Fire Damage Restoration Brisbane

Brisbane's subtropical climate creates a dual fire risk profile. During the dry season (August to November), South East Queensland experiences extreme bushfire conditions — the 2019–2020 bushfire season saw blazes reach suburban Brisbane in areas including Mount Coot-tha, The Gap, and Chapel Hill. Kitchen fires remain the number one cause of residential fire damage year-round, with Queensland Fire and Emergency Services attending over 4,000 structure fires statewide annually.

Brisbane's housing stock adds complexity. Queenslander-style timber homes on stumps — common in Paddington, Red Hill, Ashgrove, and West End — are highly combustible due to their timber framing, weatherboard cladding, and subfloor ventilation cavities that allow fire to travel rapidly. Post-war fibro homes across Inala, Zillmere, and Bracken Ridge may contain asbestos materials that require specialist handling after fire damage.

Fire damage restoration costs in Brisbane depend on fire severity, smoke penetration, and whether asbestos or other hazardous materials are present. Below are 2026 residential estimates.

• Kitchen fire (contained): $5,000–$15,000. Smoke and soot damage to one room with thermal fogging for odour elimination and cleaning of adjacent areas.
• Single-room structural fire: $15,000–$40,000. Includes board-up, debris removal, soot cleaning, odour treatment, and partial rebuild of affected room.
• Multi-room or whole-of-house fire: $40,000–$150,000+. Full contents pack-out, structural assessment, hazardous material testing, demolition of compromised elements, and complete rebuild.
• Smoke damage only (no structural fire): $3,000–$10,000. Common when a neighbouring property fire produces smoke that penetrates through shared walls or roof spaces.

Our platform charges a $550 platform fee plus $2,200 contractor credit ($2,750 total) to begin emergency make-safe. Your contractor then provides a formal contract with transparent pricing for the full restoration scope. Payment plans are available through Blue Fire Finance.

Professional fire damage restoration follows the IICRC S540 Standard for cleaning and deodorisation after fire damage. The process is methodical and typically proceeds in these stages:

1. Emergency board-up and make-safe: Securing the property against weather, trespassers, and further damage. Tarping damaged roofing, boarding broken windows, and isolating electrical and gas services.
2. Structural assessment: Qualified engineer inspection to determine which structural elements are compromised and which can be retained.
3. Contents pack-out: Salvageable contents are catalogued, packed, and transported to a specialist cleaning facility. Non-salvageable items are documented for insurance purposes.
4. Soot and smoke removal: HEPA vacuuming of all surfaces, chemical sponge cleaning, wet cleaning, and specialist treatment for different soot types (wet vs dry soot).
5. Odour elimination: Thermal fogging, ozone treatment, and hydroxyl generators to neutralise smoke odour embedded in building materials.
6. Rebuild and restoration: Replacing damaged structural elements, replastering, painting, and returning the property to pre-loss condition.

Our contractor network covers every suburb across Greater Brisbane, from the CBD to the outer growth corridors.

Inner Brisbane: Brisbane CBD, Fortitude Valley, South Brisbane, West End, Paddington, Red Hill, New Farm, Kangaroo Point, Spring Hill

Northern Suburbs: Chermside, Nundah, Aspley, Albany Creek, Strathpine, Brendale, Kallangur, North Lakes, Caboolture

Southern Suburbs: Mount Gravatt, Sunnybank, Eight Mile Plains, Springwood, Logan, Browns Plains, Beenleigh

Western Suburbs: Toowong, Indooroopilly, Kenmore, Chapel Hill, The Gap, Ipswich, Springfield, Forest Lake

Eastern Suburbs: Wynnum, Manly, Carindale, Coorparoo, Morningside, Bulimba, Hawthorne, Cannon Hill

View suburb-specific pages: Brisbane city-wide, Paddington, West End.

• Kitchen fires: The leading cause of residential fire in Brisbane. Cooking oil fires, unattended stovetops, and faulty appliances. Damage is often contained to the kitchen but smoke residue spreads throughout the property via HVAC systems and natural convection.
• Electrical fires in older homes: Brisbane's pre-1980 homes often have original wiring that deteriorates over time. Overloaded circuits, degraded insulation, and loose connections cause fires in wall cavities that can smoulder undetected before igniting.
• Bushfire ember attack: Western Brisbane suburbs (The Gap, Chapel Hill, Brookfield) border bushland reserves. During extreme fire weather, embers can travel kilometres ahead of the fire front, lodging in gutters, subfloor cavities, and under eaves.
• Asbestos-containing materials: Pre-1990 Brisbane homes may contain asbestos in eaves, wall cladding, or roofing. Fire damage to these materials creates an airborne hazard requiring licensed asbestos removal before restoration can proceed.