Fire and smoke restoration generates the most variable Scope 3 emissions of any restoration job type. A contained single-room smoke job and a multi-floor structural fire with hazmat abatement and full reconstruction can both appear on your P&L as “fire restoration” — but their emissions differ by a factor of 20 or more. This guide gives you the emission factors, the calculation methodology, and a complete worked example to produce an accurate per-job figure regardless of where on that spectrum your job falls.
Job Classification: Phase and Scope
Before calculating, identify which phases are in your scope of work and document them separately. Emissions from mitigation and reconstruction phases should be tracked separately even if invoiced together — they may occur in different reporting years.
| Phase | Dominant Emission Categories | Typical Range |
|---|---|---|
| Mitigation only (no structural demolition) | Cat 4 transportation, Cat 1 materials, Cat 5 debris | 1.0–6.0 tCO2e |
| Mitigation + selective demolition (1 room/suite) | All four categories, Cat 12 significant | 3.0–12.0 tCO2e |
| Large-scale fire + ACM abatement + reconstruction | All four categories, Cat 5 hazmat dominant | 15.0–100+ tCO2e |
Category 4: Transportation Emission Factors
Fire restoration deploys more vehicle types per job than any other restoration category. Account for each separately.
| Vehicle Type | kg CO2e per mile | Common Use in Fire Restoration |
|---|---|---|
| Light truck / work van | 0.503 | Crew transportation, initial response |
| Medium equipment trailer | 1.084 | Air scrubbers, ozone generators, thermal foggers |
| Box truck / pack-out truck | 1.084 | Content pack-out and storage transport |
| Heavy dump truck (unloaded) | 1.612 | Debris removal mobilization |
| Heavy dump truck (loaded) | 2.25 | Debris removal trips to landfill/transfer |
| Specialty hazmat transport (ACM) | 2.80 | Asbestos or lead waste to permitted facility |
Content pack-out note: Pack-out is frequently the second-largest transportation source on large fire jobs. Track pack-out truck trips separately from crew mobilization and debris removal trips. Pack-out involves loaded trucks going to storage and returning empty — apply loaded emission factor for outbound, unloaded for return.
Category 1: Materials Emission Factors
| Material | Unit | kg CO2e per unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chemical sponge (dry soot sponge) | Each | 0.15 | EPA EEIO — cleaning products |
| Dry ice (CO2 pellets for blasting) | kg | 0.85 | Industrial CO2 production — use with caution; CO2 is released on use, but EPA factors cover production |
| Hydroxyl generator treatment (per day-unit) | Day-unit | 0.40 | Equipment embodied carbon, negligible per use |
| Ozone generator treatment (per day-unit) | Day-unit | 0.35 | Equipment embodied carbon, negligible per use |
| Encapsulant / sealant (smoke blocking primer) | Gallon | 4.2 | EPA EEIO — paint and coating manufacturing |
| Thermal fogging agent | Liter | 2.1 | EPA EEIO — chemical manufacturing |
| HEPA filter (air scrubber) | Each | 3.2 | EPA EEIO — industrial machinery |
| Full Tyvek suit (Level C) | Each | 1.2 | EPA EEIO — apparel manufacturing |
| Half-face respirator with organic vapor/P100 cartridges (pair) | Pair | 0.8 | EPA EEIO — medical equipment |
| Nitrile gloves (pair) | Pair | 0.3 | EPA EEIO — rubber/plastics |
Reconstruction phase materials — installed building components: If your scope includes reconstruction, the embodied carbon of installed materials belongs in Category 1. Use these EPA EEIO factors: drywall $0.42 per board foot × board feet; dimensional lumber $0.55 per board foot; paint and primer $4.2 per gallon. For complex reconstruction, request embodied carbon data from your materials supplier or use the Athena Impact Estimator for buildings as a secondary source.
Category 5: Waste Emission Factors
| Waste Type | Disposal Method | tCO2e per ton | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke-contaminated C&D debris (non-hazardous) | Standard landfill | 0.16 | EPA WARM v16 |
| Smoke-contaminated C&D debris (regulated) | Licensed C&D landfill | 0.20 | EPA WARM + transport premium |
| Asbestos-containing materials (ACM) | Licensed hazmat landfill | 0.38 | EPA WARM + hazmat transport + licensed facility |
| Lead paint debris (regulated) | Licensed hazmat landfill | 0.35 | EPA WARM + hazmat premium |
| PCB-containing materials | Licensed hazmat incineration | 1.85 | EPA hazardous waste incineration factors |
| Disposable PPE and consumables | Standard landfill | 0.25 | EPA WARM v16 — mixed plastics |
ACM identification rule: If the building was constructed before 1980 and your demolition scope touches floor tiles, ceiling tiles, pipe insulation, or joint compound, assume ACM until tested. Apply the ACM emission factor (0.38 tCO2e/ton) to all potentially ACM-containing demolition waste in buildings where testing was not completed before demolition. Document the assumption in your data quality notes.
