Choosing the Right Restoration Company
Choosing a restoration service is an emotionally volatile experience. The trouble is that they are generally needed in moments of great urgency, often after a stressful event that has left the homeowner feeling shaken to their core—water damage, fire damage, mold discovery, or even storm destruction.
Based on the circumstances that typically initiate a call to a restoration service, many homeowners are forced to make faster decisions than they would most likely prefer. How much research can you really do in the immediate aftermath of an emergency?
The trouble is that not all services are the same.
In this article, we take a look at how you can choose the right restoration service quickly, even during times of stress.
Identify Their Availability
Restoration is a time-sensitive process. Consequently, it is important to find a company that is able to meet your needs immediately, often in a matter of hours or even minutes. A true emergency restoration service will offer 24/7, 365-day response coverage. That means even if you have a disaster occur at 2 in the morning on Christmas, they will be there. Rapid dispatch guarantees of one to two hours are a good indication.
If you have a little bit of time, you can ask the service a series of important questions that will further indicate their reliability. Do they have a live answering service for after-hours calls? How quickly can they mobilize their technicians? Are the people they send to your home employees or subcontractors?
However, at the gate, you really just want to make sure that you can get immediate service should you need it. A slow response can lead to fairly significant secondary damage. That will add time and expense to your eventual repairs.
Licensing and Insurance
Licensing, certification, and insurance are critical factors in evaluating a restoration company.
IICRC, or the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration Certification, is the industry standard when it comes to water, fire, or mold remediation services. Your state may feature additional licensing requirements, which are worth investigating where applicable.
When it comes to insurance, ask if the company carries both general liability and workers’ compensation coverage. This matters because these are the coverage types that will protect you from liability in the event that a worker is injured at your home. It is also a good way to gauge how seriously the business is taking things.
You may find “restoration services” that offer lower prices, but if they are not licensed and accredited, they are probably not who you want repairing your home after an emergency.
Experience and Specialization
There are several categories of restoration service: water damage, fire and smoke restoration, mold remediation, and storm-related structural damage recovery.
You should ask the restoration services you contact what their experience is with your specific situation. You should also ask whether they are involved in both mitigation and reconstruction, or if they only participate in one phase of the process.
The more experience the service you select has with your specific problem, the better able they will be to help you recognize signs of hidden damage—for example, behind walls or under flooring.
Insurance Claim Assistance
Insurance claims assistance and documentation is arguably one of the core differentiators in the restoration world. A really excellent company will communicate directly with insurance adjusters and provide detailed documentation supporting their claims.
This matters considerably because these artifacts will serve as the primary reference point when it comes to activating claims.
Communication, Reputation, and Local Track Record
Finally, the experiential element of working with a company matters just as much as their technical capabilities. You want a business that will clearly communicate its process with you from the outset, so you understand what is happening at each stage of the restoration.
You also want to make sure that they are verified at the local level. Check reviews for any and all companies you contact. Obviously, a single bad review does not tell you much, but it can help paint a picture of general reliability over time.
You want a service that has been consistently active and trustworthy within your community.
Don’t Settle
It is true that restoration projects are usually time-sensitive. You cannot delay or postpone contacting a service provider. That said, there is almost always enough time to do at least some due diligence.
Delays can be costly, but choosing the wrong business is significantly worse. Use the reference points in this article as a way of verifying company quality and determining which business is right for you.
At AMH Restoration, we provide comprehensive support from the moment we pick up the phone, available 24/7, 365 days a year. We assist in a wide range of restoration projects and even work directly with your insurance company to help ensure that the process goes as smoothly as possible. Contact us today.
