Skip to content
TrustPointRestorationWater · Fire · Mold

Our Services

What happens after a house fire is put out?

Board-up and stabilization, soot and smoke removal, odor treatment, and reconstruction. We work the whole job, including the water the fire department left behind.

Call (615) 880-8060Free inspection

Short answer

Once the fire is out, damage keeps going. Soot is acidic and begins etching metal, glass, and finishes within hours, and the water used to fight the fire soaks the structure and starts a water-damage clock of its own. The first steps are securing the building, removing soot before it sets, and drying the structure. TrustPoint Restoration handles fire and smoke damage across Nashville and Middle Tennessee, including reconstruction. Call (615) 880-8060.

A fire leaves three separate problems behind, and they get worse at different speeds. There is what burned. There is what the smoke and soot touched, which is usually the entire house rather than just the room of origin. And there is the water, because putting a structure fire out takes a great deal of it.

Soot is the one that surprises people. It is acidic, and it keeps working after the fire is out. Within hours it begins discoloring and etching metal fixtures, appliance finishes, and glass. Within days that damage stops being cleanable and starts being replacement. Smoke also travels wherever air travels, so it settles in closets, inside cabinets, and through the HVAC system into rooms that never saw flame.

We work the whole thing as one job. Board-up and tarping to keep the building secure and out of the weather, then soot and smoke removal, then odor work, then drying the water, then putting the structure back. Running that through one contractor keeps the sequence right, because reconstruction over materials that still hold smoke odor means doing it twice.

Why it matters

What is actually at stake

Soot damage accelerates

Acidic residue etches chrome, aluminum, marble, and appliance finishes on a timeline of hours to days. Cleaning early saves materials that become replacements if they sit.

Smoke odor lives in the materials

Odor is not a surface problem. Smoke particles settle into porous materials, insulation, and ductwork. Sealing or painting over them traps the smell temporarily and it comes back with humidity.

The firefighting water is its own loss

Thousands of gallons can go into a structure fire. That water is doing exactly what any other water loss does, on the same 24-to-48-hour mold timeline, while everyone is focused on the burned areas.

Our Process

How we handle fire & smoke damage restoration

  1. 1. Securing the structure

    Board-up of openings and tarping of the roof so the building is not open to weather or entry. This is usually the same-day step, and most policies cover it as emergency mitigation.

  2. 2. Assessment and inventory

    We document what burned, what the smoke reached, and what the water affected. Contents are inventoried and separated into salvageable and not, because that list drives the claim.

  3. 3. Water extraction and drying

    Firefighting water comes out and the structure goes on drying equipment. This runs alongside the soot work rather than after it.

  4. 4. Soot and smoke removal

    Different residues need different methods. Dry soot from a fast-burning fire cleans differently than the oily residue from a slow, smoldering one. Using the wrong method on the wrong residue drives it into the surface.

  5. 5. Odor treatment

    Source removal first, then cleaning of ductwork and affected materials, then treatment of what remains. Sealing is a last step on materials that stay, not a substitute for removing the source.

  6. 6. Reconstruction

    Framing, drywall, paint, flooring, trim, and cabinetry to put the home back. Because we did the mitigation, nothing gets closed up before it is clean and dry.

What to look for

Signs worth a call

  • Soot film on walls, ceilings, or window glass
  • Smoke odor that returns on humid days
  • Discoloration or pitting on chrome, aluminum, or appliance finishes
  • Yellowed or streaked paint above heat sources
  • Odor coming from supply vents when the HVAC runs
  • Standing water or saturated materials after firefighting

Common mistakes

What tends to make it worse

  • Wiping soot with a wet cloth

    Water and household cleaners can smear oily soot into porous surfaces and set the stain permanently. Dry cleaning methods come first, matched to the residue type.

  • Running the HVAC system

    Turning the system on after a fire pushes smoke and soot through the ducts into rooms that were clean. Leave it off until the ductwork has been evaluated.

  • Painting to cover the smell

    Paint over smoke-affected material seals the odor in until humidity brings it back. The source has to come out first.

  • Throwing everything away before it is inventoried

    Contents claims are paid from documentation. Discarding damaged belongings before they are photographed and listed usually means they are not reimbursed.

When we are not the right call

We do not begin work until the fire department has released the scene and, where required, the fire marshal has finished any investigation. If the structure is unstable, a structural engineer assesses it before anyone works inside. Very small incidents, such as scorched cabinetry from a contained stovetop flare-up with no smoke spread, may not need a restoration contractor at all. We will tell you if that is what you have.

Testimonials

What Our Clients Say

Our Google reviews load here once the business profile is connected. We would rather show nothing than show numbers we have not verified.

FAQ

Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration questions

Can smoke odor actually be removed, or does it always come back?
It can be removed, but only by taking out the source. Smoke-saturated insulation, drywall, and carpet padding usually have to come out rather than be treated in place. Once the source is gone, the remaining surfaces are cleaned and the ductwork is addressed. Odor that returns is almost always a sign that something holding smoke was sealed up instead of removed.
How soon should soot be cleaned?
As soon as the scene is released. Soot is acidic and starts etching metal, glass, and finishes within hours. Items that are cleanable in the first days often become replacements after a few weeks.
Does insurance cover fire damage?
Fire is a covered peril on standard homeowners policies, and emergency board-up is typically covered as mitigation. Coverage limits, contents valuation, and additional living expenses vary by policy. We document the loss and work directly with your adjuster.
Can I stay in the house during the work?
It depends on the extent. Contained smoke damage in one area often allows the family to stay. Structural fire damage, active odor treatment, and loss of power or water generally do not. Many policies include additional living expenses when the home is not habitable.
What about my belongings?
Contents are inventoried, then cleaned off site where that is practical or documented for the claim where it is not. Photographs, documents, and electronics have their own handling and are worth flagging to us early.
What does fire damage restoration cost?
Published 2026 cost guides put fire and smoke restoration at roughly $4 to $7 per square foot, with many residential jobs falling between about $8,000 and $18,000. The spread is wide because a smoke-only loss and a structural burn are different projects. Our inspection is free and produces a written scope.

Service Areas

TrustPoint Restoration Service Areas

We dispatch around the clock across twelve Middle Tennessee cities. Every one of them has a page covering water, fire, and mold, not just water.

Damage gets worse with time

After the trucks leave, the next call matters. Reach TrustPoint at (615) 880-8060 and we will secure the property first.

Call (615) 880-8060Request a free inspection