fine particulate.
- Contain the work area to avoid tracking residue through the building.
Where the rules come from
Questions
About this calculator
Why shouldn't soot be wiped with a damp cloth?
Because on dry soot and a porous surface, moisture drives the residue into the material and sets it, turning a removable deposit into a permanent stain. Dry sponges and HEPA vacuuming come first. The instinct to wipe is what makes many soot jobs harder than they needed to be.
Is soot harmful to clean up?
It contains fine particulate and combustion products, and cleaning disturbs them, so respiratory protection is standard practice rather than excessive. Containing the work area also matters, both for the workers and to avoid tracking residue into unaffected parts of the building.
Can soot always be removed?
From hard non-porous surfaces, generally yes. From porous materials it may not be fully removable, particularly if moisture was introduced early or it sat for a long time. Those surfaces may need sealing or replacement, which is a scope decision rather than a cleaning failure.
The formula
total = hours x people x rate + parts + call-out, then sales tax
Put this calculator on your site
Free to embed. Paste this where you want it to appear. It stays up to date automatically because it loads from BDEVY.
Please keep the attribution line. It is the only thing we ask in return.
How to use this calculator
- Hours on site (h). Enter your own figure; the page starts at 22 h.
- People needed. Enter your own figure; the page starts at 1.
- Labour rate charged ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $135.
- Parts and materials ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $1,300.
- Call-out or diagnostic fee ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $95.
- Sales tax (%). Leave at zero if you are quoting before tax.
The result updates as you type, so you can try a figure, see what it does to estimated total, and change it back. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere or saved.
A worked example
These are the figures the calculator opens with. Every number in the results column below is produced by the same calculation the page runs, so you can follow it through before putting your own figures in.
What goes in
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Hours on site | 22 h |
| People needed | 1 |
| Labour rate charged | $135 |
| Parts and materials | $1,300 |
| Call-out or diagnostic fee | $95 |
| Sales tax | 0% |
What comes out
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Estimated total main result | $4,365 |
| Labour | $2,970 |
| Before tax | $4,365 |
| Sales tax | $0 |
About $4,365: $2,970 of labour, $1,300 of parts and a $95 call-out.
How sensitive the answer is
Holding everything else steady and changing only labour rate charged, this is what happens to estimated total. It is worth knowing which of your inputs the answer actually hinges on, and which barely move it.
| Labour rate charged ($) | Estimated total |
|---|---|
| $68 | $2,891 |
| $101 | $3,617 |
| $135 example above | $4,365 |
| $203 | $5,861 |
| $270 | $7,335 |
Every other input is held at the example value while this one changes, which is not how a real job behaves. Treat it as a guide to which number matters most, not as five separate quotes.
What each figure means
- Hours on site (h)
- Measured in h, between 0 and 400, starting at 22 h.
- People needed
- A number, between 0 and 40, starting at 1.
- Labour rate charged ($)
- A money amount, starting at $135.
- Parts and materials ($)
- A money amount, starting at $1,300.
- Call-out or diagnostic fee ($)
- A money amount, starting at $95.
- Sales tax (%)
- Leave at zero if you are quoting before tax.
What the results tell you
| Result | What it is |
|---|---|
| Estimated total | The headline result. A money figure. |
| Labour | A money figure. |
| Before tax | A money figure. |
| Sales tax | A money figure. |
Estimating is the easy part
The jobs you never hear about cost more than the ones you mis-measure. BDEVY builds the marketing, systems and automation that bring them in.