The damage that might be caused by water to your property can be overwhelming. Apart from the usually broken furniture and stuff, water can also lead to mold if not removed on an immediate basis.
After going for water extraction, you would need to go for water damage restoration to make sure your house is no more at risk of damage from water.
It can be a daunting task and must be left only to the professionals. Here’s what you need to know about hiring a water damage restoration company.
Though the cost depends on upon the flooded area, it usually ranges between $650-$1325.
Some more factors that affect restoration costs are:
The type of water damage
Is it “ clean” water or “black” water that has overflowed and damaged your property? Blackwater may be toxic and thus require to be dealt with more care and precautions.
Type of damage
Which part of your house has been damaged? Is it a large area or a cramped space or several levels?
Equipment
What kind of equipment would be required for the job? That’s usually determined by finding out about the type of water damage and type of damage.
Material
What kind of material would be required to restore the damaged materials?
There are three categories used to differentiate between the intensity of water damage.
Category one is the safest of the lot (still dangerous). Water from broken clean water supply lines and faucets can be counted in this category.
Category two involves water that may have some level of contaminants that can cause discomfort or illness if ingested. Sources may include washing machine overflow, toilet overflow with some urine but no feces and dishwasher overflow.
Category three water is grossly unsanitary and can cause severe illness or death if ingested. Sources may include sewage, flooding from rivers or streams, wind driven rain, water from toilet bowl with feces and water with microbial growth.
To determine the type of damage, there are several classes used to categorize it.
Class 1 water damage involves the least amount of water, absorption, and evaporation. Water losses affect only a small part of the area containing materials that have absorbed minimal moisture.
Class 2 water damage involves a large amount of water, absorption, and evaporation. Water losses caused by this class affect larger areas, and moisture may get seeped into structural materials like plywood, structural wood, concrete, etc.
Class 3 water damage involves the greatest amount of water, absorption, and evaporation. Water may affect even ceilings and walls.
Class 4 water damage involve specialty drying situations. It includes the wet material with very low porosity like hardwood, plaster, brick and concrete.
Here are some things you must immediately do when you detect water damage:
Do you have a general contractor’s license?
That’s a question that applies only to water restoration companies that not only carry out the water cleanup, water extraction, demo, drying, sanitizing, but also the reconstruction. If your contractor is only providing the mitigation, then they don’t need a general contractor’s license, but if any repairs are going to be made, then yes, they need it.
Do you have insurance?
It is your right to ask for workman’s compensation and liability insurance proof.
Can you give me some references?
Ask for before and after pictures to see what kind of work the company has done in the past. Is it satisfactory enough?
How many employees will be working?
It is good to know about how many employees will be working and what’s their schedule so that you can let them work uninterruptedly.
Do you use dehumidifiers and air movers?
Although not every single flood damage restoration job requires dehumidifiers, but still, you must inquire of this beforehand.
Would you bill my insurance company or me?
As long as your insurance carrier has approved your water loss claim, then any legitimate water restoration contractor should send the final bill to your insurance company. Any discrepancies on the bill would be between the contractor and insurance adjuster handling the claim.
How long will it take dry out all the affected stuff?
The drying process usually takes 3-4 full days. If the company is taking longer than that, they’re probably trying to delay the work to make more money (in case billing is on an hourly basis).
Same Day Pros enlists the best water damage restoration companies around the United States. Look for a company in your locality using Same Day Pros for better results.
Ask For The License and Insurance Proof –Both the requirements are for your safety.
Business Stability –Since how long the company has been serving clients in your area? The longer, the better.
Check Online Reviews and references –Find out what their previous clients are saying about them. Are they happy with their service? Would they hire them again?
24-hour Emergency Service –You might need a water damage restoration assistance on the emergency basis. Ask if the company would be available during such situations.
Over The Phone Pricing –don’t go for this for it often leads to wrong estimates and over pricing.
Free Estimates –any good company would happily provide you a free written estimate before they start working.
Safety Record –Servicemen with clean safety record, are better suited for this work than the others.
Satisfaction Guarantee –A company that offers satisfaction guarantee delivers better results than the ones that don’t.
Cleanup –Ask what kind of clean up service they would provide.
Talk to a project specialist: (855)-974-4790
