How a call to the line works

Step one: choose the number by the property's county

Routing follows the building, not the caller. A rental duplex in Middletown, an apartment near the University of Dayton and a farmhouse in Darke County each belong to a specific line, even if the person calling lives in Phoenix.

A home on the Cincinnati side, in Hamilton, Butler or Warren County, or in one of the four covered Clermont and Highland ZIPs, goes on (513) 962-0944. A home in Montgomery County or the Miami Valley counties north and east of it, or in a border ZIP between West Liberty and Washington Court House, goes on (937) 200-8811. The ZIP finder on this site, or the table on the contact page, settles any doubt.

Step two: you reach a provider

After you dial, the line routes the call to an independent cleanup company that takes work in that county. You may hear a short recorded notice before the connection, depending on how the call is set up. There is no menu of options to press through.

The person who picks up works for the provider, not for this website. From that point on, any quote, schedule or contract is between you and that company. The line can be called at any time of day, but how and when a provider can come to a home in Oxford or Urbana is something to settle with the provider on the call.

Step three: describe the situation and get it in writing

Give the provider a plain description: what happened, which rooms are affected, roughly how long the property was closed up, and whether there are pets, stairs or tight access. A Cincinnati hillside house reached by city steps or a third-floor walk-up in Over-the-Rhine changes how a crew plans the work.

Ask for a written estimate that lists what will be removed, cleaned, disinfected and hauled away as regulated waste. If the provider needs to see the site first, ask what that visit costs, if anything, and who must be there to let the crew into a Huber Heights or Sidney home.

What to have ready before you dial

Having a few details in front of you shortens the call and helps the provider give an honest answer about the job in Clark County or Warren County.

Useful to have on hand

• The full property address and ZIP code, and the county if you know it.
• Whether the Cincinnati, Dayton, township or village police, the sheriff, or the county coroner has finished and released the property.
• Who has authority to hire: owner, executor, landlord, property manager or tenant.
• How a worker gets in: a lockbox code, a neighbor holding a spare key, or the manager of a Clifton or downtown Dayton building.
• The homeowner or landlord insurance company and policy number, if one may apply.
• A police report number if a crime was involved, which an Ohio victims compensation claim may need.

Questions worth asking the provider

Because the line passes your call to a business that may have paid for it, ask direct questions. A company that does this work in Butler or Montgomery County should answer them without hesitation.

Questions to ask

• What is the company's legal name, and where in Ohio is it based?
• Do your workers train under OSHA's bloodborne pathogens rule, and can you describe that training?
• Will your own employees do the work, or a subcontractor?
• Who hauls the regulated waste away, where does it go, and will I get a receipt or manifest that shows it?
• Will you work directly with my insurance company, and what am I responsible for if the claim is reduced or denied?
• What does the written estimate include, and what could change the final price?
• How do you handle personal items, photos and documents found during the work?

After the call

You are free to hang up, think it over, and call again later or call another company entirely. Nothing about using the line commits you to the provider you reached. If you are an executor handling a parent's home in Beavercreek from another state, ask for the estimate by text or email so other family members can read it.

If the death involved a crime, Crime Victim Services, part of the Ohio Attorney General's office in Columbus, can explain whether an eligible victim may be repaid for scene cleaning. Its toll-free number is 800-282-0515; the direct line is 614-466-5610. Our victims compensation guide covers the basics.