What to Do in the First 24 Hours After a Crime Scene in Your Home

The hours after a traumatic incident at your home are disorienting. You may feel pressure to act immediately, or you may feel completely frozen. Both are normal. What matters is knowing which steps to take, in which order, and what to avoid doing until the right people are on scene.

This checklist walks you through exactly that.

Step 1: Get Yourself and Others Out of the Space

Your physical safety comes first. If law enforcement has not yet been called, call 911 immediately. Do not re-enter any room where a traumatic event occurred. Keep family members, tenants, or bystanders away from the affected area.

If police are already on scene, follow their instructions exactly. Do not attempt to move, clean, or disturb anything in the space. This protects both the integrity of the investigation and your own health. Blood, bodily fluids, and biological material are classified as biohazardous waste. Exposure without proper protective equipment is a genuine health risk.

Step 2: Let Law Enforcement Do Their Work

Do not touch, move, or discard anything until law enforcement has cleared the scene and given you explicit permission. This includes:

• Clothing, furniture, or personal items near the incident area

• Any surfaces with visible biological material

• Weapons or objects that may be considered evidence

• Doors, windows, or entry points that were part of the scene

Interfering with evidence, even unintentionally, can complicate both the investigation and any insurance claims that follow. Wait for official clearance before anyone re-enters the space.

Step 3: Document Everything Before You Touch Anything

Once law enforcement clears the scene and gives you access, document the condition of the property before any cleanup begins. Use your phone to photograph and video every affected area. This documentation is important for:

• Filing a homeowner’s or renter’s insurance claim

• Working with a public adjuster if needed

• Creating a record for property damage disputes

• Supporting any legal proceedings connected to the incident

Take wide-angle shots of entire rooms, then close-up shots of specific damage. Include timestamps. Store these files somewhere secure and backed up.

Step 4: Call Your Insurance Company

Contact your homeowner’s insurance provider as soon as the scene is cleared. Most standard homeowner’s policies cover biohazard remediation and trauma scene cleanup when the cause is a covered event. Your insurer will open a claim, assign an adjuster, and walk you through your coverage.

If you are unsure whether your policy covers this type of event, learn how homeowner’s insurance handles crime scene cleanup costs before assuming you will pay out of pocket. Many property owners are surprised to find their existing policy covers more than they expected.

You should also be aware that who actually pays for crime scene cleanup depends on several factors including the type of incident, your policy type, and whether a responsible party exists. Getting that clarity early saves you significant stress.

Step 5: Do Not Attempt to Clean the Scene Yourself

This is one of the most important items on this checklist. Do not clean a trauma or crime scene yourself, even if the visible contamination appears minor.

Bloodborne pathogens including HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C can survive on surfaces for days. Biological material can absorb into porous flooring, drywall, and subfloor materials that look clean on the surface. Improper handling creates secondary contamination risks and can permanently damage structural materials that a certified technician could have saved.

Standard household cleaning products do not meet the biohazard decontamination standard. Only hospital-grade disinfectants and ATP surface testing confirm that a space is genuinely safe for re-occupancy.

Step 6: Call a Certified Crime Scene Cleanup Company

Once law enforcement clears the scene and your insurance claim is open, contact a certified biohazard remediation company. Do this within the first 24 hours if at all possible. The sooner remediation begins, the less structural damage occurs, and the lower your total remediation cost.

A certified company will:

• Confirm clearance with law enforcement before entering

• Contain the affected area to prevent cross-contamination

• Remove all biological material following state and federal disposal regulations

• Use ATP surface testing to verify decontamination before leaving

• Provide written clearance documentation for your insurance file

If cost is a concern, understanding what crime scene cleanup actually costs will help you prepare. Costs vary based on the size of the affected area, the type of contamination, and the complexity of the scene. In many cases, your insurer covers the full cost directly.

Step 7: Secure the Property

After cleanup is complete and written clearance documentation is in hand, take steps to secure the property. This may include:

• Changing locks if entry points were compromised

• Boarding broken windows or doors temporarily

• Notifying your property manager or HOA if applicable

• Arranging temporary housing if the home is not yet safe for occupancy

Keep all receipts and records from every step. Your insurance adjuster will want documentation of every cost connected to the incident.

One Final Note

You do not have to manage this process alone. A certified cleanup company handles not just the physical remediation but the documentation, the insurer communication, and the coordination with law enforcement. Their job is to take that weight off you during one of the most difficult situations a homeowner or property manager will face.

Call 844-BIO-CREW any time, 24 hours a day.