AI Tutors
Built-in AI tutors guide you step-by-step through fire restoration methods, cleanup stages, and smoke behavior scenarios.
AI that takes actions, not just answers questions — exists today at a handful of AI laboratories. In the trades, it exists at IRI. No other restoration school or software platform puts an AI agent on the jobsite, in the worker’s pocket, filling out the forms by voice. This isn’t a chatbot that answers questions — it’s an agent that fills out the form, files the PDF, and gets the customer’s signature. That’s not a claim we make lightly — it’s what we built.
Shopping for fire restoration certification training? Here is IRI’s published pricing next to the whole field — the school courses, the prep provider, the advanced designation, and the council certifications. They split fire, smoke, odor, and contents into separate courses at separate prices. IRI puts all of it in one $299 course — the workflow, not the pieces. IRI has certified Fire Restoration Specialists since 2006.
| LearnToRestore (association-approved school) | Center for Disaster Recovery (association-approved school) | RestoreTech360 (association prep-course provider) | IRI Fire Restoration Specialist (100% independent institute) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Course fee | $299 — fire & smoke course, live-stream or in-person | $575 — 2-day in-person/Zoom course | $475 — online fire & smoke prep course | $299 — self-paced online, 30–40 hours with 2-year access |
| What you walk away with | Fire & smoke certification course — covers one piece; odor and contents are separate courses | Fire & smoke certification course — exam is +$80¹ | Prep course + completion certificate — their page states it is not the fire restoration certification | IRI Fire Restoration Specialist certification — exam included |
| Certification exam | +$80 paid to the certifying institute¹ | +$80 paid to the certifying institute¹ | Their own course exam included | Included — no proctoring fees, free unlimited retakes |
| Exam retakes | $80 per retest¹ — separately registered, results in 4–5 business days | $80 per retest¹ — separately registered, results in 4–5 business days | Included — their own course exam | Free unlimited retakes — on demand, no waiting period |
| Certificate delivery | By mail — 4–6 weeks processing, then 7–10 business days to ship² | By mail — 4–6 weeks processing, then 7–10 business days to ship² | Instant download — their course certificate | Digital certificate on your account — no mail wait |
| Access window | Class schedule — 45 days to sit the exam | 2-day class | 30 days to complete the course | 2 years of course access |
| Field workflow after class | None — when the class ends, the workflow ends | None | None | Hope Command Center — agent-driven jobsite workflow, hands-free |
| Languages | English only for fire — their Spanish classes cover the water course | English only | English + a Spanish AI guide | 12 languages — English, Español, French, Arabic, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Chinese, Haitian Creole — every course, every document, and Hope |
| Total to get certified | $379 — course plus $80 per exam, and a long retake wait | $655 — course plus $80 per exam, and a long retake wait | $475 — and still not certified | $299. All of it. |
| Now add odor control and contents processing | LearnToRestore (association-approved school) | IRI Fire Restoration Specialist |
|---|---|---|
| Fire & smoke course | $299 + $80 exam | Included |
| Odor control course | $195 + $80 exam — a separate course | Included |
| Contents processing course | $549 + $80 exam — a separate course | Included — contents & packout workflow with content disposal records |
| Fire, smoke, odor, contents & documentation | Three separate courses to cover it all | Included — fire, smoke, odor control, contents & packout, and documentation in one course pioneered by IRI |
| Fire + odor + contents | $1,283 — three separate courses, three exams | $299. All of it. |
| The designation tier | RIA (trade association) | ACAC (council certification) | IRI (100% independent institute) |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Fire Loss Specialist — advanced designation course, 3-day virtual | Fire & smoke certifications (CFSC / CFST) — administered by application through the council | IRI Fire Restoration Specialist certification |
| Price | $1,540 members / $1,855 non-members — plus their required Project & Risk Management course ($599 / $499) | $400 certification fee + $100 exam fee — published fee schedule; re-certification $400 | $299 — everything included |
| Availability | Enrollment capped at 30 attendees — no 2026 course dates published (as of October 18, 2026) | No ACAC courses, no classes scheduled — three accredited third-party prep providers listed, none with published pricing or scheduling (read October 18, 2026) | Start immediately — self-paced, 2-year access |
| What you walk away with | Advanced designation coursework — exam within 90 days of the course | Council certification by application and exam | Certification — exam included, free unlimited retakes |
| Total to get certified | $2,139+ — two courses, when scheduled | $500 in fees — plus third-party prep, pricing unlisted | $299. All of it. |
Bottom line: fire & smoke alone runs $379–$655 at the schools — $475 at the prep provider with no certification. Fire + odor + contents is $1,283 at the same school. The advanced designation is $2,139+ when it is scheduled, and the council certification is $500 in fees plus unpriced third-party prep. Or $299 at IRI with everything included. Prices read from each provider’s published pages, October 18, 2026.
