Smoke and soot damage claims in Illinois

A furnace puffback, a neighbor’s fire or a pan fire can coat a whole house in soot. We find where it went and claim it.

$0 upfront
Fee from the recovery only
Licensed Illinois public adjusters

Aerial view of a house with a dark grey shingle roof, a white car in the driveway and a covered pool in the fenced backyard — **Residential & commercial**Homes, rentals and business premises across Illinois, since 2019.

Where smoke claims usually fall short

A cleaning check, file closed

The offer covers a wipe-down and a duct cleaning. We scope the insulation, cavities, contents and sealing the cleaning never reached.

Odor called “subjective”

The smell is residue still in a material. We locate it room by room and document it, so sealing or replacement is priced.

Waiting on someone else’s fire

When the fire started next door, owners often wait for the neighbor’s insurer. We file on your own policy now.

Smoke goes where the air goes

The first estimate covers rooms with visible soot. We document every stop on the air path.

1The sourceFurnace, stove or the shared wall: photographed before cleanup.
2HVACDucts, coils and blower spread soot and keep releasing it.
3Attic & wallsInsulation and cavities no cleaning crew reaches.
4Closets & drawersClothing, bedding and stored items, listed one by one.
5ElectronicsResidue inside the housing, where it corrodes contacts.

Aerial view of a house with a dark grey shingle roof between two neighbouring houses and bare trees — Houses side by side share more than a fence line: a fire next door is a smoke claim on yours.

A heat-damage claim the carrier wanted to patch

Aerial view of a house with a pale grey shingle roof, a concrete patio with a table and chairs, and two garden sheds in the fenced yard

Fire & smoke · approved

Grill-melted siding: full replacement approved

Siding cannot be matched invisibly, so we claimed the whole affected elevation, not a few panels.

Full siding replacement
Matching argued and won
Inspection passed

“Clean, quick, professional.” Aleksey Babin

All results

What clients say about working with us

Highly recommended. State Adjusting Services did an amazing job with my claim. Thank you.

Solomiia BasarabGoogle review · June 2026

Professional, responsive, on-time, and delivering exactly what they promised every step of the way. Would highly recommend.

Alina RudianynGoogle review · August 2023

Very effective representing us. Results couldn’t be better.

Gerry ShacterGoogle review · November 2025

Start a free smoke claim review

Tell us where the smoke came fromFurnace, kitchen, or a fire next door, plus the date and your photos.
We check the smoke wordingHow your policy covers smoke, contents and living costs, and whether hiring us makes sense.
We trace, list and settleRoom-by-room soot path, contents list, carrier talks. Paid from what the insurer pays you.

Start with four fields

First name *

Last name *

Phone *

Email *

Want to list damaged rooms or items? Use the full form. Your details go only to the adjuster reviewing your smoke claim.

Contents after smoke: clean it or replace it?

Item group	Typical first offer	What we document
Mattresses, upholstery, pillows	Ozone treatment or cleaning	Odor still present after treatment; replacement value
Clothing and linens	Laundering by the bag	An itemized list, and items that kept the smell after cleaning
Opened food, medicine, cosmetics	Often left off the list	Each item, since none can be cleaned
TVs, computers, appliances	Exterior wipe-down	Residue inside the housing, and a repair or replacement price

Keep damaged items until they are inspected. Photos and the item itself are the proof.

Illinois rules that apply when a smoke claim stalls

50 Ill. Adm. Code 919. We are public adjusters, not attorneys.

Aerial view of a house with new light-grey shingles, lumber and a ladder stacked beside the driveway

A check is not “final” by defaultNot unless the policy limit was paid or there is a bona fide dispute.919.60(a)
The estimate must fund real repairsThe insurer’s estimate has to allow repairs to be made in a workmanlike manner.919.80(d)(7)(C)
40 days is the delay lineOn fire policies, a median payment period above 40 calendar days is unreasonable delay.919.80(d)(7)(A)

Smoke and soot claim questions

Nothing burned at my place. Can I still claim smoke damage?

Usually, yes. Most homeowners policies list smoke as its own peril, so the fire can start elsewhere. The event has to be sudden and accidental; gradual smoke from cooking or a fireplace is commonly excluded.

A neighbor’s unit burned. Do I wait for their insurer?

No. File on your own policy first. Your carrier can pursue the responsible party afterwards, and if it recovers, your deductible is normally returned to you.

Do you handle smoke claims on businesses and rental buildings?

Yes. We handle residential and commercial claims. A commercial smoke loss can add inventory, equipment and lost business income to the claim.