Smoke & Soot Damage Documentation Guide

• →Hidden contamination — soot and odor migrate through cavities, HVAC ducts, and upper floors beyond visible origin damage. Carriers deny scope they cannot map to labeled photos.
• →Carrier scrutiny — desk reviewers test whether migration is localized or systemic. Unlabeled camera rolls and origin-only photo sets fail supervisor review even when field conditions warrant full-house cleaning.
• →Cleaning versus replacement disputes — carriers apply generic smoke wipe macros when substrate photos, soot type notes, and test-clean results are absent.
• →Secondary damage — acidic soot combined with suppression moisture accelerates corrosion on metal, electronics, and mechanical components. Document exposure before cleaning obscures condition.
• →Long-term odor issues — odor claims without contemporaneous room logs and treatment boundaries reduce when sealers and finishes conceal porous contamination.
• →Documentation requirements — room labels must match across photos, carrier sketch, and estimate. Indexed evidence supports supplements when scope exceeds the carrier estimate.

See Claim Documentation Standards for company-wide photo labeling. Smoke losses amplify documentation gaps because cleaning, HVAC, odor, and contents scope share one claim file.

• →Wet soot — sticky, smeary residue from low-heat, smoldering fires. Document smear behavior on substrates; test-clean results support specialty cleaning lines.
• →Dry soot — fine, powdery particulate from fast-burning fires. Document distribution on ceilings and porous surfaces; HEPA vacuuming and wipe methods need substrate close-ups.
• →Protein residue — nearly invisible, greasy film from kitchen or protein fires. Document by touch-stain indicators, cabinet interiors, and odor — not visible soot alone.
• →Fuel oil soot — heavy, sticky residue from furnace puff-back or fuel fires. Document distinct texture and distribution; carriers may dispute without source-type notes.
• →Wildfire smoke — fine particulate infiltration through envelope gaps, attic vents, and HVAC. Document exterior entry points and interior deposition by room.
• →HVAC contamination — system spread amplifies room count. Document register staining, filter condition, duct paths, and system-off log before restart.
• →Odor migration — vapor-phase contamination follows duct runs, chases, and stairwells. Document odor by room with path narrative linking to physical spread.
• →Airborne contamination — document particulate in attics, crawlspaces, and interstitial spaces when migration path logic requires cavity evidence.

Document contamination type and substrate — not remediation method. Soot type drives line item selection and clean-versus-replace decisions on carrier review.

• →Exterior documentation — address ID, soot on siding, soffit staining, vent penetrations, and envelope entry points for wildfire or exterior smoke sources.
• →Interior room-by-room inspection — walk from origin through migration path in consistent order. Wide context then substrate close-ups in every affected space.
• →HVAC system documentation — confirm system off, photograph registers and returns in each room, filter condition, equipment nameplate, and accessible duct runs.
• →Attic inspections — pull-down or access hatch photos showing insulation staining, soot on decking, and penetration paths from origin or HVAC.
• →Crawlspace inspections — document soot on subfloor, insulation, and mechanical runs when migration path or HVAC spread is alleged.
• →Cabinet interiors — open doors, photograph shelves, back panels, and void spaces. Document toe kicks and outlet openings where smoke concentrates.
• →Hidden cavities — photograph behind removed trim, outlet openings, and opened assemblies during demo when migration scope is claimed.
• →Electronics — document location, model, and contamination on TVs, appliances, panels, and equipment before cleaning or disposal.
• →Mechanical systems — furnace, water heater, electrical panel, and plumbing with heat or smoke exposure documentation separate from general wipe photos.

See Fire Claim Intake Checklist for first-visit execution. Running HVAC before register, filter, and duct evidence is captured spreads contamination and weakens supplement files.

• →Photographs — wide room context plus close substrate photos in every affected space. Filenames or job tags with claim number, room, date, and damage type.
• →Notes — short path narrative explaining how smoke reached each documented room. Soot type, substrate, and clean-versus-replace recommendation per room.
• →Measurements — square footage of affected assemblies, linear feet of trim, and ceiling height where scope lines require quantity support.
• →Room labeling — one naming convention across photos, sketch, and estimate. Reconcile to carrier sketch before submission.
• →Supporting evidence — test-clean results, HVAC inspection excerpts, air quality or wipe test reports, and manufacturer guidance on non-restorable items.
• →Trade separation — separate smoke wipe folders from structural rebuild, HVAC, odor, and contents evidence so desk reviewers apply correct logic per line.

See Photo Documentation Field Procedure for company-wide capture standards. Every cleaning line needs close substrate photos — not wide room shots alone.

