Restoration blog topic
Insurance and hiring guides: restoration planning and contractors
Insurance wording and hiring decisions cause most restoration disputes: the written scope, the policy language and what was signed before work began matter more than the equipment used.
Before you sign a restoration contract, get the scope in writing, confirm the company is registered and insured, and keep emergency mitigation, source repair and reconstruction as separate line items. Compare estimates line by line, not by the bottom number, because two proposals with the same total can cover very different work. Report the loss to your insurer promptly, keep every invoice and photo in one file, and read anything you are asked to sign, including an assignment of benefits, before you sign it. Most claim disputes turn on whether the damage was sudden or gradual and on whether the policy covers the cause, so read the policy's water, mold and sewage language early. The guides below are grouped by the decision in front of you.
Insurance coverage and claims
Read the policy first. Coverage depends on the cause of the loss and on the exact wording written into it. Sudden discharge, gradual leakage, sewer backup and mold are treated differently, and endorsements can change the answer.
Choosing and checking a restoration company
Get the scope in writing. Ask for the drying and moisture-reading plan, and how changes to the scope are approved. Verify registration and insurance before work starts, and understand what a document you are signing hands over.
Timelines and getting back in
Drying sets the pace, not labor. A restoration schedule is driven by drying, testing and permits as much as by the crew's own hours. Repairs start after readings show the structure is dry, and re-occupancy depends on the type of loss.
Landlords, condos and commercial properties
Ownership decides responsibility. It depends on who owns the damaged part of the building and on the lease or the association documents. Commercial buildings also need a plan for tenants, business interruption and code-driven systems such as sprinklers.