Frequently Asked Questions

It often covers water damage that is sudden and accidental, such as a burst pipe or a failed supply line. Damage from a slow leak over months, or water that came in from outside, is often treated differently. Your policy and your adjuster decide, and only you, as the policyholder, can file the claim.

Most structures dry within two to four days once the standing water is out. Thick materials like hardwood, plaster or a concrete slab can take longer. We check moisture every day, and the equipment comes out when the readings say the structure is dry, not on a set date.

Usually, if the water was clean and the rooms you live in are dry. The fans and dehumidifiers are loud and warm the air, so a bedroom next to the work can be hard to sleep in. If the water was dirty or someone at home has breathing problems, we may suggest staying elsewhere.

No. Your policy expects you to protect the home from further damage, and wet materials keep breaking down while they sit. We photograph and measure everything before work begins, so the adjuster sees what we found. If anyone tells you to hold off, call us.

We can't give a number until we've seen it, because the size of the job depends on how far the water traveled and what it soaked. We bill time and materials following the IICRC S500 standard, priced from a recent Xactimate list. Paying out of pocket? Financing is available.

Only when firefighters or a building inspector say it is safe, which may not be the same day. If you're allowed a short trip inside, collect prescriptions, eyeglasses, phone chargers, ID and key documents, put on closed-toe shoes, and leave the power and gas off. Throw away food that heat or smoke reached.

We do, as part of the fire job. Hose water runs into walls, insulation and the basement, and left wet it can lead to mold within days. Your adjuster has the final word, but the drying is normally billed as part of the fire claim.

No. We restore the house itself, from the framing out to the paint. Clothes, furniture and electronics need a company that specializes in belongings, and most policies cover them under a separate section. Make a list with photos before you discard anything.

Broken windows and forced doors leave the house open to rain, animals and trespassers, and most policies require you to limit further damage. We put up temporary board-ups, usually on the first visit. Keep valuables out of the house and let your neighbors know it's empty.

No. The inspection is free and doesn't report anything to your insurer or commit you to hiring us. You file the claim as the policyholder, and you choose who restores your home. Don't wait for an adjuster to visit before protecting the house, because mitigation is expected right away.

Often, yes. The EPA says that if the moldy area is less than about 10 square feet, in most cases you can handle it yourself, scrubbing hard surfaces with detergent and water and drying them fully. Wear gloves and eye protection. Larger areas, mold behind walls, or mold that keeps returning need a professional.

Usually not. When mold is visible or you can smell it, the EPA says sampling generally isn't necessary, because the fix is the same: find the moisture, remove the mold and dry the area. Our free inspection focuses on where the water is coming from.

Not if the moisture is gone. Mold needs water to grow, so a fixed leak, a dry wall cavity and normal indoor humidity keep it from returning. Bathrooms without a working exhaust fan and damp basements are where repeat problems show up, so we point those out.

Every claim is different, and coverage is your insurance company's decision. Many policies exclude mold or cap mold coverage at a low limit, though mold that follows a covered water loss is sometimes treated differently. Check your policy early and report the loss promptly. We document what we find, and financing can cover the rest.

Bleach isn't the answer. The EPA does not recommend biocides such as chlorine bleach as a routine part of mold cleanup, and on drywall or wood it can lighten the stain while mold stays in the material. Never mix bleach with ammonia or other cleaners, because the fumes are toxic.

Stop work and leave the area. Don't sweep, dust or vacuum the debris, since an ordinary vacuum can blow fibers back into the air, and don't track it through the house. Close the room off if you can, change and bag your clothes, and tell us what happened when you call.

Testing is the homeowner's responsibility to pay. When you're working through an insurance claim, for example after a water or fire loss disturbed the material, your insurer typically reimburses the testing. Abatement coverage depends on your policy and the cause, and financing is available for what isn't covered.

No. The cost depends on what the lab finds, how much material there is and where it sits in the house, so we quote the removal once results are back. The inspection itself is free.

