Crime Scene Cleanup in California

Licensed & insured Every company we put you through to holds current licensing and insurance.
Know what to ask You are told what actually decides the price, so you can judge a quote.
Someone local You are put through to a technician who works your area, not a call center three states away.
Calls answered 7 days Someone picks up seven days a week, weekends included.

Is it urgent?

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Begins once the scene is released. Until then nothing can be touched, and the release is the thing to wait for rather than the company.

One thing overrides everything on this page: do not attempt any part of this yourself, and do not let a general cleaning company do it either. The protective equipment, the containment and the licensed disposal route exist because of a genuine bloodborne pathogen risk, and California requires a company doing this work to be registered with the state.

Signs to look for

A property released after a police investigation
Fingerprint powder on surfaces throughout a room
Damage from forced entry by police or emergency services
Chemical residues from investigative work
A victim or family who cannot use the property as it is

How the work is done

Begin only on written release from the investigating agency
Record the condition before anything is touched, for the claim and the compensation route
Remove biological material and investigative residues, which need different methods
Repair entry damage and restore the space rather than only cleaning it

In California specifically

California's Mediterranean on the coast, hot and dry inland climate and its housing stock — stucco ranch and bungalow, tile or composition roofs, slab in the south and raised crawlspace through the Bay Area and the north — decide what is worth doing first. California is also the one state where duct leakage is routinely tested: Title 24 requires a HERS-verified duct test on most furnace or air-conditioner changeouts, so a duct problem here often surfaces as a failed test rather than as a complaint.

Before the technician arrives

Four things worth doing — and the first one is usually the thing people get wrong.

Wait for written release from the investigating agency. Entering before that can affect a case as well as your safety.
Where a crime is involved, the California Victim Compensation Board may help with the cost of cleanup for a victim or their family. This is worth asking about early.
Photograph nothing yourself and move nothing, even after release, until the company has recorded the condition.
Tell the company about fingerprint powder and any chemicals used — they clean differently and they stain.

What the work looks like

Photographs of crime scene cleanup being carried out, so you know what to expect on the day.

How it works

Three steps, and you decide at the end of them.

1
You call and describe the problem

Tell us what you have noticed and where — the room, the smell, the noise, how long it has been going on. Give us your ZIP code and we will match you to a licensed company covering your area. There is no form to fill in.
2
A local company takes it from there

They discuss the problem with you directly, arrange a time to inspect, and agree the work and the price with you before anything starts. That conversation is between you and them.
3
You decide whether to go ahead

You are under no obligation. If the quote or the approach is not what you wanted, you are free to say no and call someone else.

Crime Scene Cleanup — FAQs

Do I actually need Crime Scene Cleanup done?

Begins once the scene is released. Until then nothing can be touched, and the release is the thing to wait for rather than the company.

What does Crime Scene Cleanup involve?

Restoring a property after an investigation, including the residues and damage the investigation itself leaves. Documented for the insurer and for any compensation claim.

What makes this different in California?

California's Mediterranean on the coast, hot and dry inland climate and its housing stock — stucco ranch and bungalow, tile or composition roofs, slab in the south and raised crawlspace through the Bay Area and the north — decide what is worth doing first. California is also the one state where duct leakage is routinely tested: Title 24 requires a HERS-verified duct test on most furnace or air-conditioner changeouts, so a duct problem here often surfaces as a failed test rather than as a complaint.

Are the companies licensed and insured?

Yes. We only pass calls to licensed, insured operators working in California, and you are welcome to ask to see a license number on arrival.

What does Crime Scene Cleanup cost?

It depends on the property, the size of the system and what the inspection finds, so we do not publish a price — a figure quoted on a web page is not one the attending company has agreed to. You get a price before any work starts.

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Crime Scene Cleanup in California

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