Category 12: Demolished Building Materials
| Material | tCO2e per ton landfilled | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gypsum drywall | 0.16 | EPA WARM v16 |
| Dimensional lumber | -0.07 | Carbon storage credit (if landfilled, not incinerated) |
| Carpet + pad | 0.33 | EPA WARM v16 |
| Acoustic ceiling tile | 0.12 | EPA WARM v16 — ceiling tile category |
| Fiberglass insulation | 0.33 | EPA WARM v16 |
| Electrical components (non-hazardous) | 0.28 | EPA WARM v16 — mixed electronics |
| Structural steel (salvaged) | -0.85 | EPA WARM v16 — recycled metal credit |
Complete Worked Example: Commercial Suite Fire — Single Floor
Job profile: Kitchen fire in a 3,200 sq ft commercial restaurant. Scope: smoke damage treatment throughout, selective demolition of kitchen (800 sq ft, including drywall, ceiling tiles, hood system). No ACM (post-1985 building). Reconstruction not in contractor scope. Pack-out of kitchen equipment. Crew: 4 technicians, 6 days. Facility: 31 miles from job site.
Category 4 — Transportation
Crew trucks: 2 light trucks × 62 mi RT × 8 trips (6 work days + mobilization + equipment pickup) = 992 mi × 0.503 = 499 kg CO2e
Equipment trailer (air scrubbers, ozone gen): 1 × 62 mi × 2 trips = 124 mi × 1.084 = 134 kg CO2e
Pack-out truck (kitchen equipment): 1 loaded trip × 62 mi = 62 mi × 2.25 + 1 return trip × 62 mi × 1.612 = 140 + 100 = 240 kg CO2e
Debris dump truck: 2 loads to transfer station × 18 mi × 2.25 kg/mi = 81 kg CO2e
Category 4 total: 954 kg CO2e = 0.95 tCO2e
Category 1 — Materials
Chemical sponges: 3,200 sq ft ÷ 50 sq ft/sponge = 64 sponges × 0.15 kg = 10 kg CO2e
Encapsulant/smoke blocking primer (kitchen surfaces): 12 gallons × 4.2 kg/gallon = 50 kg CO2e
Thermal fogging agent: 6 liters × 2.1 kg/L = 13 kg CO2e
HEPA filters replaced: 3 air scrubbers × 2 filter changes = 6 × 3.2 kg = 19 kg CO2e
PPE: 4 technicians × 6 days × 1.5 Tyvek/day = 36 × 1.2 kg = 43 kg; gloves: 4 × 6 × 3 pairs = 72 × 0.3 = 22 kg; respirator cartridges: 4 × 6 × 1 pair = 24 × 0.8 = 19 kg. PPE total: 84 kg CO2e
Category 1 total: 176 kg CO2e = 0.18 tCO2e
Category 5 — Waste
Kitchen demolition debris (drywall, ceiling tiles, hood components): estimated 2.8 tons × 0.16 tCO2e/ton = 0.45 tCO2e
PPE and consumables waste: ~0.08 tons × 0.25 = 0.02 tCO2e
Category 5 total: 0.47 tCO2e
Category 12 — Demolished Materials
Kitchen drywall (800 sq ft): 0.91 tons × 0.16 = 0.15 tCO2e
Acoustic ceiling tiles: 800 sq ft × 1.8 lbs/sq ft = 0.65 tons × 0.12 = 0.08 tCO2e
Category 12 total: 0.23 tCO2e
Job Total
| Category | tCO2e |
|---|---|
| Category 4 — Transportation | 0.95 |
| Category 1 — Materials | 0.18 |
| Category 5 — Waste disposal | 0.47 |
| Category 12 — Demolished materials | 0.23 |
| Total | 1.83 tCO2e |
How does the presence of asbestos-containing materials change the total emissions?
Significantly. In the example above with no ACM, Category 5 waste totals 0.47 tCO2e. If the same job involved 1.5 tons of ACM abatement, that adds 1.5 × 0.38 = 0.57 tCO2e to Category 5 alone — a 121% increase in waste emissions — plus additional transportation for hazmat hauling. Always identify ACM status before calculating.
Are dry ice blasting emissions included in Category 1 or treated differently?
Use the dry ice production emission factor (0.85 kg CO2e/kg) for Category 1. The CO2 released when dry ice sublimates during blasting is not separately counted — it’s included in the production emission factor. Note in your data quality section that dry ice CO2 release is accounted for through production factors per EPA guidance.
How do I calculate emissions when reconstruction is performed by a separate GC?
The reconstruction contractor calculates their own RCP emissions separately. Your calculation ends at the boundary of your scope of work. Note in your job report that reconstruction was performed by a separate contractor and reference their separate RCP report if available.
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