It depends on the amount and location of the material. Lab results come first, then the removal, then the third-party air test before the area is cleared. Small jobs can be quick, while larger ones in a basement or attic take longer. You get a schedule along with the quote.

A certified third-party organization tests the air after the abatement, separate from our crew, so the result isn't our own opinion. You receive the documentation, which is worth keeping for your records and for anyone who buys the house later.

It depends on where the water came from. Surface water and rising groundwater are usually excluded from a standard homeowners policy and need separate flood insurance. A backed-up drain or sewer is often covered only with a backup endorsement. A burst pipe is commonly covered. Your adjuster decides, and we document the source for them.

For a few inches from a pipe or a drain, yes. When the ground outside is soaked and the basement is deeply flooded, pumping it all out at once can let the pressure of the wet soil push on the walls. In that case, pump it down gradually and have us look first.

It can be. Water from outside or from a drain can carry bacteria, chemicals and debris, so wear boots and gloves if you have to go near it, and wash your hands afterward. Don't let children play in it, and throw out any food it touched.

Concrete, block walls and solid framing can usually be cleaned and dried. Carpet, pad, insulation and drywall soaked by outside water usually can't. Finished basements lose the most, so we photograph everything before it goes, which helps when the adjuster reviews the claim.

Yes. We handle flooded offices, stores, warehouses and rental buildings, as well as homes. Tell us when you call if the building has to stay open, and we'll plan the extraction and drying around the areas that need to keep working.

No, we are not roofers. A roofer repairs the roof itself, and we handle what the storm water did inside: extraction, drying and rebuilding ceilings, walls and floors. We also board up broken windows and doors. If you don't have a roofer yet, call one at the same time you call us.

Rain that blows in through an opening the storm made, such as a broken window or a hole from a fallen limb, is often covered under a standard policy. Water that rises from the ground or flows in from outside usually needs separate flood coverage. Your adjuster decides, so we document how the water entered.

Check that everyone is safe and stay away from downed lines. Take photos and video of the damage outside and inside before anything is moved or cleaned. Catch drips in buckets, move valuables to a dry room, and don't climb onto the roof. Then call your insurer and us.

Yes. A tree that hits the house can crack framing, pull siding loose and break the seals around windows, letting water into the wall cavity long after the storm passes. We look inside the walls and ceilings near the impact and record what we find for your claim.

We're usually on site in about an hour, day or night, and a board-up is one of the first things we do when a window or door is open to the weather. It keeps rain and animals out and protects the house until the glass can be replaced.

For a small puddle of clean water on a hard floor, a shop vac and towels may be enough. Once water has soaked into carpet, run under baseboards or sat for hours, a shop vac leaves most of it behind in the pad and subfloor. Never use an electric vacuum where water touches outlets.

As soon as you can manage it. In the first hours, water wicks up drywall, swells baseboards and spreads under flooring, and mold can start on damp materials within a day or two. Extraction is the one step not to put off until morning.

If you can do it safely, set furniture legs on foil or wood blocks so stains don't bleed into the carpet, and carry rugs, papers and electronics to a dry room. Leave anything heavy for us. Skip it entirely if water is near outlets or the electrical panel.

Then the source needs fixing first. A sump pump that can't keep up, a broken line or water seeping through the foundation will refill the floor after we extract it. We'll tell you whether a plumber or another trade is needed and coordinate with them.

When the water comes from a covered loss, such as a burst pipe, extraction is usually part of the claim, because it limits further damage. Groundwater and surface flooding are often handled differently. Your adjuster makes the call, and we send them photos and readings to support it.

Smoke odor settles into porous materials such as drywall, insulation, carpet pad and unfinished wood. Warm, humid air releases it again, so a room that seemed fine can smell weeks later. The fix is removing the residue at its source or replacing the material, not covering the smell.

Not on its own. Paint over smoke residue tends to let the stain and the odor bleed back through, and it may not stick well. The residue has to be cleaned off first, then a sealing primer goes on before the finish coat.

