Trusted Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration for Minneapolis Homeowners
Our Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration in Minneapolis means removing soot, neutralizing odor, and repairing structural damage so your home is safe to live in again. Most jobs in the Twin Cities run between $3,500 and $12,000 depending on the size of the fire and how far the smoke traveled. Wade Ferris founded this company in 2007 and has worked on hundreds of Minneapolis-area fire losses, from kitchen grease fires in Linden Hills to furnace puff-backs in Northeast. When you call (888) 690-6095, you’ll reach a live person, often Wade himself, and he can have a crew at your door the same day.
What Our Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration Service Includes
Fire Damage Cleanup
Fire damage cleanup is the removal of burned debris, charred building materials, and water left behind by firefighters. You need this immediately after the fire is out because ash and soot keep causing chemical reactions that etch surfaces within hours. Our crew removes unsalvageable materials, extracts standing water, and stabilizes the structure so further damage stops accumulating. Wade documents everything with photos for your insurance file before anything gets thrown away.
Smoke & Soot Removal
Smoke and soot removal involves cleaning every surface the smoke touched, even rooms far from the fire itself. Smoke particles are acidic and they keep eating at paint, metal, and fabric long after the flames are gone. We use HEPA vacuums, dry chemical sponges, and wet cleaning methods matched to the specific surface and the type of soot, because protein fire soot cleans differently than synthetic fire soot. Minneapolis homes with forced-air furnaces often have soot inside the ductwork, and we address that too.
Odor Removal & Deodorization
Odor removal gets rid of the smoke smell that ordinary cleaning cannot touch, because the odor molecules embed themselves in porous materials. We use thermal fogging, ozone treatment, and hydroxyl generators from B-Air to chemically neutralize the odor rather than just masking it. In Minneapolis winters when you can’t open windows for ventilation, our equipment keeps working without forcing you out of the house. A smoke smell that comes back after a few weeks usually means the source was never fully treated, and that’s where our 90-Day Done Right Promise matters.
Contents Cleaning & Pack-Out
Contents cleaning and pack-out means inventorying, packing, and cleaning your personal belongings, from furniture to wedding albums. When a fire damages a Minneapolis home, everything in it needs to be assessed because smoke travels through closed doors and drawers. We pack out your belongings, clean them at our facility using ultrasonic machines and specialized detergents, then store them in a secure, climate-controlled space until your home is ready. Wade’s crew photographs and inventories every single item so your adjuster has a complete record.
Emergency Board-Up & Tarping
24 Hour Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration in Minneapolis, MN starts with emergency board-up and tarping that secures your home when fire has compromised windows, doors, or roofing. The Minneapolis fire department does an excellent job, but they often have to break glass and cut holes to vent the structure, and that leaves your home open to weather, animals, and trespassers. We get plywood over openings and tarps over roof damage within hours of your call, not days. This is a step you do not skip in Minnesota where one rainstorm or snow event can turn a fire loss into a water loss.
Structural Fire Repair
Structural fire repair is the rebuild side of the job, replacing burned framing, drywall, insulation, and flooring so the house is whole again. After cleanup and odor treatment, this is where your home actually gets put back together, and Wade manages it the same way he manages the emergency work. We scope the repairs in writing before any hammer swings, and we coordinate with your insurance adjuster so the renovation matches what your policy covers. The 90-Day Done Right Promise applies here too, in writing, on every structural fire repair contract.
What happens when you call
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A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
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You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
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A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
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You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Brands We Service for Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration
We run B-Air hydroxyl generators and air scrubbers on nearly every fire job because they clear smoke odor without moisture, which matters when your Minneapolis home already has water damage from the fire department. These units neutralize odor molecules in the air and on surfaces, and they’re safe to run while we work. Wade’s crew is trained on the full B-Air line and we keep spare filters and parts on the truck.
