Guide
Who pays for biohazard cleanup?
There is no single answer. It depends on where it happened, who owns the place and what insurance is in force. Here is who to ask, in order.
Who else may pay
Your home
Homeowner or renter insurance
Many policies cover sudden, accidental damage, and some treat biohazard cleanup that way. Others limit or exclude it. Call the claims number on your policy before work starts and ask what it covers, what it needs from you and whether it wants photos first.
A rental
The landlord
If it happened in a rented home, the landlord or manager may arrange and pay for the cleanup, or claim it on the building's insurance. Tell them as soon as you can.
After a death
The estate
When the person who died owned the home, the cleanup is often paid from the estate. The person handling the estate decides, so involve them before you hire anyone.
A vehicle
Auto insurance
Some comprehensive coverage includes interior damage of this kind. Ask your insurer before the car is cleaned or written off.
A workplace
Business insurance
Call your business insurer before work starts, and ask which photos and paperwork it wants.
What moves the price
Every job is priced after the company sees it. These are the things that make the most difference:
- How far fluids spread, and how long they sat before anyone found them.
- What has to be removed: carpet and pad, a mattress, drywall, a section of subfloor.
- How many rooms are involved, and whether a vehicle is too.
- How much waste has to be packaged and taken away as biohazard waste.
- Odor treatment, and any repairs after removal, which are often a separate job.
Ask for a written price before work starts, and for photos and a description of the work afterward. Your insurer may ask for both.
When you are ready, one call is enough
Tell the company what happened, which room or vehicle it is in, and whether the police and coroner have finished. They will explain the work, when they can come and how they arrive at a price.
Talk to a cleanup company
The call puts you in touch with an independent biohazard cleanup company that works in the Columbia area. Say what happened and ask what you need to know. Whether you hire them is up to you.
Call (803) 637-8296Phone answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Calls may be recorded. Read the referral disclosure and the privacy policy.