Under these horrid conditions, while laboring inside hot protective suits, the crew must remove any and every trace of bio-hazard material to eliminate the potential for infection. The clean-up must be thorough since the smallest amount of contaminate left behind could lead to mold or fungus and the potential for disease in a matter of months. Once the contaminated material is removed from the crime scene it is sealed in bags and safely stored until it can be transported to a medical-waste incinerator for disposal. In this regard, permits are required for the transportation and disposal.

When the work is completed, of course, it’s time to settle up. But what exactly would this type of clean-up cost? Although it will vary according to the scope of the job, the cost for cleaning, disinfecting, removal, storage, transportation, and disposal of crime-scene material has been estimated to be: up to $600 per hour.

Once an appointment is made with the company, an assessment is made to determine the severity of the scene and the extent of the clean-up, the number of technicians required, the type of equipment and supplies needed to do the work, the necessary permits required, the storage and disposal costs, and an estimated time to finish the work, usually from a few hours to weeks. Only then can an estimate of the costs be determined. In most cases the clean-up costs are usually covered by auto, homeowners, or commercial insurance policies. In this regard, most companies will provide a service that handles all the paperwork for filing a claim. If insurance coverage is not available, they can also help their clients in contacting various charitable or religious organizations that can provide financial assistance.