Free visual inspection and a written scope of work before any mitigation begins - photos, moisture readings, and drying logs go in your claim file
The scope we write is the scope we bill. Anything new gets shown to you, in writing, before we touch it.
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterTrusted Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration for Jersey City Homeowners
A fire changes everything in a single night. When the trucks leave and the street goes quiet, you’re standing in a house that smells like an ashtray, with soot on every surface and a ceiling that’s dripping water from the fire hoses. That’s where we come in. Wade’s Restoration has been pulling Jersey City homes back from fire and smoke damage since 2007, and we answer the phone at (201) 903-9581 any hour of the day or night. Wade Ferris himself takes the call, and more often than not, he’s the one who shows up at your door. No call center. No middleman. Just the guy whose name is on the truck, ready to start the cleanup before the damage spreads any further.
What Our Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration Service Includes
Fire damage is never just one problem. It’s a stack of them, piled on top of each other, and each one needs its own approach. Here’s exactly what we handle when we take on a fire damage job in Jersey City.
Fire Damage Cleanup
This is the heavy lifting that comes right after the fire is out. We remove charred debris, damaged drywall, ruined flooring, and anything else that burned or melted. Our crew wears full protective gear and uses commercial-grade equipment to clear the space safely. We’re careful to sort what can be saved from what can’t, so you’re not paying to haul away items that could be restored.
Smoke & Soot Removal
Soot is sneaky. It gets into places you’d never think to look, behind outlets, inside cabinets, between floorboards, even inside your HVAC ducts. We clean every surface with specialized soot sponges, HEPA vacuums, and chemical treatments designed to break down the oily residue smoke leaves behind. If you skip this step, the soot keeps breaking down materials for months after the fire, and the odor never goes away.
Odor Removal & Deodorization
The smell of a house fire isn’t just unpleasant; it’s stubborn. Washing walls and opening windows won’t touch it. We use thermal foggers, ozone treatments, and hydroxyl generators to neutralize smoke odor at the molecular level. Jersey City’s brick row houses hold smoke in ways newer construction doesn’t, so we treat every room, every closet, and every air duct until the place smells like a home again, not a fire scene.
Contents Cleaning & Pack-Out
Your furniture, clothes, dishes, books, and family photos aren’t automatically ruined because smoke got to them. We catalog every item, pack out what needs off-site cleaning, and run it through our ultrasonic cleaning system and drying chambers. Photos and documents can often be saved with the right treatment. We work directly with your insurance adjuster on contents cleaning, so you’re not stuck doing paperwork while you should be dealing with your life.
Emergency Board-Up & Tarping
A house with a hole in its roof or a broken window is an open invitation to rain, animals, and people who don’t belong there. We board up and tarp within hours of your call, sealing every opening before weather or trespassers make the damage worse. In Jersey City, where houses sit shoulder-to-shoulder, a tarped roof also protects your neighbors’ walls from water running off your damage.
Structural Fire Repair
Once the cleanup is done, the rebuilding starts. We repair and replace damaged framing, drywall, flooring, roofing, and electrical systems. Wade walks every job himself and writes a clear scope before a hammer swings. You’ll know what’s being replaced, what’s being repaired, and what it costs, before the work begins. And when the work is done, you get the 90-Day Done Right Promise in writing: if it’s not done right, we make it right.
What happens when you call
- 1
A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
- 2
You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
- 3
A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
- 4
You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Brands We Service for Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration
We work on all makes and models of homes, but we’re particularly familiar with the housing stock you see across Jersey City: the prewar brownstones in Bergen-Lafayette, the frame houses in Greenville, and the newer construction down in Paulus Hook. Each one burns differently, and each one needs a different restoration approach. Our team holds IICRC certifications and we’re affiliated with the RIA, which means our methods follow the industry’s toughest standards for fire and smoke restoration.
We run Dri-Eaz air scrubbers and dehumidifiers on every job because they’re the best-built machines in the business and they hold up under heavy use. That matters when you’re trying to pull smoke out of a three-story Jersey City rowhouse. Whether you have a historic brownstone or a modern condo, our crews know how to work with your building’s structure and materials. And if your home was built before 1950, we pay extra attention to plaster walls and lath, which need a different cleaning approach than drywall. If you’ve got a house, we can restore it.
Signs You Need Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration Right Now
A fire doesn’t have to burn the whole house down to leave behind serious problems. Here’s what tells you that professional restoration can’t wait.
- Smoke odor that won’t fade after a week of open windows. If the smell is still there after you’ve scrubbed and aired out, it’s soaked into the drywall, carpet pad, and insulation. You need professional deodorization before it settles in permanently.
- Soot stains spreading on walls, ceilings, or around vents. Soot is acidic. The longer it sits, the deeper it etches into paint, flooring, and metal. Soot around your vents means it’s already inside your ductwork, and the next time the heat kicks on, it’s blowing through the whole house.
- Water damage from the fire hoses. The fire department did their job, and part of that job means your floors, walls, and ceilings got soaked. That water needs extraction now, before mold takes hold. Wade’s Restoration handles water damage restoration as well, so you’re not juggling two companies.
- Yellowed or cracked paint, or rust forming on metal fixtures. The heat and chemicals from a fire accelerate paint breakdown and corrosion. If your light fixtures are rusting a week after the fire, the smoke residue is actively eating away at your home’s finishes.
- Your insurance adjuster says the damage is “minor” but you can’t stand the smell. Adjusters don’t live in your house. You do. Trust your nose. If the odor is affecting your daily life, it’s worth a professional assessment, and we have a free second opinion on any written estimate to help you push back.
Our Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration Process - Step by Step
A fire restoration job has a rhythm. Here’s how it goes when you call Wade’s Restoration in Jersey City.
