What unattended death and biohazard cleanup costs in Riverside

Biohazard cleanup cost in Riverside, San Bernardino and the rest of the Inland Empire is usually quoted after a walk-through or photos, by the job or by the hour plus disposal. The figures below are national ranges from consumer cost guides and from cleanup companies that publish their pricing. None of them is a quote, and Riverside Bio Clean does not set prices: the cleanup company you are connected with does.

Published price ranges by type of scene

* Published by a cleanup company, which has an interest in the answer. HomeGuide and Fixr are consumer cost guides. HomeGuide notes some life-threatening hazards can reach $25,000, and Fixr gives the same upper figure for homicide or suicide cleanup.

How unattended death cleanup cost changes with time

Time before discovery is the biggest single factor. A death found within a day or so is often confined to bedding and a small area of floor. After several days, fluids reach the subfloor and odor reaches the rest of the home, and flooring, drywall and sometimes HVAC components have to be removed. National Crime Scene Cleanup puts a discovery within 24 hours at around $3,000 and several weeks of decomposition at $25,000 or more. Warm weather speeds the process up, which matters in an Inland Empire summer.

Hourly rates and disposal

Some companies bill by the hour plus materials and waste. Published figures include:

• Biohazard cleanup labor: $25 to $150 or more per hour (HomeGuide)
• Unattended death cleanup: $200 to $300 per hour (Fixr)
• Crime scene cleanup companies: up to $400 to $600 per hour (Fixr)
• Biohazard waste disposal: $2 to $20 per pound, or $200 to $300 per 20-gallon bin (Fixr)
• Deodorization: about $100 per hour (HomeGuide)

Rates are not comparable unless the crew size is: two technicians at a lower rate can cost more than one at a higher rate.

What pushes a quote up or down

Drug residue testing and decontamination

We found no neutral published range for meth or fentanyl testing and decontamination, so we do not quote one. Ask for testing and cleaning as separate lines. The drug residue decontamination page explains what each stage involves.

Getting a fair estimate

• Ask for a written, itemized estimate before work begins.
• Ask what would change the price, such as finding damage under the flooring.
• Ask whether the company bills insurance directly, and whether it is registered with the California Department of Public Health, which victim compensation requires.
• Compare more than one quote if time allows.

Insurance and the state's $1,709 victim compensation benefit may cover part of the bill. See who pays for crime scene cleanup in California.