Water damage drying
Fire & smoke cleanup
Mold remediation
Storm response
Sewage cleanup
ReconstructionFree 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.
Get your free estimateFast, Reliable Fire Damage Restoration Across Davis
A kitchen fire in Davis doesn’t stay contained for long. Smoke moves through wall cavities, soot settles into every room, and water from the fire department’s suppression efforts soaks into drywall, insulation, and in older Davis homes, the concrete slab itself. Most fire damage restoration in Davis falls into two overlapping jobs: structural drying after the water, and soot and smoke removal from the surfaces. Our crews coordinate from our Sacramento dispatch center and reach most Davis neighborhoods within 45 minutes. If you’re standing in a house that smells like smoke and you’re not sure what happens next, call (279) 277-2396. A real person answers, 24 hours a day, and walks you through the first steps without rushing you.
Why Tidemark Water Damage Sacramento Is Davis’s Preferred Fire Damage Restoration Company
Davis homes, especially the 1950s to 1970s single-family houses in central neighborhoods, behave differently after a fire than newer construction. We’ve worked through enough of those houses to know that moisture hides in the slab, not just the walls. Our Fire Damage Restoration team includes IICRC-, RIA-, and IFA-credentialed technicians who run moisture mapping as a standard step, not an add-on. Rick Sumner, who leads our crews, has spent years learning where water travels in slab-on-grade Davis homes, and that knowledge shows up in how we scope every job.
We don’t wait for you to figure out what the insurance company needs. We photograph the damage before, during, and after, and we hand you a written scope and price before any work begins. No surprises on the final invoice. For Davis families with kids and pets, that matters: the crew arrives with shoe covers and drop cloths already on the truck, and we use pet-safe cleaning products wherever there’s a choice. We clean up like it’s our own home, because that’s the standard Rick set for every job.
Restoration work we handle
Soot Removal in Davis
Soot removal in Davis homes, particularly in mid-century houses with original wood framing and plaster walls, requires more than wiping down surfaces. Soot is acidic and oily. Left alone, it etches glass, corrodes metal fixtures, and permanently stains painted drywall within days. Our crews in Davis start with HEPA vacuuming to lift loose soot, then move to chemical sponges and specialized degreasers matched to the surface: painted drywall, exposed beams, tile, or metal. We set containment so soot doesn’t migrate to clean rooms during the process.
Soot on Textured Ceilings and Plaster
Many Davis homes from the 1960s and 1970s have textured or acoustic ceilings. Soot bonds into that texture aggressively, and aggressive scrubbing destroys the texture. We use a combination of dry cleaning sponges and gentle agitation that lifts the soot without pulling the material apart.
When Soot Reaches the HVAC System
If your heater or AC ran during the fire, soot likely entered the ductwork. We inspect the registers and return air paths, and when needed, we clean duct surfaces and replace filters before the system runs again. Skipping this step means the smoky smell returns every time the furnace kicks on.
Fire Damage Restoration Company in Davis
Choosing a fire damage restoration company in Davis means asking who will manage the whole sequence: board-up, water extraction and drying, soot and smoke removal, structural repairs, and the final rebuild. We do all of it, but we don’t rush you into the rebuild before the drying is done and the scope is clear. Davis’s older slab-on-grade homes have a hidden vulnerability: water from fire suppression can wick upward through the concrete slab via capillary action, lifting vinyl and wood flooring far beyond the visible burn area. You won’t see that on the first day. We look for it with moisture meters from the start.
Emergency Board-Up and Structural Drying
After the fire is out, broken windows and open walls leave the house exposed to Davis’s winter rain and wind. We board up quickly, then place Dri-Eaz dehumidifiers and air movers to start pulling moisture before mold can take hold. Drying logs document the process for your insurance adjuster.
Smoke Odor Removal and Structural Repair
Smoke doesn’t just sit on surfaces. It penetrates drywall, insulation, and the cavities inside wood-framed walls. We use air scrubbers and, where appropriate, hydroxyl generators to break down odor molecules, then replace materials that cannot be cleaned. The goal is a house that doesn’t smell like the fire ever happened.
Trusted Brands We Service in Davis
When we bring drying and air-scrubbing equipment into a Davis home, we run the machines the leading restoration specialists trust: Dri-Eaz dehumidifiers, Phoenix air movers, and XPOWER air scrubbers. These aren’t rental-store units with unknown maintenance histories. They’re professional-grade, calibrated, and sized to the square footage of your home and the moisture load we measured. Because we stock common filters, hoses, and replacement parts at our dispatch hub, a Davis job doesn’t stall waiting on a part shipment. The equipment shows up clean, runs quietly where it can, and comes out of the house the moment the numbers say the structure is dry.
