Hiring a water damage company in Jacksonville, Florida

What should I ask a water damage company before it starts?

Ask who will attend, what work will be done, which credentials cover each part, how the scope and price are set and how the drying will be measured. Ask for the answers in writing, and compare them with the answers from any other company you consider.

The first question is who will be in the building. Many calls are taken by a line and passed to a separate crew, and the identity of the people who attend is important. Ask for their names and the company they work for, and keep a note of the time you were told.

The second question is what will be done. Ask whether the company will extract the water, measure the moisture, dry the structure, remove materials and clean contaminated surfaces. A company that cannot describe the steps clearly is one to be cautious with.

Which credentials matter for water damage work?

Credentials depend on the work. Mold assessment and remediation are licensed by DBPR under Chapter 468, Part XVI of the Florida Statutes and Rule 61-31 of the Florida Administrative Code. Plumbing, roofing and electrical repairs are done by licensed trades, and each needs its own license.

A company that dries buildings may not be licensed for mold work, and a mold license does not cover drying or extraction. Ask the company to say which of its people hold which credential, and ask it to put the answer in writing.

Any plumber, roofer or electrician who is brought onto the job should hold the license that the repair needs. Ask the company to name the trade it will use, and check that trade's license yourself before the repair starts.

When the job includes a crawl space, a roof or a plumbing repair as well as the drying, each of those trades should be named in the scope with the license it needs. A single company can coordinate them, but it should not do work that falls outside its own licenses, and you should be able to see which trade is doing which part.

How do I check a mold license?

Ask the company for the license number and the name it is held under, then check the number with the Department of Business and Professional Regulation at myfloridalicense.com. Confirm the license is current and that its category covers the mold work you need.

Keep the license number and a copy of anything the company gives you. Do not accept a verbal assurance, a membership card or a training certificate in place of a license number, since those do not show a current license.

If the company cannot produce a license for the mold part of the job, ask it to confirm in writing who will do that part. A homeowner who does not get a clear answer should look for a company that holds the license and can show it.

What should be in the written scope?

A written scope describes the steps, the materials to be dried or removed, the readings plan, the equipment, the visits and the price or the basis for the price. It should also say what is not included, such as the repair of the source or the reconstruction.

The scope should name the materials that will be opened or removed, and say how the decision will be made. A scope that says only that the house will be dried leaves too much open, and it makes a later dispute harder to resolve.

The scope should describe how the drying will be measured, including the dry goal, the readings that will be taken and when the release will be made. The price should be explained in terms of the work it covers, and changes should be agreed in writing before they are made.

What should I expect the company to provide during the job?

A company should provide readings and photographs at each visit, a written log of the work, and a final report at release. It should also explain each change to the scope before making it, and it should keep the records you will need for an insurer or a repair trade.

Ask for copies of the readings and photographs as the job progresses, not only at the end. A running record shows whether the drying is on track and makes any problem visible early.

The final report should list each room, the readings at release, the materials removed and the repairs needed. Keep it with your house papers. It is the document a future buyer, insurer or repair trade will ask for.

What are the warning signs of a poor company?

Warning signs include pressure to sign before the scope is written, a price that is given without an inspection, a refusal to name the people who will attend, no license number for work that needs one, and a promise of a result that cannot be measured.

A company that says it will fix everything the same day, without seeing the building, is making a promise it cannot know it can keep. Water damage depends on readings, and a responsible company explains that before it is hired. A folder that is kept from the first call makes the later questions quicker to answer, and it is far easier than rebuilding the timeline from memory months afterward.

Be cautious of any company that suggests you describe the damage to an insurer in a way that is not accurate. The claim should reflect what happened, and a company that asks otherwise is putting you at risk.

How do I keep the records I will need later?

Keep a folder with the company's name and the names of the people who attended, the written scope, the readings and photographs, the log, the final report and every invoice or receipt. Those papers serve the insurer, the repair trade and any future buyer.

Date each document and keep the originals. Photographs should be kept in their full-resolution form, not only as copies sent to a phone. Keep a note of each call with the company, including the date, the person you spoke to and what was agreed.

The records help if a dispute arises. The Florida Department of Financial Services takes consumer complaints about insurance claims, and a complete folder makes it far easier to explain what happened and what you are asking for.

What should I do if work starts without a written scope?

Ask the crew to stop the work that is not covered by an agreed scope and to write the scope down before continuing. Work done on a verbal promise is hard to check later, and a written scope is what protects you if the job is disputed.

Emergency steps such as stopping a leak, extracting standing water and protecting the contents are often needed at once, and a crew may begin them before the paperwork is complete. That is reasonable, but ask for a short written note of what was done and why, and for the full scope to follow as soon as it can be written.

If the company resists giving a written scope, treat that as a warning. Keep the photographs and any messages, note the names of the people you dealt with, and consider getting a second company to review the building before more work is done. The Florida Department of Financial Services takes complaints about insurance claims if the work is linked to one.