How to choose a restoration company

Start with licensing and insurance

Ask for the contractor licence number that applies in your state and the company's general liability and workers' compensation coverage. Restoration work frequently involves demolition, electrical isolation and airborne contaminants, so uninsured work exposes the property owner directly.

Licensing requirements differ by state and by trade. Mold remediation, asbestos abatement and reconstruction are commonly licensed separately from water damage mitigation. A company may be entirely legitimate for one and not licensed for another.

• State contractor licence number and expiry
• General liability and workers' compensation certificates
• Any trade-specific licences (mold, asbestos, reconstruction)
• Technician certifications such as IICRC water or applied structural drying

Insist on a written scope of work

A written scope should say what will be removed, what will be dried in place, what equipment will be used, how long it will run, and what happens next. Verbal scopes are the single most common source of billing disputes after a loss.

If your insurer is involved, the scope is also the document your adjuster will work from. Ask whether the company documents moisture readings daily and whether you receive copies.

Understand who is paying for what

Mitigation (stopping the damage getting worse) and restoration or reconstruction (putting the property back) are often billed and approved separately. Ask which parts of the job the company performs itself and which are subcontracted.

Be cautious with any document that assigns your insurance benefits to a contractor before you understand what it covers. Read it, and ask what happens if the insurer disputes part of the claim.

Availability is part of the service

Water damage compounds quickly. Ask specifically what happens when you call outside business hours, whether the crew that answers is employed by the company, and how far the responding crew travels.

This directory records emergency availability as reported by each company. Where a company has stated it operates around the clock, that is shown as company-reported information rather than a verified guarantee.