Question to ask a water damage company before hiring them
Water Damage is a common issue in the U.S. According to industry estimates, on average, 14,000 people witness a water-related emergency daily. In addition to this, each household spends around $6,965 on water damage.
The above figures indicate that water damage can be expensive and cause damage to your property if the problem does not resolve. Does the question now arise how you can tackle the situation? You should hire a water restoration expert!
But the point is that there are so many companies outside offering the same service. How to choose the right company? Which company provides better service?
Here is a list of some of the question you must enquire about before hiring a water restoration company.
1) What is the response time of the company?
A situation like an earthquake, fire, flood or water damage does not occur at any particular moment in time. You may be sleeping, and you will realize later that water damage just knocked on your door and started damaging your house.
Such issues are unexpected! A water restoration must operate throughout the year 24*7 to reach the place at any point of them. Confirm the timing and working days of the restoration company to ensure that they will be there to assist you at odd times. The company should have an active response time ready to work at any point in time.
2) Does the company has required licenses and authorization?
Before hiring a company, it is essential to know about the company. You must know whether your company is registered, licenses and has legitimate documents, which gives them the right to tackle such a situation. A restoration company will never deny you to show these documents to you. Look for the following documents:
IICRC Certification: – This certificate justifies that the company follows industry set methods for cleaning, inspection and restoration.
EPA Lead Sale Certification: – EPA has made it compulsory for a few organization to carry lead-safe restoration work for the facilities occupied by children.
Bonding: The company should have a surety bond that safeguards the customers’ interest and allows them to obtain a claim from the company if they cause any additional damage during restoration or if the restoration work is not up to the mark.
3) Are the professional trained, certified and experienced?
The owner does not work in the field. It is the professional who will come to your property to assist you and solve your problem. But if the technicians are not certified and trained, then the situation can turn into a nightmare for you.
Always check if the restoration professional has an IICRC Certification with them. This Certification justifies that they know the work. Secondly, ask them if they have worked on similar projects before or are comfortable tackling the situation appropriately. You can also enquire them about their past experiences in the field. The more skilled the professional, the better will be the restoration work.
4) Is the company willing to provide testimonials and references?
Everyone is reluctant to work with a new company, and we have our doubts about whether the company can tackle the situation appropriately. To clear this thing, ask the company to provide you with a review from their previous clients.
You can even ask them to share details of some of them to understand the company well. Communicating with the old customers will provide you with a glimpse about the technicians that operate in the company, whether they were satisfied with the work or not, and the charges incur by the company.
These insights will smoothen your process and bring clarity to your mind.
5) Does the company work with the insurance company?
On average, a household files a claim of around $6,965 against water damage. You may also need to file a claim depending on the type of damage that occurred. Communicating with Insurance Adjuster is a tedious job, and a good restoration company can help you.
Restoration company know the required documents and the steps of the process. It will save you from the panic and hassle of the process.