How do you start a biohazard and crime-scene cleanup business in 2027?
Honest 5/10 take.
Startup costs: $25k-$80k. PPE (Tyvek suits, P100 respirators, nitrile), ATP testing meter $400-$800, ozone generator $500-$2k, HEPA air scrubber $1k-$3k, hospital-grade disinfectants, sharps containers, biohazard transport bins. Cargo van $15k-$30k. ABRA/IICRC trauma cert $1.5k-$3.5k, OSHA bloodborne pathogen training $200-$500. Medical waste hauler contract $150-$400/mo.
Permits: State biomedical-waste transporter permit (varies wildly � some states require manifest, some don't), EPA notification, OSHA compliance program written. General liability + pollution liability $2k-$5k/yr. This is the most regulated cleaning vertical.
Acquisition: 80% of jobs come from coroners, police victim-services lists, and property managers � relationship business, not lead-gen. Insurance adjusters (State Farm, Allstate) keep approved-vendor lists; getting on one takes 6-18 months. Funeral homes refer unattended-death calls. Thumbtack/Angi/Nextdoor don't really apply.
Revenue model: $400-$800/hr billed, jobs run $1.5k-$15k. Insurance pays most. Hoarding adjacent jobs $3k-$25k.
Year-1: $60k-$180k solo with steady coroner-list referrals. Volume is unpredictable.