What to Ask a Restoration Company Before Hiring Them

In the aftermath of a disaster, such as a flood or fire, it can be difficult to find the right restoration company that can get the property back to normal. Timing is critical, but hiring the right company is essential. Finding the best local restoration company requires checking for reviews and ratings online, asking the right people, but also learning key information from the company itself. Here is what to ask restoration companies to decide who to hire:

1. Is your company licensed and bonded?

Contractors and companies in the restoration industry have to be registered with the state. This ensures that any legal issues with them can be solved, if it should come to that. They should be able to show the license in person, as well.

2. Do your technicians have the necessary certifications?

In addition to licensing, restoration technicians should be trained properly and certified by the I.I.C.R.C. (Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification). The I.I.C.R.C. provides professional certifications in the restoration industry and allows its registrants to earn continuing education credits to maintain their certification.

3. Is your company insured?

During the restoration process, contractors do their best to avoid causing accidental structural damage. However, if this happens, the client is not responsible. The repair cost should be covered by the restoration company’s insurance. This is why they must have both general liability and worker’s compensation insurance coverage.

4. Are your technicians available at all times?

Reputable restoration companies should answer calls at any hour of any day. Since any disaster situation should be immediately handled, restoration companies must also be able to send technicians to inspect and contain the situation as soon as possible, usually within a couple of hours of the disaster.

5. Do you give any guarantees?

In truth, it is difficult to guarantee something that is almost impossible to predict. For instance – that mould will not grow in a water damaged area after that area was restored. However, the restoration company should warranty their materials and workmanship.

6. What restoration experience do you have?

Learning how often they do projects like this from them helps determine their level of experience. It is also important to search for reviews and ratings of the company on the web and to ask them for a list of referrals to speak with their past clients. Their recent clients should be able to provide insight regarding the quality of the work, how long the project took, etc.

7. How long will the restoration project take?

In most water mitigation cases, the flooded area needs to be dried within 3 to 5 days of the incident. If not, the situation will become much worse. As time is of the essence, the contractor must be aware of this and set the proper time limit to the project’s completion.

In a nutshell, the restoration contractor must be properly trained and experienced professionals. Information on why it is important to hire a professional to deal with an emergency can be found in this article. The PuroClean team stands ready to provide professional restoration services to any property affected by fire, water or mould damage.

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and LinkedIn to get our notifications!