Who do you call first after a house fire in California?

The first hour once everyone is out

1. Get everyone outside and dial 911. Stay out until the fire department says the building is safe.
2. A gas smell calls for 911 and then your gas utility, from outside; the utility numbers are in the gas note further down.
3. Phone your insurer. CDI says the insurer must give you a complete copy of the policy free within 30 days of your request, and it recommends a claim diary.
4. Photograph what you can see from the street now, and the rest when you're let in. List what was lost, and keep receipts for housing and supplies.
5. Get at least one estimate from a contractor holding a CSLB license. CDI warns that the insurer's own estimate can miss local conditions or demand surge.
6. When the building is released, request a company on the form, and don't sign a contract on the spot.

Smoke cleanup standards in California

IICRC's S700 standard for fire and smoke damage restoration is in its first edition, from 2025, and it's a private body's document, not a state rule.

After the January 2025 Los Angeles County fires, the Insurance Commissioner convened a Smoke Damage Claims and Remediation Task Force, which found the issues challenging and the fixes in need of legislation. CDI sponsored AB 1795, introduced in February 2026, to set uniform statewide standards for inspecting, testing and remediating smoke damage. CDI's page shows none adopted yet. Ask the company what standard it follows before it cleans.

How much fire and smoke restoration costs in California (estimates, not quotes)

For fire and smoke restoration our model gives $7,325 to $22,300 per job, built from one national published range, and the table's second estimate row gives it per square foot. Neither is a quote. The last row shows fire and lightning's share of insured home losses, which isn't a price either.

Estimated range. Built from national published ranges (1 source), adjusted by California's hazardous materials removal worker wage ratio to the US (1.08, BLS May 2025). Not a quote. No California restoration company published a water, fire or sewage price we could count. We have no counted California company price for this job, so the range is our national estimate alone. Full method. Prices as of Oct 23, 2026.

How California fire claims pay out, and on what clock

Insurance Code 2051.5 sets replacement cost at the cost to repair, rebuild or replace without depreciation, up to the limit. The insurer pays actual cash value first and the difference once you rebuild.

The time to collect that difference can't be under 12 months from the first payment, or 36 months for a loss tied to a declared state of emergency. In an emergency loss the insurer can't demand proof of loss sooner than 100 days after the loss.

Living expense coverage after a declared state of emergency runs no less than 24 months under Insurance Code 2060, with up to 12 more for delays outside your control. A civil authority's order that keeps you out brings at least two weeks. Ask for the insurer's list of items.

After a covered total loss in a state of emergency, Insurance Code 10103.7 requires the insurer to offer a contents payment of at least 60 percent of the personal property limit, up to $350,000, without an itemized claim. CDI adds that you may rebuild or buy elsewhere and still receive full replacement cost benefits, and that you choose your own contractor.

Asbestos and lead when an older house has burned

Cal/OSHA registration is required for contractors and employers removing 100 square feet or more of asbestos-containing material. A contractor doing that work must hold the C-22 class or have a qualifier who passed CSLB's asbestos certification exam.

In the South Coast AQMD's district, Rule 1403 calls for an asbestos survey by a Cal/OSHA-certified person before demolition or renovation. Emergency renovation after a fire is notified to the District as soon as possible.

EPA's lead rule covers paid work that disturbs painted surfaces in homes built before 1978. Its emergency provision for activities immediately necessary to protect personal property and public health is narrow, and cleanup duties still apply.

Contract rules after a declared disaster

CSLB treats disaster rebuilding as home improvement. The contract must be fixed-price, not "time and materials" or "cost plus", and progress payments must match the work done or materials delivered. B&P 7159.5 lets you ask for lien releases before paying more.

Penal Code 396 limits price increases on emergency cleanup for 30 days after a declaration, and on repair and reconstruction for 180. Unlicensed contracting on disaster repairs can bring a fine of up to $10,000 or a prison term under B&P 7028.16, which treats the homeowner who hired the unlicensed person as a victim of crime.

When fire and smoke damage can't wait

Who may rebuild after a California fire, and under which permit

CSLB has no fire restoration class, so the license to check is the one for the rebuild. A B general building contractor may take a prime contract only when the job needs at least two unrelated trades other than framing or carpentry, unless it holds the specialty class or subcontracts that work. B-2 residential remodeling contractors can't take asbestos abatement or substantial electrical, mechanical or plumbing work unless they hold that class or subcontract it.

Fire rebuilds permitted from 2026 go through plan check under the 2025 California Building Standards Code. After the 2025 Los Angeles fires, LA County Recovers says owners could choose the federally funded cleanup program or a private contractor working under a Fire Debris Removal permit. The County's debris hotline is 844-347-3332.

Ask which licenses your state requires for the work, and check them with your state's licensing office before anyone starts. A credential from a private body, such as IICRC, isn't a license.

Questions people ask

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Related services

• Water damage
• Biohazard
• Sewage cleanup

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