Unattended death cleanup: what it covers, what it costs and who pays
Unattended death cleanup arranged with one call, with plain answers on cost and who pays.
- Calls answered 24/7
- Scope and price in writing on request
- Plain answers on cost and who pays
- State rules checked at the source
What happens when you call
Call (855) 675-5912
Calls are answered at any hour, including weekends and holidays. Say what happened and where.
Wait for any release
If police or the medical examiner were involved, cleanup starts once they release the home; until then, keep the door closed and leave the area as it is.
Get the scope and price
After a walkthrough of the affected area, you can ask for the scope and price in writing before any work starts.
Unattended death cleanup sits beside five other biohazard cleanup services, all on one number.
Insurance, the estate and state victim programs can each cover part of what biohazard cleanup costs.
What unattended death cleanup is and when to call
Unattended death cleanup, also called death cleanup or decomposition cleanup, is the removal of what was affected after someone died alone and was not found for days, with the room disinfected and the smell treated at its source. Household products cannot clean the room, because fluids reach the floor and sometimes the floor below. Calls to Biohazard Cleanup Now are answered 24/7.
The work starts once the medical examiner or the funeral home has removed the person and released the home. Affected flooring, subfloor, mattresses and furniture are removed, the room is cleaned and disinfected, and the heating and air system is checked so the odor does not return.
Unattended death cleanup is often priced by the hour for the crew plus waste disposal. The total depends on how long the death went unnoticed, the season, and whether fluids reached the subfloor or the floor below. Ask for the scope and price in writing before work starts.
Homeowners policies set their own terms for this kind of loss. Call your insurer, ask what the policy says, and keep receipts and photos. In a rental, the lease and state law decide whether the landlord or the estate arranges the cleanup.
- Fluids and affected materials removed from the room where the person was found
- Flooring, subfloor, mattresses and furniture that cannot be saved cut out and bagged
- Odor treated at its source, where the fluids soaked in
- Every surface in the room cleaned and disinfected, with the heating and air system checked
- Biohazard waste hauled as regulated medical waste
- The scope and price in writing before any work starts, when you ask
Jobs inside unattended death cleanup
Unattended death cleanup covers several distinct jobs. Each one is priced and scheduled on its own.
Decomposition cleanup
Decomposition cleanup is usually arranged by families and executors after a relative was found days after death, and landlords after a tenant's death. It means removing the fluids left where a person died and was not found for days or weeks, then cleaning and disinfecting the room. It takes several hours to a full day for most jobs; severe cases may need more than one visit.
Flooring and subfloor removal
Flooring and subfloor removal means cutting out carpet, padding, floorboards and subfloor that fluids soaked into, and in severe cases wall and ceiling panels, so the source of the odor leaves with them. The cleanup company says when a licensed contractor is needed to rebuild. It is usually arranged by owners, landlords and executors who need the home sold, rented or lived in again.
Mattress, bedding and furniture removal
Mattress, bedding and furniture removal is usually arranged by families and landlords clearing the room where the person was found. It means bagging and hauling mattresses, bedding, upholstered chairs and other soft furniture that absorbed fluids, as regulated waste.
Odor removal and HVAC treatment
Odor removal and HVAC treatment means treating the smell at its source once the soaked materials are gone, with hydroxyl or ozone machines and HEPA air scrubbers, and checking the ducts, vents and intakes the odor can travel through. Deodorizing can take several days. It is usually arranged by anyone with a death odor that has spread beyond one room, including apartment buildings where neighbors smell it.
Personal belongings recovery
Personal belongings recovery is usually arranged by families and executors, often living in another city, who need papers and keepsakes from the home. It means sorting items in the affected room, cleaning the ones that can be saved, such as photos, papers and keepsakes, and handing them back to the family.
Apartment and rental unit cleanup
Apartment and rental unit cleanup means cleaning a unit after a tenant's death, including the hallway or neighboring rooms the odor reached, with records of the work the landlord can keep. It is usually arranged by landlords, property managers, hotels and extended-stay operators.