A puffback happens when an oil or gas furnace misfires and pushes soot and smoke out through the vents, sometimes coating several rooms in black film. Shut the system off, have a heating contractor repair it before you run it again, and photograph the damage for your insurer.

Often, yes. Smoke from a small kitchen fire or a furnace puffback is commonly covered as part of a fire or smoke loss, even when nothing burned beyond the stove. Your adjuster decides. We photograph every affected room so light smoke damage isn't missed in the claim.

Light smoke in a few rooms can often be cleaned in a few days. When drywall, insulation or flooring has to come out and be rebuilt, the job takes longer. We give you a timeline after the inspection and keep you updated as the work moves along.

We don't recommend it. Sewage carries bacteria and viruses that can make people sick, and anything porous it touched has to be removed, not just wiped. If you must go in, wear rubber boots and gloves, keep children and pets out, and wash up well afterward.

Carpet, pad, insulation and the bottom of any drywall the sewage reached usually go, along with upholstered furniture and cardboard boxes that sat in it. Concrete, tile, metal and solid framing can usually be cleaned. Photograph everything before it is thrown out, for the claim.

A plumber. A backup usually means a blockage or a failure in the line, and it has to be cleared before cleanup starts, or it can happen again. If the problem is in the public sewer rather than your own line, your city's public works department is the one to call.

Often only if your policy has a sewer or drain backup endorsement, which many standard policies don't include by default. Check your declarations page or ask your agent. We work with all insurance companies, and financing is available if the backup isn't covered.

If the sewage stayed in the basement and the floors you live on are clean, many families stay. Keep the basement door closed and don't run fans that move air from the work area. Young children, older adults and anyone with a weakened immune system may be better off elsewhere until we finish.

Much of it can be cleaned. Hard, sealed surfaces like painted walls, cabinets, tile and trim usually clean up well when the soot comes off soon. Porous materials such as insulation, carpet pad and some drywall hold soot and odor, and those are often replaced. We'll show you which is which at the inspection.

Soot is made of fine particles that can irritate the lungs, eyes and skin, especially for children, older adults and anyone with asthma. Avoid stirring it up, leave the furnace and air conditioning off until the system is checked, and wear a mask and gloves if you have to go in briefly. We'll tell you at the inspection whether to stay elsewhere.

The moment you're allowed back inside. Soot is acidic, and over days it can discolor paint, pit metal fixtures and yellow plastics. Call any hour; we're usually there in about an hour, and the inspection is free.

Soot and smoke damage from a covered fire is usually part of the fire claim, but your policy and your adjuster decide. We work directly with your insurance company, send photos and documentation for every affected room, and ask them to pay us directly. Only you, as the policyholder, can file the claim.

No. Our work is the structure: the walls, ceilings, flooring, trim and cabinetry that are part of the house. Sofas, clothes, electronics and other personal items are handled by a contents specialist, usually paid under a different section of your policy. Take photos of every item before anything is discarded.

Yes. Our own reconstruction crew handles the drywall, insulation, flooring, trim, cabinets and paint after the drying is done. If you'd rather hire your own contractor for the rebuild, that's your choice, and we'll share our drying records and scope with them.

A patched and painted wall can take a few days. Replacing a kitchen or a whole floor can take weeks, mostly waiting on materials such as cabinets or flooring. We give you a realistic schedule once the scope is approved, and your project manager keeps you updated.

We try to match finishes, but older flooring, tile and cabinet styles are sometimes discontinued. When an exact match isn't available, we show you the closest options. Whether a policy pays to replace matching areas in nearby rooms depends on the policy, so ask your adjuster early.

Yes. Many homeowners use a rebuild to change a layout, pick a better floor or add insulation. Insurance usually pays to put back what was there, and you pay the difference for the upgrade. Financing is available if that difference is more than you want to cover at once.

When the water damage itself is covered, the repairs are usually part of the same claim as the drying. Your adjuster decides what is covered. We send them our scope, photos and moisture readings, and we go over that scope with you line by line before work starts.