| What the course price includes | LearnToRestore ($299) | Center for Disaster Recovery ($575) | RestoreTech360 ($475) | IRI ($299) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The course itself | ✓ fire & smoke course (live-stream/in-person) | ✓ 2-day in-person/Zoom course | ✓ online prep course + completion certificate | ✓ 30–40 hr self-paced course, 2-year access |
| Proctored certification exam | None offered with the course — $80 extra, paid to the certifying institute | None offered with the course — $80 extra, paid to the certifying institute | ✓ their own course exam included | ✓ certification exam included, free unlimited retakes |
| AI tutor in class — voice, 12 languages | None offered | None offered | None offered | ✓ Hope AI tutor, trained on 20+ yrs of real jobs |
| AI on the job, 24/7 — after class is over | None offered | None offered | None offered | ✓ Hope is on the jobsite around the clock — ask her anything, any hour |
| Hands-free paperwork — agent-driven | None offered | None offered | None offered | ✓ Talk hands-free on the job — Hope fills out the paperwork for you |
| Field documentation — packout inventory, content disposal, safety reports, scope notes, customer sign-off | None offered | None offered | None offered | ✓ fire jobsite forms included |
| Estimating software trial — Hope drafts the estimate | None offered | None offered | None offered | ✓ 30 days of DryIQ Estimator free — walk the job, she drafts a sourced estimate |
| Specialist directory listing | None offered | None offered | None offered | ✓ Find A Specialist listing included |
Beyond the course itself, none of these providers’ published prices include field tools, documents, or AI services — we could find none included (read October 18, 2026). DryIQ Estimator is $49/month after the 30-day trial (beta, cancel anytime).
Pricing read from learntorestore.com (FSRT, OCT, CPT, and combo course pages), centerfordisasterrecovery.com (FSRT course page), restoretech360.com (fire & smoke training page), restorationindustry.org and training.restorationindustry.org (FLS course and designation requirements), and acac.org (fee schedule and certification pages), October 18, 2026 — prices may change; verify with each provider. ¹Certification exam and retest fees are charged by the certifying institute, on top of the course price: $80 per exam, $80 per retest (separately registered; results process in 4–5 business days). ²Certificate timelines per the certifying institute’s published FAQ, October 2026: 4–6 weeks processing after the exam, then 7–10 business days mailing.
The IRI fire restoration certification includes AI-enhanced tutoring, professional field tools, and digital documents — all included free with enrollment.
Digital restoration documents you can print, email, or share with customers, adjusters, property managers, and crews.
Instant access to course + AI tools + documents
Water Restoration Specialist - Mold Specialist - Fire Restoration Specialist - Disaster Estimation Specialist - Disaster Recovery Specialist - Enrollment
Select your state to see water restoration, mold remediation, and fire restoration certification and license requirements. Fire/smoke scope, demolition, hazardous materials, insurance procedures, and licensing can vary by location.
Alabama | Alaska | Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Connecticut | Delaware | Florida | Georgia | Hawaii | Idaho | Illinois | Indiana | Iowa | Kansas | Kentucky | Louisiana | Maine | Maryland | Massachusetts | Michigan | Minnesota | Mississippi | Missouri | Montana | Nebraska | Nevada | New Hampshire | New Jersey | New Mexico | New York | North Carolina | North Dakota | Ohio | Oklahoma | Oregon | Pennsylvania | Rhode Island | South Carolina | South Dakota | Tennessee | Texas | Utah | Vermont | Virginia | Washington | West Virginia | Wisconsin | Wyoming |
Alabama | Alaska | Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Connecticut | Delaware | Florida | Georgia | Hawaii | Idaho | Illinois | Indiana | Iowa | Kansas | Kentucky | Louisiana | Maine | Maryland | Massachusetts | Michigan | Minnesota | Mississippi | Missouri | Montana | Nebraska | Nevada | New Hampshire | New Jersey | New Mexico | New York | North Carolina | North Dakota | Ohio | Oklahoma | Oregon | Pennsylvania | Rhode Island | South Carolina | South Dakota | Tennessee | Texas | Utah | Vermont | Virginia | Washington | West Virginia | Wisconsin | Wyoming |
Alabama | Alaska | Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Connecticut | Delaware | Florida | Georgia Hawaii | Idaho | Illinois | Indiana | Iowa | Kansas | Kentucky | Louisiana | Maine | Maryland | Massachusetts | Michigan | Minnesota | Mississippi | Missouri | Montana | Nebraska | Nevada | New Hampshire | New Jersey | New Mexico | New York | North Carolina | North Dakota | Ohio | Oklahoma | Oregon | Pennsylvania | Rhode Island | South Carolina | South Dakota | Tennessee | Texas | Utah | Vermont | Virginia | Washington | West Virginia | Wisconsin | Wyoming |
AI-enhanced restoration certification training. Water, Mold, Fire, Disaster Estimation — 100% online, self-paced, with 24/7 AI tutor. Serving contractors since 2006.
© 2006-2026 IRIEDU.COM. All Rights Reserved