Questions to Ask Restoration Contractors and Their References

When interviewing fire and water damage restoration contractors, it’s wise to ask plenty of questions.

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.

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