Restoration GCs working fire and smoke losses face a tight clock and strict documentation. Soot must come off porous substrates fast — every day soot stays on framing increases the depth of penetration and the eventual claim cost. Most GCs don't keep dry ice capacity in-house, so this is where a specialty subcontractor earns the budget line.
Where dry ice belongs in the timeline
After board-up and stabilization, after demo of unsalvageable materials, after contents pack-out — and before any encapsulation, sealing, or odor mitigation. Dry ice is the soot-removal step that has to happen on every salvageable framing, masonry, and steel surface before the rest of the restoration can proceed.
Why dry ice over alternatives
- Vs. chemical sponges: dramatically faster on framing, joists, and beams
- Vs. soda blasting: no abrasive residue to clean up afterward
- Vs. pressure washing: no process water driving soot deeper into porous substrate
- Vs. wire brushing: no operator fatigue, no surface gouging
Documentation that matches Xactimate
We deliver per-area documentation: room/area ID, surface type, square footage cleaned, start/end time, and before/during/after photos. The format drops into Xactimate notes and standard claim documentation. We'll attend an adjuster walk if requested.
Mobilization
We do not guarantee a response time. Mobilization timing depends on crew availability and travel and is confirmed on enquiry; inside the standing service area we typically aim for 24–48 hours. Outside the area we scope by phone and quote a mobilization-plus-day-rate structure. Certificates of insurance and current limits are available on request, and we follow IICRC S500/S520 for water and biohazard adjacencies.
What we don't take on
We don't take the GC role, we don't handle contents, and we don't do demo or rebuild. We do soot, char, and smoke residue removal, and we leave when that scope is documented complete.