Before you hire

How to check a cleanup company in California

Any company you speak to through this number is independent, so it is worth a few minutes of checking. California makes that easier than most states.

California registers this work

Under the state's Trauma Scene Waste Management Act, a business that removes blood, body fluids and other residue after a serious injury, illness or death must register with the California Department of Public Health. It must also show a contract with a registered transporter or the permitted medical waste facility that receives the waste.

The department posts a list of registered practitioners on that page. Ask the company for the name it is registered under, then look for it on the list.

Sealed red biohazard boxes and tied red bags stacked on plastic sheeting by a front door

On the phone

Questions to ask

Are you registered with CDPH?

As a trauma scene waste management practitioner. Registration also matters for payment: CalVCB reimburses only registered companies.

Where does the waste go?

It should be sealed and taken to a permitted medical waste facility as soon as removal is done (HSC 118321.5).

Can I have the price in writing?

Before work starts, with a list of what will be removed and what they will try to save.

What insurance do you carry?

Checking a contractor's license and insurance is the customer's job, so ask to see proof.

Talk to a cleanup company about your home

Describe what happened and which rooms are affected, and say whether the police or the coroner have finished. The company will explain the work and its price.

Ready to talk to a cleanup company?

You will speak with an independent biohazard cleanup company that works in Santa Rosa and nearby towns. Ask what it would do and what it would charge. Nothing is agreed until you say so.

Call (707) 271-4587

Answered 24 hours a day, every day

Calls may be recorded. The referral disclosure explains how this site is paid.