A guide
Who pays for biohazard cleanup
It depends on what happened and who owns the home. These are the usual places money comes from.
The four usual sources
Victim compensation (after a crime)
The California Victim Compensation Board (CalVCB) can repay reasonable crime scene cleanup costs when the crime happened in a residence or a vehicle.
It repays the person who paid, or who agreed to pay. It covers removing biohazard material, not damaged property. And the company must be registered with the California Department of Public Health.
CalVCB pays only what no other source covers, such as insurance. You can apply up to seven years after the crime, online, on paper or with an advocate. Its number is (800) 777-9229.
Insurance
Some homeowner, renter and auto policies cover this kind of cleanup. Many do not. Read your policy and ask your agent before work begins.
The state's own list of registered cleanup companies tells renters and homeowners to contact their insurance agent about possible coverage.
The property owner
In a rental, the owner often arranges cleanup of the unit and then looks at insurance or the tenant's estate. For landlords.
The estate
When the person who died owned the home, cleanup is often paid from the estate. Keep the bill with the estate's papers.
Keep these papers
- The police report number, or the coroner's case contact
- The cleanup company's written bill and its state registration name
- Your insurer's answer, in writing if you can get it
- Receipts for anything else you paid because of the crime
When you are ready
One call, then a plan you can say yes or no to
You do not have to clean this yourself, and you do not have to decide anything tonight. If the home has been released, a company can talk you through the next steps.
Talk it through with a cleanup company
Say what happened and where. The company will tell you what it would do and what it needs from you. Nothing is agreed until you say so.
Call (559) 555-0101Answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Calls may be recorded. Read the referral disclosure and the privacy policy.