Fire damage repair cost: what owners paid
The Census Bureau published no national figure for fire damage repairs. Across 5 big metros the typical job ran from $4,457 (Phoenix) to $300,000 (Boston).
What owners paid
$4,457 to $300,000
The typical (median) job in each of the 5 big metros with a published figure, lowest to highest. The Census Bureau published no U.S. figure for this work.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Housing Survey 2023, the latest release: work owners did in about 2021–2023. Checked .
What owners paid in each big metro
The typical (median) job in each of the survey's 15 metro areas, highest first. The margin of error is the Census Bureau's 90% range around each median.
No published figure: Atlanta, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Miami, New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington DC.
What these figures cover: Repairs after a fire, from smoke cleanup to rebuilding, in homes of every size.
The figures as a table, with margins of error
Scroll the table sideways to see every column on a small screen.
| Metro area | Typical job (median) | Margin of error (90% confidence) |
|---|---|---|
| Boston | $300,000 | Not published |
| Los Angeles | $100,000 | Not published |
| Riverside | $17,030 | Not published |
| Chicago | $10,000 | Not published |
| Phoenix | $4,457 | Not published |
| Atlanta | Not published Withheld by Census: too few households in the sample | Not published |
| Dallas | Not published | Not published |
| Detroit | Not published | Not published |
| Houston | Not published Withheld by Census: too few households in the sample | Not published |
| Miami | Not published | Not published |
| New York City | Not published Withheld by Census: too few households in the sample | Not published |
| Philadelphia | Not published Withheld by Census: too few households in the sample | Not published |
| San Francisco | Not published | Not published |
| Seattle | Not published | Not published |
| Washington DC | Not published | Not published |
Source: Census Bureau and HUD, 2023 American Housing Survey, Table 16, category “Fire” under “Disaster Repairs”. Checked October 13, 2026. The metro values and margins of error use the survey's metropolitan areas, not city limits. A metro with no published figure stays blank; we never fill it in from its neighbors.
Why do cost guides disagree?
They measure different things. An estimate prices one defined job at today's rates; these figures are what owners actually paid, across every size and kind of job in the category. A full job on a large house can sit well above the typical figure, and a small one well below it. Your own quotes, compared line by line, are the price that counts. Seven reasons cost guides disagree, each with its figures.
Before you compare quotes
Ask every contractor to price the same scope, in writing. Does the scope separate damage removal, cleaning and rebuilding?
Keep the quotes themselves in a budget worksheet.