Scope and sequence
These separate a residue-removal plan from an air-freshening visit.
- Which surfaces will be hand-cleaned, room by room, including ceilings, closets and cabinet interiors?
- What will you do about the ductwork, returns, blower and furnace cabinet, and who does that part?
- Which items do you recommend replacing rather than cleaning, and why?
- Is any airborne treatment planned, which one, and does it happen before or after cleaning?
- Will you recommend sealing with a primer, and in which rooms?
- How do you check results, and under what conditions: windows closed, system running?
- What happens if the odor is still noticeable after the work is finished?
Answers that reassure versus answers that worry
- Topic
- Assessment
- Reassuring
- Visits in person, checks closets, ceilings and the filter
- Worrying
- Quotes over the phone without seeing the home
- Topic
- Method
- Reassuring
- Cleaning first, then any airborne step
- Worrying
- One machine treatment presented as the whole fix
- Topic
- Ducts
- Reassuring
- Addresses the system directly or coordinates a duct cleaner
- Worrying
- Says ducts do not matter
- Topic
- Products
- Reassuring
- Names products and offers safety data sheets
- Worrying
- Vague about chemicals; mentions fragrance as the solution
- Topic
- Results
- Reassuring
- Explains how odor will be checked and what follow-up looks like
- Worrying
- Promises the smell will be gone forever
- Topic
- Paperwork
- Reassuring
- Provides a written scope and proof of insurance
- Worrying
- Prefers to keep it informal
Also ask about
- Whether technicians hold IICRC certification in odor control or related categories.
- General liability insurance, and whether a certificate can be issued to your HOA.
- How long occupants must stay out, and when it is safe for children and anyone with asthma to return.
- What must be removed or covered beforehand: art, electronics, plants, food, medications.
- How the work affects any upcoming painting, flooring or move-in dates.
- Two or three local references for similar homes or buildings.
Comparing the written answers
Ask every provider the same questions and request the answers in the written scope rather than in conversation. Lay the scopes side by side, line by line: ceilings, walls, closets, cabinets, soft goods, ducts, airborne step, sealing, verification. A low total that omits the ducts and the closets is not a bargain if you end up hiring a second firm to finish the job.
Pay attention to how each person handles uncertainty. Honest providers often say that heavily smoked homes may need a second round in a stubborn room, and they explain how that would be decided. That kind of candor is a better sign than confident talk about a single visit solving everything.
General information for Cherry Creek, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.