Water damage restoration services
Water damage work has two halves: mitigation (stopping further damage - extraction, drying, sanitizing, removing unsalvageable materials) and restoration or reconstruction (putting the building back - drywall, flooring, paint). Mold remediation and contents cleaning are separate services that may or may not be needed.
- 8Water Restoration servicesCovered on this site
- CheckedLicence & insuranceVerified against the issuing body
- 1-to-1MatchingOne pro, not five callbacks
- FreeTo homeownersContractors pay us, you never do
What restoration services actually cover
Understanding the split matters because they are often billed differently and sometimes handled by different companies. Mitigation is urgent and happens in the first days. Reconstruction happens after the structure is confirmed dry, and can be weeks later.
Extraction and drying are governed by an industry standard, ANSI/IICRC S500, now in its fifth edition, which sets out procedures and precautions for professional water damage restoration in residential and commercial buildings. Note one thing the standard is explicit about: identifying and fixing the underlying cause of the water intrusion is the property owner's responsibility, not the restorer's. A restoration company drying your basement is not the same as a plumber fixing the pipe.
Mold remediation is a distinct service. The EPA recommends bringing in a professional when mold covers more than about 10 square feet, when there has been a lot of water damage, when the HVAC system may be contaminated, or when the water involved sewage. Fixr puts mold remediation at a national average of about $3,500, most commonly $1,500-$9,000, and roughly $10-$30 per square foot.
A word of caution about the paperwork at the door. Restoration companies often ask you to sign a work authorization, sometimes including an assignment of insurance benefits, while you are stressed and the floor is wet. Read what you sign, ask what the scope and rate structure are, and take the ten minutes.
All restoration services
Each one covers what the job involves, what moves the price, and when it is the wrong call.
Picking the right restoration job
The judgement calls that decide the bill, before anyone quotes you.
Separate mitigation from reconstruction
Get the emergency drying done fast, but treat the rebuild as a normal contracting job you can competitively bid.
Ask about certification and the standard they work to
The industry standard is ANSI/IICRC S500. Ask which technicians on your job are certified and to what.
Ask for daily moisture readings
Professional drying is measured, not guessed. You should be able to see documented moisture readings each day until the drying goals are met.
Fixing the leak is a separate job
The S500 standard puts responsibility for correcting the source of the intrusion on the property owner. Line up a plumber or roofer as well.
Read the authorization before signing
Understand the scope, the rate structure, whether equipment is billed daily, and whether you are assigning your insurance benefits to the contractor.
The wrong service call is the expensive one
Most people booking restoration work are buying a diagnosis, not a job - and the trade you pick decides what diagnosis you get. Book the wrong specialist and you pay a call-out fee to be told it is somebody else's problem.
- Describe the symptom What you can observe, and when it started. Not what you think it is.
- Ask what the visit includes Whether the diagnostic fee is credited against the work is a question with a real answer.
- Get the scope in writing A number with no line items cannot be compared to a second number.
Where these figures come from
Sources last checked
- IICRC - ANSI/IICRC S500 Standard for Professional Water Damage Restoration · retrieved 2026-07-25
- EPA - Mold Cleanup in Your Home · retrieved 2026-07-25
- Fixr - Mold Remediation Cost · retrieved 2026-07-25
We don't do restoration work. We match you with pros who do.
HomeMatchup is a matching service, not a water restoration contractor. Your job goes to a few local pros who take this work - not a cold-call list.
-
You tell us the job
ZIP plus a short description. About a minute.
-
We match, you don't chase
Routed to licensed local pros who take work like yours.
-
You compare and decide
Compare quotes and hire, or walk away. No fee either way.
Free to you · No obligation to hire · Only your matched pros get your details · How we vet pros
You know more than the last homeowner they quoted.
That is worth something only while you are still choosing. Tell us what is going on and we will match you with a few restoration pros whose licence and insurance we have already checked - free, no obligation.
Free · No pressure · Only your matched pros get your details