Plan a clear smoke and soot cleanup scope

Turn “smoke cleanup” into a defined job

A useful proposal names the affected rooms, surfaces and contents, then explains the work for each. Separate initial assessment from cleaning, odour treatment and refinishing. If a surface is excluded because it cannot be reached, record the exclusion and the next decision rather than leaving it invisible in the estimate.

The public scope of IICRC S700 includes evaluation, a restoration work plan, cleaning and odour management. It is a useful reference for a scope discussion, but a standard’s name on a quotation does not prove that a particular contractor or project complies.

Source: IICRC · S700 fire and smoke restoration scope.

Ask for these six parts in the proposal

1. Boundaries: rooms, surfaces, systems and belongings included, plus any access limits.
2. Preparation: protection of unaffected areas, movement routes and how removed materials will be contained.
3. Methods: the cleaning trial, product or process, and why it suits the material.
4. Contents: labelling, packing, storage, cleaning decisions and disposal authorization.
5. Follow-on work: what requires repair or refinishing after cleaning.
6. Review: who checks the result, what records are supplied and how unresolved concerns are handled.

Test before committing to a large area

A small agreed test can establish whether a proposed method gives an acceptable finish without committing the whole room. Photograph the original condition and test area in consistent light. Record whether the owner is accepting appearance only, or whether a separate assessment is still needed for contamination, odour or use.

Avoid spreading a problem during the work

Keep household access outside the agreed work zone. Ask the contractor where contents and waste will move, which rooms remain in use, and how people will be informed if the boundary changes. Do not start sweeping residues, opening cavities or operating affected equipment to speed up an unassessed job.

Where renovation may disturb suspected asbestos-containing materials, Health Canada recommends consultation with a trained and qualified asbestos professional. The hazard assessment belongs before intrusive work.

Source: Health Canada · asbestos and your health.

Review odour treatment as a separate decision

Ask what source removal or cleaning comes first, what the treatment is intended to achieve and what re-entry instructions apply. Get the product and process information in writing. If ozone is proposed, ask how the contractor will manage exposure and verify conditions; never run an ozone generator around occupants as an everyday air purifier.

Source: US EPA · ozone generators and indoor air.

Close the work against the written scope

Prepare your own scope notes in the project records worksheet or send a HAUSE recovery enquiry.