See the difference
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After
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After
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AfterCommon Fire Damage Restoration Problems We See in Davis Homes
- Water in the slab, not just the walls: Davis’s expansive clay soils and high spring water table near the UC Davis arboretum mean moisture can wick up through concrete slabs in 1950s-70s homes, lifting flooring far from the visible burn. We always moisture-map the slab, not just the drywall.
- Wind-driven rain entering through fire-broken windows: Winter storms can push rain into exterior wall cavities within hours of a fire. In older wood-framed Davis homes, that hidden water becomes mold within 48 hours if nobody checks. We treat broken openings as a moisture entry point, not just a security gap.
- LEED-oriented permit requirements slowing repairs: Davis building codes reflect the city’s water conservation and sustainability priorities. Rebuilding fire-damaged areas often requires water-efficient fixtures and materials specifications before permits clear. We plan that scoping into the written estimate so permits don’t stall the job.
- Original materials trapping soot differently: Mid-century Davis homes often have original double-hung wood windows, plaster walls, and old-growth framing. Soot behaves differently on these surfaces than on modern drywall, and we adjust our cleaning chemistry and technique accordingly.
Pricing for Fire Damage Restoration in Davis, CA
A small kitchen fire cleanup in a Davis home, where soot is limited to one room and walls dried within two days, typically runs $1,800 to $3,400. When you add smoke odor removal through the whole house plus duct cleaning, expect $4,500 to $8,000. Full structural fire repair in Davis, where we’re replacing drywall, insulation, flooring, and repainting, most often lands between $10,000 and $28,000 depending on the square footage involved and what the slab moisture readings show. Emergency board-up and initial mitigation work runs $900 to $2,200 on its own. Every job gets a written price before any tool comes off the truck. Call (279) 277-2396 for a free estimate, and you’ll see the number in writing before you commit to anything.
We Also Serve Cities Near Davis
Tidemark Water Damage Sacramento serves Davis and the surrounding communities. If you’re in Woodland, West Sacramento, Sacramento, or North Highlands and dealing with fire or smoke damage, our crews can reach you with the same equipment, the same written-price-first standard, and the same 365-Day Done Right Promise. The geography changes slightly, but the way we work doesn’t.
Serving Davis, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Davis area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs About Fire Damage Restoration in Davis
Davis’s expansive clay soils hold water, and in spring, the water table rises, especially in neighborhoods near the UC Davis arboretum and along old creek beds. In slab-on-grade homes built from the 1950s to the 1970s, that groundwater can move upward through the concrete slab by capillary action. When fire suppression water is added on top, moisture readings can spike far from the visible burn. We check the whole slab with moisture meters, not just the room that burned, because hidden capillary moisture lifts flooring and feeds mold. Call (279) 277-2396 if you suspect water spread beyond the fire area.
Check every window the fire cracked or broke. Davis gets strong winter wind, and rain driven into those openings can soak the wall cavities within one storm. Also check exterior doors, roof edges, and any vents the fire may have warped. Those openings are how post-fire wind damage becomes hidden water damage, and we board them up early to prevent that.
Yes. Davis enforces water-conservation and sustainability rules through its building codes, and fire damage rebuilds often must specify water-efficient fixtures, low-VOC materials, and insulation or window upgrades before a permit clears. We write those requirements into the scope and estimate up front, so the permit phase doesn’t become a surprise delay.
Within 24 hours, ideally. Soot is acidic and begins etching glass and corroding metal within days. Moisture from fire suppression combined with Davis’s clay-heavy soil conditions can begin lifting flooring and feeding mold within 48 to 72 hours. Call (279) 277-2396 the same day if you can, and we’ll walk you through the first steps even before a crew arrives.
Often, yes. Original plaster walls, textured ceilings, old-growth wood windows, and built-in cabinetry in 1950s-70s Davis homes absorb soot differently than modern materials do. We adjust our cleaning chemistry and technique room by room, and we test a small area before committing to a full clean, so original finishes are preserved where possible.
If you’re dealing with fire or smoke damage in Davis, call (279) 277-2396. We’ll answer in person, explain what we’d do first and why, and give you a written price before anything starts. No pressure, no rushing, no surprises.
Written by Rick Sumner, Owner at Tidemark Water Damage Sacramento, serving Davis and surrounding communities since 2006.