WATER DAMAGE · HIRING GUIDE
How to compare a water damage restoration scope
Water damage proposals are easier to compare when they separate the source repair, drying work and rebuilding. Ask what each company is including before you compare totals.
Two companies may describe the same event differently. One may focus on extracting water and drying materials. Another may include removal, contents handling or a later repair. Ask each company to identify the rooms and materials included, what was observed and what is still unknown.
Start with the safety and source status
Tell the company whether the water is still entering, where it may have come from and whether there are electrical, structural or contaminated-water concerns. Do not diagnose the water source yourself. Ready.gov warns against touching wet electrical equipment or working while standing in water. Source: Ready.gov flood safety.
Put the scope side by side
- Which rooms, materials and contents are included?
- What removal, drying, monitoring or cleaning work is proposed?
- Does the proposal include repairs to the water source, or identify a separate trade?
- How will the company protect unaffected parts of the home?
- What is excluded, and what happens if concealed damage is found?
Ask for the answer in writing. A restoration company can explain its process, but the proposal should not be read as a guarantee that every material can be saved or that an insurance claim will have a particular result.
Keep your record separate from the proposal
FEMA advises taking photos and videos of damage before discarding items, then keeping receipts for repair and replacement purchases. Keep your own copy of the photos, event notes and every scope. Source: FEMA damage-documentation guidance.
If you have insurance, follow the insurer’s instructions and understand who is responsible for each agreement. A contractor’s proposed scope and an insurance decision are separate things.
Confirm the handoff to repair work
Ask when drying or cleanup work ends and what conditions lead to reconstruction, flooring, plumbing or electrical work. A clear handoff limits the chance that a later contractor assumes an earlier task was included.
Request a clear contact point for updates and ask how the company records changes to rooms, materials or contents. If a provider cannot safely evaluate an area, it should say so rather than imply that a missing item was inspected. That distinction matters when you compare a limited emergency scope with a later repair proposal.
Question: Why do water damage scopes differ so much?
Answer: They may include different rooms, materials, access, contents work or assumptions about the water source. Ask each company to identify the included work, exclusions and change process before comparing the totals.
When it is safe to describe the project, start a water damage request. PickedPros is a matching service. Contractors provide their own proposals, and you decide whether to hire.