For structural drying after the fire hoses soak your framing and insulation, we use Phoenix dehumidifiers and XPOWER air movers. These are commercial-grade machines, not rental units, and they pull moisture out of wood, drywall, and subfloor much faster than household equipment. Whether your loss is in a 1920s bungalow in Northeast Minneapolis or a 1990s split-level in Richfield, we match the equipment to the size of the job so you’re not paying for drying time you don’t need.
Signs You Need Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration Right Now
- Soot stains around vents or outlets. When soot starts showing up on walls near your HVAC registers, smoke has circulated through your ductwork and keeps depositing particles long after the fire. This means the contamination is still spreading and it will not stop on its own.
- A smoke smell that gets stronger when the furnace kicks on. In Minneapolis, your furnace runs constantly five months a year, and every cycle pushes odor molecules back into your living space. If the smell intensifies with heat, the source is inside the system or inside the walls, not just on surface fabrics.
- Yellowing on paint, plastic, or appliances. This is chemical staining from acidic soot, and it shows up within days of a fire, often in rooms nowhere near the flames. The longer it sits, the deeper it penetrates, and the more likely it becomes that those surfaces need replacement instead of cleaning.
- Burned or melted wiring, outlets, or fixtures. Fire can compromise electrical systems even when the breaker never tripped, and damaged wiring inside walls is a genuine fire hazard. This is exactly the situation where you want a professional to assess the damage rather than flipping switches to see what works after a fire.
- Discolored or sagging drywall after the fire department left. Water from fire suppression can soak into drywall and insulation, and in Minneapolis’s humidity swings, that moisture leads to mold within 48 to 72 hours. If drywall is soft, bowed, or water-stained anywhere near the fire, you have fire damage and water damage at the same time.
Our Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration Process - Step by Step
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Call answered by Wade or a member of his team, any hour. You get a human on the phone who asks about the fire, your home’s construction, and whether the fire department has released the scene. If it’s safe to enter, Wade heads out right away and meets you at the house.
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On-site assessment with photo documentation and moisture readings. We walk the property room by room, testing soot type, checking moisture levels in walls and floors, and mapping how far smoke traveled. Every inch of damage gets photographed, and Wade writes up a scope of work so you and your adjuster know exactly what we found.
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Board-up, tarping, and emergency stabilization. Before any cleaning, we secure openings, shut off utilities where needed, and remove standing water. This is the step that stops a bad situation from becoming a worse one in Minneapolis weather.
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Cleanup, odor removal, and contents pack-out. Our crew cleans surfaces, runs B-Air hydroxyl generators and Phoenix dehumidifiers, and packs out your contents if the job calls for it. Wade takes moisture readings every single day and hands you the complete log at the end, something almost nobody else in this trade does.
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Structural repair and final walkthrough. We rebuild what the fire destroyed, then walk the property with you to make sure the smoke smell is gone, the surfaces are clean, and the structure is sound. The 90-Day Done Right Promise is in writing on every fire restoration contract, which means if something is not right within 90 days, Wade comes back and makes it right.
How Much Does Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration Cost in Minneapolis?
A small kitchen fire with limited smoke damage in Minneapolis typically runs $3,500 to $6,000 for cleanup, odor treatment, and minor repairs. A whole-house fire with structural damage, pack-out, and rebuild work commonly lands between $15,000 and $60,000 depending on square footage and how many rooms the smoke reached. Smoke odor removal alone usually costs $800 to $2,500 for a single room or $3,000 to $8,000 for a full house, and emergency board-up runs $400 to $1,200 depending on how many openings need securing.
What moves the price: the type of soot (protein fires are harder to clean), how far smoke penetrated into ductwork and insulation, and whether contents need pack-out and off-site cleaning. Minneapolis homeowners avoid overpaying by getting a written scope of work before the crew starts, which Wade provides on every single job. Your free estimate includes the full inspection, moisture readings, and a line-by-line plan you can hand straight to your adjuster. Call (888) 690-6095 and Wade will tell you honestly what the job needs and what it does not.
Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration Near Minneapolis - Our Service Area
Wade’s Restoration serves Minneapolis and the surrounding communities including Saint Anthony, Columbia Heights, Golden Valley, Saint Louis Park, Robbinsdale, Falcon Heights, Crystal, Roseville, New Brighton, New Hope, and Richfield. In Minneapolis proper, Wade can usually be at your door within an hour. Our full fire and smoke damage restoration services cover the entire metro, and you can always reach us at our main office to confirm availability for your neighborhood.
Serving Minneapolis, MN - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Minneapolis area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
Frequently Asked Questions - Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration in Minneapolis
Fire and smoke damage restoration is the process of cleaning, deodorizing, and repairing a home after a fire so it’s safe and livable again. It includes removing soot and burned debris, treating smoke odor, drying water left by firefighting efforts, cleaning or restoring your belongings, and rebuilding damaged structure. In Minneapolis, where forced-air heating can spread smoke through the whole house, the work typically involves duct cleaning and long-term odor treatment. Wade’s Restoration, the Best Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration in Minneapolis, MN, handles the whole job from the first board-up to the final trim nail.
Most fire and smoke damage restoration jobs in Minneapolis take one to three weeks for cleanup and odor removal, and several additional weeks if structural rebuild is required. Emergency board-up and initial cleanup usually happen within the first 24 to 48 hours. Contents pack-out and cleaning can run concurrently with structural work, which saves time. Wade gives you a written timeline after the assessment, and he updates it as work progresses so you’re never wondering what’s happening.
Fire and smoke damage restoration in Minneapolis typically costs between $3,500 and $60,000 depending on the size of the fire, how far smoke traveled, and whether structural rebuild is needed. Insurance covers most fire losses, and Wade works directly with your adjuster to make sure the scope matches your policy. Estimates are free, and you can call (888) 690-6095 any time for a straight answer on what your specific situation will cost.
We use B-Air, Phoenix, and XPOWER equipment on our fire restoration jobs because these are commercial-grade machines built for restoration work, not household use. Wade’s crew trains on these brands specifically and stocks parts and filters for them. The equipment you use matters less than the person running it, but these machines let us dry, clean, and deodorize faster and more thoroughly than anything you’d rent.
Wade answers his own phone 24 hours a day, and he can typically be at a Minneapolis or Saint Louis Park address within the hour. If you call at 2 a.m. after a kitchen fire, you’ll talk to a person, not a voicemail, and a crew will head out as soon as it’s safe to enter the property. Same-day emergency board-up is standard, not an upsell. If the fire department still has the scene, we’ll coordinate with them and be ready to start the moment they release it.
Yes. Every fire restoration job comes with the 90-Day Done Right Promise stamped in writing on the contract. If the smoke smell returns, the soot stains reappear, or anything is not right within 90 days of completion, Wade comes back and makes it right at no charge. That promise is Wade’s personal guarantee as the owner, and it’s the reason people in Minneapolis recommend him to their neighbors.
Do not enter the home until the fire department says it’s safe, and do not turn on your furnace, air conditioner, or any electronics after a fire. Make a list of rooms that were affected and any items you cannot find, and take your own photos if you can do so safely. Call (888) 690-6095, talk to Wade or a member of his team, and let us handle the rest from there. You don’t need to clean anything first, and you shouldn’t try to scrub soot yourself because that can grind it deeper into surfaces.
Schedule Your Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration Service in Minneapolis Today
A fire in your home is something you should not have to manage alone. Call Wade’s Restoration at (888) 690-6095 and you’ll get a live person, a straight answer, and a written scope of work before anything starts. Wade will meet you at the property himself, walk the damage with you, and tell you honestly what needs to happen. Estimates are free, no trip charge inside our own county, and Senior and Veteran discounts always apply.
Written by Wade Ferris, Owner at Wade’s Restoration, serving Minneapolis since 2007.