Field notes from the dispatch desk
Why Restoration and Cleanup Are Two Different Jobs
The first half of any water loss is mitigation: stop the source, pull the water, remove what will not dry and run dehumidifiers until the meter says done. Restoration is everything after that, and it is much closer to remodeling than to cleanup.
Take a dishwasher supply line that dripped under the cabinets for days before anyone noticed. The dry-out crew pulls the toe-kicks, drills or opens the cabinet bases and dries the subfloor. Restoration is the part where someone finds a matching toe-kick, replaces the swollen sink base and ties new flooring into the old at the doorway.
Or take an upstairs toilet overflow that came through the kitchen ceiling. After the wet ceiling drywall is cut out and the joists dry, someone still has to hang board overhead, match the texture and paint the full ceiling plane.
The crews that are great at fast tear-out are not always the ones you want doing finish work in your living room.
Plenty of companies only do the dry-out. Ask any contractor directly whether the rebuild is included, and make sure the answer is in the written scope.
- Ask for the final moisture readings before any drywall goes up
- Check that the scope lists every room, closets included
- Keep the mitigation drying logs, because adjusters ask for them