Sioux Falls, Minnehaha and Lincoln counties
Biohazard and crime scene cleanup in Sioux Falls
When someone has died, been hurt or committed a crime in a home or a car, the cleanup should not fall to the family. One call connects you with an independent biohazard cleanup company that works in the Sioux Falls area.
Answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- Independent local cleanup companies do the work
- You decide whether to hire them
- Homes, apartments, businesses and vehicles
Situations
What happened?
Each page explains what the cleanup involves, what to do first and what to ask.
- Crime scene cleanupAfter a homicide, assault or other violent crime, once police release the scene.Read more
- Unattended death cleanupWhen someone died at home and was not found for some time.Read more
- Suicide cleanupQuiet, careful cleanup so the family does not have to do it.Read more
- Blood and bodily fluid cleanupAfter an injury, a fall or a medical emergency at home or at work.Read more
- Hoarding with biohazardsHomes where waste, sharps or spoiled food make clearing unsafe.Read more
- Infectious disease cleanupCleaning and disinfecting after an illness, with the right products.Read more
- Vehicle biohazard cleanupBlood or bodily fluids in a car, truck or van.Read more
The work
What a biohazard cleanup company does
It removes what blood or other body fluids have soaked into, such as carpet, pad, drywall or furniture, and seals it in marked containers for disposal. Then it cleans and disinfects what can stay, deals with odor at its source and tells you what will need repair.
The workers wear suits, gloves and respirators because blood can carry infections. OSHA requires employers whose workers face that exposure to keep a written plan to protect them.
People search for this as biohazard cleanup, bio hazard cleanup, crime scene cleanup or trauma cleanup. It is the same work.
How the line works
From one call to a clean room
You call
Say what happened and where. The line is answered 24 hours a day.
You are connected
With an independent cleanup company that serves your ZIP code.
They look and price it
Usually after seeing the area. The price is theirs, not this site's.
You decide
Hire them or not. There is no obligation.
South Dakota facts
Worth knowing before you call
The coroner looks into many deaths at home
In South Dakota the county coroner investigates deaths by unnatural means and natural deaths of people who were not under a clinician's care. In those cases the body is not moved without the coroner's permission.
Source: SDCL 23-14-18 · SDCL 23-14-19
One coroner's office for both counties
The Minnehaha County Coroner/Medical Examiner is at 1305 W. 18th St., Sioux Falls, phone (605) 333-1730. The state's Dakota at Home directory lists the same office as serving Lincoln County.
Source: Minnehaha County · Dakota at Home
Victim compensation can pay for homicide scene cleanup
South Dakota's Crime Victims' Compensation Program, run by the Department of Public Safety, lists homicide scene cleanup among the expenses it can pay. State law limits it to a home or a vehicle.
Source: SD Department of Public Safety · SDCL 23A-28B-1
Sioux Falls spans two counties
The city lies in both Minnehaha County and Lincoln County. Brandon, Dell Rapids and Hartford are in Minnehaha County, Harrisburg and Tea in Lincoln County.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Nearby
Towns around Sioux Falls
Each page lists the county, the coroner's office and the ZIP codes on this line.
Questions
What people ask first
Who answers when I call?
Your call is connected with an independent biohazard cleanup company that works in the Sioux Falls area. This site is a referral line. It does not send anyone itself.
When can the cleanup start?
Only after the police and the coroner have released the scene. Ask the company when it can come and how long the work is likely to take. The answer depends on the size of the area and what is involved.
What does it cost?
The cleanup company sets the price, usually after it has seen the area. It depends on how large the affected area is, what has to be removed and replaced, how long the area went untreated, and how much waste has to be packed and disposed of.
Does insurance pay?
Sometimes. Many homeowner and renter policies cover some of this work, depending on the policy and the cause. Read your policy or call your agent before the work starts. Nobody can promise coverage in advance.
Can victim compensation help?
After a homicide, South Dakota's Crime Victims' Compensation Program can pay for cleanup of a home or a vehicle. It pays after insurance and other sources. Who pays for cleanup explains the rules.
Do I have to be home?
Not always. Many families prefer not to be there. Ask the company how it handles keys, access and the things it finds.