Factors and how they push the scope
- Factor
- How long smoking went on
- Smaller scope
- A year or two, or occasional
- Larger scope
- Decades of daily indoor smoking
- Factor
- Where smoking happened
- Smaller scope
- One room, garage or porch
- Larger scope
- Every room, including bedrooms
- Factor
- What was smoked
- Smaller scope
- Occasional cigarettes
- Larger scope
- Heavy cigarette, cigar or pipe use
- Factor
- Ceiling height and type
- Smaller scope
- Standard flat drywall
- Larger scope
- Vaulted, coffered, textured or popcorn ceilings
- Factor
- Absorbent finishes
- Smaller scope
- Hard floors, painted walls
- Larger scope
- Carpet throughout, wallpaper, raw wood, cellular shades
- Factor
- Air system
- Smaller scope
- Ducts recently cleaned or replaced
- Larger scope
- Original ductwork, humidifier, never cleaned
- Factor
- Contents
- Smaller scope
- Empty home
- Larger scope
- Fully furnished, estate contents still in place
- Factor
- Building logistics
- Smaller scope
- Single-family with driveway access
- Larger scope
- Condo with elevator booking, work hours, insurance paperwork
- Factor
- Timeline
- Smaller scope
- Flexible
- Larger scope
- Tight closing, move-in or listing date
- Factor
- Follow-on work
- Smaller scope
- Light touch-up
- Larger scope
- Full priming, painting and new flooring
Use this to understand proposals, not to estimate a price.
Reading two proposals side by side
When proposals for the same home differ widely, the reason is usually scope rather than pricing alone. One provider may plan to hand-clean every ceiling and closet and coordinate duct cleaning; another may plan a single machine treatment. Put the scopes in the left column of a sheet and line up what each includes. The gaps are often more telling than the totals.
Some factors are under your control. Clearing contents before work starts, deciding early which carpet and window treatments are going, and booking the condo elevator in advance all shrink the job. Others, like ceiling height or decades of smoking, are what they are.
Remember that odor work sits inside a larger project. Painting, flooring and duct cleaning are often separate trades, and the cheapest odor scope can become expensive if it forces repainting or a second treatment later.
Where to trim and where not to
- IfBudget is tightThenDo the rooms with the highest worksheet scores, the ducts and the ceilings thoroughly; defer cosmetic work in low-score rooms.
- IfCarpet is old anywayThenReplace it rather than paying to clean it, and seal the subfloor.
- IfTempted to skip the ductsThenDo not; an untreated system can spread residue back into cleaned rooms.
- IfTempted to skip primerThenSkipping it in heavy rooms often means repainting later.
General information for Cherry Creek, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.