What Should I Consider When Hiring a Water Damage Contractor?
Suffering water damage at home is already depressing. Things could get worse if you end up hiring a water damage restoration contractor who doesn’t fit the bill. This is why, after suffering water damage in your home, you need to be very careful with your choice of a restoration contractor since they have the potential to make the situation better or worse. If you are ever faced with water damage at home and you need the service of a contractor to help you mitigate some of the damages so that you can get back on your feet as soon as possible, then here are some of the factors that you should consider during your search for a contractor-:
Consider only water damage restoration companies
The damages associated with water damage may be wide and varied and affect nearly every aspect of the house, including the floors, the walls, the roof, and even the curb. As much as there are roofing experts whom you can call to deal with the damages to the roof and flooring experts that you can call to deal with the damage to the floor, you should always opt for companies that strictly offer water damage restoration services. Avoid general contractors. General contractors may know how to deal with flooring problems, but not those occasioned by flooding. The water damage restoration companies have skilled experts in nearly every aspect of restoration. Instead of contracting many people to deal with different aspects of damages that you may have experienced, simply choose a reputable company that offers all the necessary skills.
Recommendations
Recommendations from friends and family are always a powerful means of landing good contractors who are likely to offer you quality services. When a friend or a family member recommends a contractor to you, it means that they have had a personal experience with them and they were pleased with their work. Recommendations are always a fast and effective way to get good service providers, but it is not the best and only way. Use it in conjunction with the other factors listed here, and you will greatly increase your chances of landing an excellent water damage restoration contractor.
The company’s license
It is worth pointing out that not every water damage restoration company will be worth your time and money. Before you engage any after disaster restoration company, it is vital that you verify their license. By doing so, you will know if they are permitted by law to work in your jurisdiction. Remember, working with an unlicensed restoration company may expose you to substandard work without the convenience of a guarantee should things go south during your engagement.
The company’s availability
You should always avoid delays in water damage restoration. This is because the longer you wait, the more damage may occur and the more expensive remediation may cost. Therefore, before you engage any water damage restoration company, you have to be very clear about their availability. It is important for the company to agree to your timelines, and most importantly, guarantee that they will commit to completing your restoration projects before moving on to another project. With the chaos that sometimes occurs within the restoration sphere, the last thing you want is to engage a company that is already tied up in multiple restoration projects and is likely to take a lot of time to complete yours.
Their success stories in the marketplace
You don’t want to hire a water damage restoration company with no evidence of previous work. Ask to see what they have done for customers in the past. A good company will keep a record of their past projects, and they should be able to show you clear before and after photos of their past projects. This is also the time for you to go online and discover what their past clients have to say about them. If they can’t show you any proof of past work, and if you don’t like the kind of reviews they have accumulated online, then feel free to pass on them and continue your search for a more reputable water damage restoration company.
Warranties, guarantees, and payment options
Restoration projects are expensive and time-consuming. If you need to hire a contractor, you want one that will prove their worth and not just waste your time and money. One trick to finding a good contractor is to ask for warranties, guarantees, and payment options. You should be very detailed in your quest for this, and ask for full disclosures on the things that matter the most. For example, you must have clarity on the duration of their guarantees, the specifics of their warranties, and the items included or not included in either. Also, you need to be clear about the payment options so that you know what will work best for you. For example, ask the contractor if they may allow out-of-pocket expenses under certain conditions.
The company’s insurance and bonding
A reputable water damage restoration company will have various types of liability coverages. These may include workers’ compensation, business insurance, property insurance, and flood policies that cover items like vehicles. Checking out all these financial interests is also crucial in ensuring that you have legal protection should there be an equipment malfunction or work-related injury. While still on insurance and bonding, be sure to ask about recurring water damage events and how the company would treat such scenarios should they occur.
Their methods and process
Since water damage restoration companies have different methods for dealing with various situations, after listening to your needs, ask them about how they intend to complete your project. Let them give you an overview of the kind of equipment they intend to use and some of their methods. This is their chance to impress you with their explanation. If you are not convinced of the responses they will provide you regarding their methods and processes, then be very cautious about moving ahead with them.