Guides & resources
Clear answers for families, landlords and property managers dealing with a difficult situation.
Suicide cleanup services in Texas: what happens, who pays, who to call
Texas law requires every suicide to be investigated. Who releases the home, what insurance and the state pay, and what to ask before anyone starts.
After a deathTexas county morgues: Dallas, Tarrant, Harris, Travis and Bexar
The morgue for Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Austin and San Antonio is the county medical examiner. Address, phone and hours, and why you rarely go.
How the work is doneCan I clean it up myself in Texas?
Texas waste law excludes dwellings, so the law is not what stops you. What it allows, and what every drop-off will refuse to take.
After a deathHow long does a Texas medical examiner take?
Five Texas counties publish different timings for the same thing, and one publishes none. What each office says, quoted, and which clock applies.
Cost and insurancePolice damaged my home in Texas. Who pays for the cleanup?
Insurers may exclude it and federal law may not require payment, but the Texas Constitution can. The McKinney case, what it decided, and what to do.
After a deathWhat a Texas county office will not do for you
No certificate, no storage, no viewing, no cleanup. What five Texas counties state they do not do, quoted — and who does it instead.
After a deathWho decides in Texas: the next-of-kin order
Texas Health and Safety Code § 711.002 sets seven tiers, and most summaries leave one out. The full order, what it controls, and what it does not.
Renting and propertyA death in a Texas rental — who pays for the cleanup?
The repair duty has an exception, § 92.014 sets what happens to a tenant's belongings, and the lease decides the rest. What Texas law says, and does not.
Choosing a companyIs biohazard cleanup licensed in Texas? What to check instead
Texas licenses mold remediators and sanitarians, not crime scene or biohazard cleanup. What that means when comparing companies, and what to ask instead.
Cost and insuranceDoes Texas pay for crime scene cleanup? What is covered
The Texas Crime Victims' Compensation Program pays up to $2,250 for crime scene cleanup — after a violent crime, after your insurance, never for repairs.
How the work is doneWhere the contaminated material goes: Texas waste rules
Texas excludes household waste from its medical waste rules, so a family clearing a home is not breaking them. The drop-offs still refuse the material, and a contractor hauling it needs a state registration you can look up.
After a deathWho releases a death scene in Texas
After a death at home, the medical examiner releases the person and the police release the property. Here is who does what in the major Texas counties, what each office publishes about timing, and what none of them will do.
After a deathWho cleans up after a death in Texas?
Police and medical examiners do not clean. Who is responsible, what the county offices say they will not do, who pays, and the first 48 hours.
Cost and insuranceHow much does crime scene cleanup cost in Texas?
No Texas authority publishes a market price, and the vendor ranges disagree with each other. What is published, and what drives your number.
How the work is doneUnattended death cleanup: what it involves, the cost, who pays
What unattended death cleanup involves, step by step — the health risks, what is removed, what it costs, who pays, and what to ask a company first.