After a fire or major water damage, your belongings often need to leave the house so the home can be cleaned and repaired. A contents pack out means the restoration company inventories, packs and moves your belongings to a secure facility, cleans what can be saved, and stores it until the home is ready.
A good pack out protects your things from further damage and gives you and your insurer a detailed list of what was cleaned and what could not be saved.
When you need contents pack out
- After a fire with smoke and soot through the home
- After major water damage that needs repairs
- When repairs will take weeks or months
- When you need an inventory for your insurance claim
What the job involves
- Photograph and inventory items room by room.
- Pack belongings carefully and move them to a secure facility.
- Clean, deodorize and dry items that can be saved.
- List items that cannot be restored for your claim.
- Store items and return them when the home is ready.
What affects the cost
Sifixit does not quote prices, because every job is different. These are the things that move the price up or down, so you can compare quotes fairly:
- Number of rooms and amount of belongings
- Specialty cleaning such as electronics, documents and fabrics
- Storage time
- Moving and handling
- Inventory and photo documentation
Insurance
Contents cleaning and pack out are often covered as part of a fire or water damage claim, under personal property coverage. The inventory helps prove what was damaged.
Licensing by state
Rules differ a lot between states. Here is who licenses this work in the states Sifixit covers most. Always ask for the license number and check it with the state.
- Most states do not license water damage or fire restoration companies. Ask about IICRC certification, insurance and references instead.
- Moving and storage parts of the job may be handled by licensed movers in some states.
Read our guide: what can be saved after a house fire.
Local help for contents pack out
- Fire damage restoration in Dallas, TX
- Fire damage restoration in Houston, TX
- Fire damage restoration in Los Angeles, CA
- Fire damage restoration in Phoenix, AZ
- Fire damage restoration in Colorado Springs, CO
- Fire damage restoration in Fort Lauderdale, FL
Quick answers: contents pack out
What is a contents pack out?
Packing and moving your belongings out of the home so they can be cleaned and stored during repairs.
Does insurance pay for a pack out?
Often, as part of a covered fire or water claim.
Can smoke damaged clothes be cleaned?
Often, yes, with professional cleaning.
How long are items stored?
Until the home is repaired, often weeks to months.
Who does contents pack outs?
A fire or water damage restoration company. Sifixit can connect you with a local provider.
Looking for contents pack out? Call the number on this page to be connected with an independent local provider. For more background, see the National Fire Protection Association.
This site is a free service to assist homeowners in connecting with local service contractors. All contractors are independent and this site does not warrant or guarantee any work performed. It is the responsibility of the homeowner to verify that the hired contractor furnishes the necessary license and insurance required for the work being performed. All persons depicted in a photo or video are actors or models and not contractors listed on this site.
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