Vehicle death cleanup
Vehicle death cleanup is usually arranged by families getting a relative's car back, and fleet or rental owners. It means cleaning a car or truck after a person died inside and was not found right away, including upholstery, padding, insulation and ductwork the fluids reached. It takes a few hours to a full day for most vehicles.
How unattended death cleanup works, step by step
Police and the medical examiner finish
Police and the medical examiner or coroner confirm the death, do their work and arrange for the person to be removed, usually by their office or a funeral home. The home is released after that.
The first call
The company asks who owns the home, whether the caller can approve the work, whether there is insurance, whether pets are inside, how to get in and what should be found or saved.
Walkthrough of how far the fluids spread
A supervisor checks the flooring, subfloor, walls and the HVAC system and writes up the scope. Ask for the scope and price in writing before work starts.
Containment and removal
The room is sealed off, and the mattress, carpet, padding, subfloor and any furniture that absorbed fluids are cut out and bagged as regulated waste. Severe cases can mean wall and ceiling panels too.
Cleaning and disinfection
Every surface in the affected area is cleaned and disinfected with EPA-registered disinfectants.
Odor treatment at the source
Hydroxyl or ozone machines and HEPA air scrubbers run until the smell is gone from the room and the ducts. Deodorizing can take several days.
Final check, belongings and waste
The area is checked again, saved belongings are handed back, and the waste goes to a permitted transporter or treatment facility under state rules.
When to call for unattended death cleanup
- The home has been released and the room has not been cleaned: decomposition fluids and odor can reach flooring, subfloor, walls, cabinets and the HVAC within a day or two.
- The smell has reached a hallway, a shared wall or the unit next door.
- Flies or other insects have appeared; flies can hatch weeks later from eggs in hidden spots.
- Fluids have soaked into a mattress, the subfloor or the ceiling of the room below.
Before you call
Having these ready makes the first call short and the written scope accurate.
- If no one has reported the death yet, call 911 first; police and the medical examiner must finish before any cleanup.
- Keep the door to the room closed and keep family, tenants and staff out.
- Know who owns the home and who can approve the work; if you are calling for a relative or as an executor, say so.
- Have the insurance details ready: the policyholder's name, the insurer, the policy number and the date the death was found.
- Tell the company about any pets still inside and how they can be taken out.
- List anything you want found or saved, such as papers, photos or keepsakes.
What unattended death cleanup costs
Typical 2026 national ranges from published cost guides.
| Item | Typical range | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Unattended death cleanup crew | $200 to $300 | per hour |
Not a quote: typical 2026 national ranges from published cost guides (Fixr, HomeGuide and Yelp cost guides, read 12 October 2026). Your price depends on what happened, how long the scene went unattended, how far contamination spread into floors, walls and the heating and air system, and the volume of regulated waste.
What moves the price
Two jobs of the same kind can differ in price for these reasons.
- How long the person went unfound: the longer, the further fluids and odor spread.
- Heat: decomposition moves faster in warm weather or a home without air conditioning, which takes more supplies and protective gear.
- How much has to be removed: mattress, carpet, padding, subfloor, and in severe cases wall and ceiling panels.
- Crew hours: Fixr lists unattended death crews at $200 to $300 per hour, and odor control at $75 to $100 per hour.
- The condition of the rest of the home: hoarding, mold or drug residue add equipment and time.
- Known infectious disease, which can call for extra testing.
- Regulated waste disposal, $2 to $20 per pound or $50 to $500 for a whole job.
Who pays for unattended death cleanup
Homeowners and renters policies set their own limits, and the adjuster decides what a policy covers. Call your insurer before the work starts, and keep photos and receipts.
In a rental, the lease and state law decide whether the landlord or the tenant arranges and pays for cleanup. After a death, the estate or the family usually arranges it.
Many states run a crime victim compensation program that may reimburse crime scene cleanup for eligible victims. Programs differ by state in what they cover. Deductibles are never waived or rebated.
If you or someone you know is in crisis
Call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, any time, day or night.
Questions about unattended death cleanup
What is considered an unattended death?
