Questions to Ask Restoration Contractors and Their References

Questions to Ask a Fire and Water Damage Restoration Contractor

Before choosing a contractor to handle your home restoration project, take stock of your hiring options. Do some research and choose a handful of qualified local companies to contact via phone or email for an interview. Here are some questions you might want to ask:

What process do you use to ensure that your estimates for fire or water damage repair are accurate?
Can you/how do you look beyond surface damage to determine if the structure of my home is safe?
What happens if the fire or water damage is more extensive than the original estimate reflects?
Will the restoration work require a building permit? Who will be responsible to get those permits? (Beware of contractors who ask you to take out permits yourself. This may be a sign that they’re not licensed contractors.)
What is the process like for restoring my home to its pre-fire/pre-flood condition?
Can I remain in my home during the repairs?
Do you have recent customer references I can call? (Ask specifically for the names of recent customers who live near you or who had work done that is similar in scope to the work you need.)
Do you have any recent projects in my area where I can see the fire and water damage repairs from the street? Are there any completed homes I can visit?
How would I handle future questions or problems after the work is complete? Are you responsible for providing warranty work if there’s ever a problem with your work?
When can you start the job?
How long do you expect this job to take?

Questions to Ask a Restoration Contractor’s References

In addition to interviewing fire and water damage restoration contractors directly, ask each for a list of past customers who can tell you about their experiences with the company. Any qualified professional should be happy to provide a list of five or more recent customers whom you can contact. Here are some sample questions to ask the company’s references:

Were you satisfied with the company’s work?
What was the type and scope of job they did for you (fire damage repair, water damage restoration, remodel after a house fire, remodel after a flood or water damage, whole house fire damage repair, basement flood repairs, etc.)?
Did the company communicate well with you before, during and after the restoration?
Was the work done on time? If not, were the delays avoidable?
What did you like best about this company?
Was there anything that concerned you or made you wary about hiring this contractor?
Would you recommend this contractor to friends or family who faced a house fire or flood?
If you needed this type of emergency home repair again, would you hire this company?

Keep in mind that references provided by fire and water damage restoration contractors can be cherry-picked or even fake, so you’ll need to use your best judgment when researching them. To get greater assurance, consider hiring a Diamond Certified restoration contractor. All Diamond Certified companies have passed an in-depth rating process that most other companies can’t pass. Part of this process involves conducting telephone interviews of actual customers. References provided by a restoration professional are not equal in value to the large, random sample of customers surveyed during the Diamond Certified rating process. So, if you want quality, you’ll have confidence choosing a Diamond Certified company.

Use Diamond Certified Resource to find top rated companies.

Local, Top Rated Diamond Certified Companies Related to Your Topic
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Questions to Ask Restoration Contractors and Their References

by Matthew Solis

September 30, 2022

Questions to Ask a Fire and Water Damage Restoration Contractor

What process do you use to ensure that your estimates for fire or water damage repair are accurate?
Can you/how do you look beyond surface damage to determine if the structure of my home is safe?
What happens if the fire or water damage is more extensive than the original estimate reflects?
Will the restoration work require a building permit? Who will be responsible to get those permits? (Beware of contractors who ask you to take out permits yourself. This may be a sign that they’re not licensed contractors.)
What is the process like for restoring my home to its pre-fire/pre-flood condition?
Can I remain in my home during the repairs?
Do you have recent customer references I can call? (Ask specifically for the names of recent customers who live near you or who had work done that is similar in scope to the work you need.)
Do you have any recent projects in my area where I can see the fire and water damage repairs from the street? Are there any completed homes I can visit?
How would I handle future questions or problems after the work is complete? Are you responsible for providing warranty work if there’s ever a problem with your work?
When can you start the job?
How long do you expect this job to take?

Questions to Ask a Restoration Contractor’s References

Were you satisfied with the company’s work?
What was the type and scope of job they did for you (fire damage repair, water damage restoration, remodel after a house fire, remodel after a flood or water damage, whole house fire damage repair, basement flood repairs, etc.)?
Did the company communicate well with you before, during and after the restoration?
Was the work done on time? If not, were the delays avoidable?
What did you like best about this company?
Was there anything that concerned you or made you wary about hiring this contractor?
Would you recommend this contractor to friends or family who faced a house fire or flood?
If you needed this type of emergency home repair again, would you hire this company?