Step 1: You Call, Wade Answers
You call (201) 903-9581. Wade Ferris answers his own phone, day or night. He asks about the situation, tells you what to do in the next twenty minutes to protect yourself and your property, and heads out to see the damage in person.
Step 2: The On-Site Assessment
Wade walks the full property inside and out, takes photos, and writes down exactly what he sees. He’ll check for structural hazards, document the extent of the smoke and soot damage, and look for water from the fire hoses that could compound the problem. You get a written scope and an honest price before any work begins. No phone quote that changes when a crew arrives.
Step 3: Emergency Mitigation
Before cleaning, we stabilize. Board-up, tarping, water extraction, and setting up air scrubbers happen first. We’re protecting your home from the two things that make fire damage worse: weather and time. In Jersey City’s damp climate, mold can take hold in as little as 48 hours after a fire, so we move fast.
Step 4: Cleaning and Deodorization
Now the real work starts. We clean every surface, treat every room with the right technique for its materials, and document everything as we go. Wade and his team take moisture readings daily and hand you the full log when the job wraps up. Almost nobody else in the trade does that, and we think you deserve to see the proof.
Step 5: Repair and Final Walkthrough
We rebuild what was damaged, from framing to finish work. When it’s done, Wade walks the house with you, room by room. If anything isn’t right, he fixes it. That’s what the 90-Day Done Right Promise is for, and it’s in writing on every fire restoration contract.
How Much Does Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration Cost in Jersey City?
What drives the price: the fire’s heat, the type of materials burned, how long smoke sat before cleanup started, and whether water from the hoses got into the floors and walls. Synthetic materials, like carpet and vinyl flooring, produce oily, acrid smoke that’s much harder to clean than wood smoke. The sooner we start, the less it ultimately costs, because soot and water keep causing damage until someone stops them.
Here’s how to avoid overpaying. Get a written scope before work starts, and make sure it includes exactly what’s being cleaned, not just “complete restoration.” Ask whether contents are included or billed separately. And take advantage of our free second opinion on any written estimate. If another company quoted you a number that feels high, let Wade look at it. We’ll tell you straight whether the price matches the work. Estimates with us are free, and there’s no trip charge inside Hudson County.
Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration Near Jersey City - Our Service Area
Wade’s Restoration is based right in Jersey City and works across the surrounding area, including Hoboken, Harrison, Kearny, Union City, Weehawken, Secaucus, and into Lower Manhattan and the Financial District. For fire damage in the Financial District, we can typically be on site within the hour. For Lower Manhattan, response times run around 60 to 90 minutes depending on traffic. If you’re in Midtown Manhattan or Long Island City, call us and we’ll give you a straight answer on timing. Whenever fire damage hits, we treat it like it happened to our own house. Our fire and smoke damage restoration services in Jersey City are ready around the clock, and you can read more about how we approach fire damage in the Financial District or restoration work in Lower Manhattan.
Serving Jersey City, NJ - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Jersey City 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 Jersey City
What is fire and smoke damage restoration?
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, neutralizing smoke odor, extracting water from firefighting efforts, and repairing or replacing damaged building materials. Wade’s Restoration handles the full restoration, from the first board-up to the final coat of paint.
How long does fire and smoke damage restoration take?
A small kitchen fire can usually be fully restored in two to three weeks. A larger fire that damaged multiple rooms or requires structural rebuilding can take two to four months. Emergency mitigation, like board-up and water extraction, happens same-day in most cases. We’ll give you a realistic timeline after the on-site assessment so you can plan around it.
How much does fire damage restoration cost in Jersey City?
Most fire restoration jobs in Jersey City cost between $3,000 and $25,000, depending on the size of the fire and how far smoke traveled. Small fires with light smoke damage typically run $3,000 to $7,000, while major structural fires can exceed $25,000. Call (201) 903-9581 for a free estimate, and remember we offer a free second opinion on any written quote from another company.
Do you service homes that are older brownstones or historic properties?
Yes, we regularly restore brownstones and prewar buildings across Jersey City, including in Bergen-Lafayette and the Heights. Plaster walls, lath, and original woodwork need different cleaning techniques than drywall, and our crew has years of experience working with those materials. We’ll treat your home’s original details with care while removing every trace of fire and smoke.
Are you available for fire damage emergencies at night or on weekends?
Yes. Calls to Wade’s Restoration are answered by a live person 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Wade himself answers his phone, including at midnight on a Saturday. Emergency board-up and tarping can typically be on site within an hour of your call in Jersey City.
Do you guarantee your fire restoration work?
Every fire restoration job is covered by our 90-Day Done Right Promise, in writing. If something isn’t right after the job is done, we come back and make it right at no charge. Wade’s name is on the contract, and he’s not going anywhere. You’ll see him at the hardware store.
How should I prepare my home before your crew arrives?
Don’t touch anything that’s charred or wet if you can avoid it; soot and fire debris can be hazardous. If it’s safe, open windows to start airing out the space. Move your car out of the driveway so our trucks can get close. And don’t throw anything away yet; your insurance adjuster will want to document everything. Wade can help you work with your adjuster directly so you’re not stuck in the middle relaying messages.
Schedule Your Fire & Smoke Damage Restoration Service in Jersey City Today
A fire doesn’t wait, and neither should you. Call Wade’s Restoration at (201) 903-9581 for a free, no-obligation estimate on fire and smoke damage restoration in Jersey City. Wade will answer the phone himself, walk the damage with you, and give you a straight answer about what it’ll take to make your home right again. No corporate games, no runaround. Just a neighbor who’s been doing this since 2007 and will be here long after the job is done.
Written by Wade Ferris, Owner at Wade’s Restoration, serving Jersey City and nearby areas like Hoboken since 2007.