Why We Won't Give You a Final Price on the First Visit

When we walk into your home after a flood or a fire, you want one thing first. You want to know what this is going to cost.

We get it. And we are not going to give you a final number that day.

That sounds like we are dodging the question. We are not. Here is the honest reason, plus how we do price the work, and what to watch out for when you call other companies.

What happens at the free walkthrough?

We come out and look at the damage with you. The walkthrough is free.

We check what got wet or burned. We use moisture meters to find water you cannot see. We tell you what we are looking at, in plain words, while we are standing there.

Then we tell you what we would do first. You will know the plan before anyone starts work.

Why won't you tell me the exact price that day?

Because we cannot see inside your walls.

Water moves. It runs down studs and soaks into the floor under your flooring. A wet spot the size of a dinner plate on your ceiling can mean a whole wet room above it.

Our owner puts it this way. Restoration is like peeling an onion. You take off one layer and find the next one. We do not have x-ray glasses.

So when we open a wall, we sometimes find less than we thought. Sometimes we find more. Either way, we did not know it on day one, and neither did anyone else.

How do we work out the price?

We bill for time and materials. That means we charge for the hours we work and the equipment we use.

We follow a standards manual called the IICRC S500. It is the rule book the restoration industry uses for water jobs. It sets out how the work should be done and how it gets billed.

We also use a pricing tool called Xactimate. Most insurance companies use the same tool. So the prices on our invoice are prices your insurance company already agrees with. We will give you a copy of the price list.

Why can the price change once work starts?

Two reasons, mostly.

The first is drying time. Most homes dry in two to four days. But if your house needs the equipment for four days when we expected three, that is an extra day of equipment on the bill. We come back every day and take moisture readings, so we know when it is really dry. The readings decide when the equipment leaves, not the calendar.

The second is what we find. If we pull up flooring and the subfloor is soaked too, that is more work than we could see at the start.

We tell you when something changes. You should never learn about it on the invoice.

What red flags should you watch for with other companies?

Here are the ones we hear about most.

Someone gives you an exact final price at the door. They cannot know that yet. Nobody can. If they are guessing on day one, they are either going to come back and ask for more, or they are going to cut corners to hit their number.

Someone says your insurance company makes you use them. That is not true. You pick who works on your home. It is your house and your claim.

Someone tells you to wait for the adjuster before starting. Also not true. Waiting lets the water sit and spread. Most policies actually ask you to stop the damage from getting worse.

Someone says they will file your claim for you. They cannot. Only you, the policyholder, can file a claim on your own home.

Someone promises your insurance will cover it. No contractor can promise that. Your insurance company decides what is covered. Anyone who says otherwise is telling you what you want to hear.

Someone will not show you the moisture readings. Readings are how you know the job is done. If a company cannot show you numbers, ask why.

What do we do before any work starts?

We need you to sign a work authorization. That is the form that lets us do the work and lets us talk to your insurance company.

We also set up containment where the job needs it. That is plastic sheeting that keeps dust and dirt in one area instead of spreading through the house.

Every piece of equipment we bring in has been cleaned first. Homes are different. Some have pets. Some have people with allergies. We do not move equipment from one house to another without cleaning it.

Who pays us, you or the insurance company?

If you have filed a claim, we send our invoice to you and to your insurance company. We ask them to pay us directly.

Sometimes that works. Sometimes the check comes to you, or to you and your mortgage company together. Tell us when a check shows up so we can tell you what it is for.

What we cannot do is decide your coverage. Your insurance company does that. We give you the photos, the readings and the paperwork they ask for, and we talk to your adjuster when they have questions.

If you need to spread the cost out, we have financing. Our office team will walk you through it.

What should you ask any company before you sign?

Four questions. Ask us the same ones.

Ask how they bill. Time and materials, or a flat price? What happens if the job takes longer?

Ask what happens if they find more damage. Will they call you first?

Ask to see the moisture readings during the job. Not just at the end.

Ask who they work for. A company your insurance company sent is under contract with your insurance company. When you hire us, we work for you.

Want us to come look?

Call us. Someone answers 24 hours a day, every day of the year. We are usually at your door in about an hour.

We will walk the damage with you, tell you what we see, and tell you what we would do. That part is free. The number comes after we know what we are dealing with, and we would rather be honest with you on day one than surprise you later.

If you are looking at a loss right now and want the walkthrough rather than the guess, that is what we do on water damage restoration and on fire damage restoration jobs alike. The inspection is free and there is nothing to sign.