• →Cleaning — test-clean results, wipe versus wash versus blast methods, and substrate photos supporting HWS and specialty cleaning lines.
• →Sealing — document porous surfaces requiring sealant before finish, with product and application area notes tied to room labels.
• →Deodorization — treatment method logs, equipment placement photos, and room boundaries for hydroxyl, ozone, thermal fog, or HEPA filtration.
• →Thermal fogging — document affected volume, access points sealed, and pre/post treatment notes with room index.
• →HEPA vacuuming — document affected surfaces, filter changes, and area boundaries supporting equipment and labor lines.
• →HVAC cleaning — register photos, filter condition, duct inspection excerpts, and partial-system diagrams when only portions are affected.
• →Duct cleaning — tie scope to contamination evidence on registers and inspection reports; separate from general smoke wipe folders.
• →Insulation removal — attic and cavity photos showing soot-impregnated insulation with square footage and removal depth notes.
• →Contents handling — pack-out inventory, storage location, cleaning method, and reset documentation aligned to contents line items.
• →Specialty cleaning — electronics, documents, art, and textiles with item photos and vendor reports supporting specialty lines.
• →Replacement — when test-clean fails or manufacturer guidance prohibits restoration, document substrate condition, test results, and non-restorable determination.

Align room names across photos, carrier sketch, and estimate. Cross-reference each billed line to a photo folder or report excerpt before submission.

• →Hidden contamination — cavity, attic, and crawlspace photos discovered during demo with date-stamped narrative before repairs close access.
• →Odor migration — room odor logs plus path narrative linking duct runs, chases, and stairwells to affected spaces omitted from carrier estimate.
• →HVAC cleaning — register staining, filter contamination, and inspection report excerpts when carrier estimate omits duct or equipment scope.
• →Electronics evaluation — item photos and specialist evaluation reports supporting cleaning versus replacement on contaminated equipment.
• →Specialty testing — air quality, wipe test, or surface sampling reports with cross-reference to photo evidence and affected rooms.
• →Laboratory reports — attach when carrier disputes contamination severity or scope; index report conclusions to room labels and line items.
• →Additional cleaning — migration rooms omitted from carrier sketch with indexed folders and path narrative.
• →Additional demolition — porous assemblies requiring removal when test-clean fails; document before-and-after test areas.
• →Replacement versus cleaning — manufacturer guidance, test-clean failure photos, and substrate condition supporting replace over clean.
• →Manufacturer guidance — attach product bulletins prohibiting restoration on specific materials when carrier argues clean-only scope.

See Fire Damage Supplement Playbook for submission workflow. Phased supplements with contemporaneous evidence outperform end-of-job narrative assembled after production.

• →Missing room photographs — origin-room-only documentation when migration rooms have visible soot, stain, or odor.
• →Poor labeling — unlabeled camera rolls without room index or cover letter map; desk reviewers cannot match evidence to line items.
• →Missing HVAC documentation — system restarted before register, filter, and duct evidence captured; spread scope becomes unprovable.
• →Failure to document odor — odor lines submitted without pre-treatment room logs or treatment boundary photos.
• →Incomplete contents documentation — pack-out before room-located inventory and high-value item photos.
• →Missing testing reports — contamination severity disputed without contemporaneous test results indexed to rooms.
• →Inadequate supporting notes — migration claimed without written path narrative from origin to affected spaces.
• →One-size smoke wipe documentation — mixed soot types documented with generic photos; carriers reject specialty cleaning lines.

Audit files before carrier submission. Busy photo folders without index look defensible but fail supervisor review.

• →Photography — wide and close substrate photos in every affected room with consistent filename convention.
• →Room inventory — room index complete with sketch-matching names, photo counts, and key line items per room.
• →Smoke mapping — migration path narrative written and photos captured at stairwells, chases, and penetrations.
• →HVAC documentation — system-off log, register photos, filter condition, and inspection attachments before restart.
• →Contents documentation — high-value items photographed in place; inventory started before pack-out.
• →Estimate review — each smoke, soot, seal, deodorization, and HVAC line cross-referenced to evidence folder.
• →Supporting documentation — test-clean results, reports, and manufacturer guidance indexed to line items.
• →Supplement preparation — gap narrative, attachment index, and cover letter mapping photos to unpaid lines.
• →Carrier meetings — evidence organized by room for walkthrough; sketch parity confirmed before adjuster visit.
• →Final quality review — documentation lead confirms quality gates before invoice or supplement submission.

See Smoke and Soot Documentation Procedure for field execution detail. Run this checklist at intake, pre-submission, and before supplement resubmission.