Insurance, victim compensation, landlords, estates
Who pays for biohazard cleanup?
Most families never expect this bill. These are the usual ways it gets paid, and who to ask about each.
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The usual sources
Homeowner or renter insurance
Policies differ. Some cover cleanup after a death or a crime, some do not. Call your insurer or agent before work starts, ask whether it is covered and what they need: photos, a report number, an itemized bill.
Georgia victim compensation
If a crime caused it, the Crime Victims Compensation Program may repay crime scene sanitization billed by a trained company. People who paid crime-related bills can apply, not only the victim. The crime must be reported within 72 hours and the claim filed within three years. Apply online or call (404) 657-1956. Program page.
The landlord
In a rental, damage to the building is often the owner’s to deal with, through the owner’s own insurance. Talk to the landlord early.
The estate
When someone has died, the executor or the family usually arranges cleanup of the home. If there is an estate attorney, ask whether the bill can be paid from the estate.
Ask about cost before work starts
What drives the cost: how large the affected area is, what has to be removed rather than cleaned, how much waste there is, and whether walls or floors need opening. Ask for a written estimate and an itemized final bill. Both insurers and the compensation program want one.
The cleanup company can explain its paperwork. Dealing with your insurer is between you and the insurer.
When you are ready
One call, no pressure
You can call before you have decided anything. Ask what the work involves, how long it may take and what the company needs from you.
Talk it through first
Say what happened and where, and whether the police or the coroner have finished. The company will explain what it would do and what affects the cost. Nothing is agreed until you say yes.
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