An unattended death is a death where the person died alone and was not found right away, sometimes for days or weeks. Because decomposition starts at death, fluids and odor spread into the mattress, flooring and walls in that time. That is why the home needs unattended death cleanup, also called decomposition cleanup, rather than household cleaning. The medical examiner or coroner is usually called in to confirm the death.
What should you do if you discover an unattended death?
Call 911 first. Do not touch the person or clean anything, and keep everyone else out of the room. Police and the medical examiner or coroner confirm the death and arrange for the person to be moved. Once they release the home, close the door to the room, keep anything an insurer may need to see, and tell the landlord if it is a rental. Then a biohazard cleanup company can start.
Who cleans up after a death?
The property owner, the landlord or the estate arranges it. First responders do not clean. After police and the medical examiner or coroner remove the person who died and release the home, the family, the executor or the landlord hires a biohazard cleanup company, because fluids get into flooring, walls and furniture that household cleaning cannot reach. Relatives who live in another city can make the first call from wherever they are.
How much does unattended death cleanup cost?
According to Fixr (2026), unattended death cleanup crews bill $200 to $300 an hour, odor control runs $75 to $100 an hour, and regulated waste disposal adds $2 to $20 a pound. No independent cost guide publishes a per-job price for this work. The total depends mostly on how long the person went unfound, the season, and how much flooring, subfloor and furniture has to be removed. Ask for the scope and price in writing before work starts.
Does homeowners insurance cover unattended death cleanup?
It depends on the policy, and the adjuster decides. Some homeowners policies cover cleanup and the removal of damaged flooring after a death in the home, and others exclude it or cap it. Read the policy or call the insurer before work starts, and keep photos, the written scope and the invoice. A deductible is never waived or rebated. In a rental, the building is a matter for the owner and the owner's insurer.
How long does unattended death cleanup take?
Most unattended death cleanups take from several hours to a full day. Severe cases, where the person went unfound for weeks, can need more than one visit, and deodorizing with air scrubbers can take several more days. Removing a subfloor or a section of drywall adds time, and any rebuilding afterward is a separate job for a contractor. Ask for the expected time in the written scope before the work starts.
Can the smell of death be removed from a house?
Yes, once its source is removed. The smell comes from fluids soaked into materials, so the mattress, carpet, padding and any soaked subfloor are taken out first and the surfaces underneath are cleaned and disinfected. Then hydroxyl or ozone machines and HEPA air scrubbers run, sometimes for several days, and the heating and air ducts are checked because odor travels through them. Air fresheners only cover the smell for a while, which is why the source comes out first.
What is the best way to clean out my parents' home after their death?
Start with the room where your parent was found, if the death went unnoticed. That room is cleaned by a biohazard cleanup company first, after police or the medical examiner release the home, and personal items there are left alone until then. Photos, papers and other things that can be saved can be cleaned and handed back. Sorting the rest of the home can follow once the affected room is done, at whatever pace the family chooses.
Unattended death cleanup by metro area
Unattended death cleanup is available in these metro areas, listed by state.
Unattended death cleanup by state
Other biohazard cleanup services
Each kind of biohazard cleanup has its own steps, costs and rules on who pays.
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Hoarding cleanup
From light clutter to a home with waste and pests, belongings are sorted and the rooms cleaned and disinfected. Start with a call about hoarding cleanup steps and costs.
Call for hoarding cleanup -
Suicide cleanup
For families and landlords, the work is finished before anyone returns to the room. Start with a call about what suicide cleanup involves. In crisis? Call or text 988.
Call for suicide cleanup -
Blood and bodily fluid cleanup
When blood reached carpet, a mattress or upholstery, those materials are removed as regulated waste. Start with a call about the blood cleanup process.
Call for blood cleanup -
Trauma and accident cleanup
Once first responders have gone, blood and fluids are removed and the area disinfected. Ask about what trauma cleanup involves on the call.
Call for trauma cleanup -
Crime scene cleanup
The work starts once police release the scene and ends with the waste hauled as regulated medical waste. Start with a call about crime scene cleanup, step by step.
Call for crime scene cleanup
Call for unattended death cleanup
Call (855) 675-5912 at any hour for unattended death cleanup.