Hiring a water damage contractor in North Carolina: what to check first

What credentials should a water damage company hold?

The credentials that matter are the company's general contractor licence where the job requires one, its insurance, any plumbing or electrical licence the repair needs and any industry certification it claims. The relevant licence depends on the work, and the company should say which applies.

A water damage company may do only the drying and the removal, in which case no general contractor licence may be needed for that part. A repair that involves structural work, roofing, plumbing or electrical work will need the relevant licence, held by the company doing that work.

Ask the company to name each licence and certification and to say who holds it. A company that cannot answer that question clearly is one to be cautious about.

How do you check a licence?

The North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors keeps the records of general contractor licences. Ask the company for its licence number and check it with the Board before you agree the work.

The check should confirm the name of the company, the licence type and whether it is current. A licence that is in another name, or that has lapsed, is a reason to stop and ask questions in writing.

Licence thresholds and classifications change, and the Board is the authority on the current rules. Do not rely on a figure from a secondary source for a decision about a specific job.

What should be in the written contract?

The contract should name the company, the work, the areas, the materials to be removed, the drying plan, the readings to be taken, the price basis and the warranty that the company actually gives. It should also say who is responsible for each part of the work.

A good contract is specific. It names the rooms and the materials, not just the water loss, and it says how the price will be confirmed if the scope changes during the work.

Read the warranty clause carefully. A company can warrant its own work but not the work of the trades it sends you to, and the contract should say so plainly.

• The company's name, address and licence numbers
• The areas, the materials removed and the drying plan
• The readings to be taken and the frequency
• The price basis and how changes are approved
• Who is responsible for each part of the work
• The final log and the handover to the repair trade

What about mold work?

No North Carolina state mold-remediation licence was found in an official source. Ask the company what it holds for mold work, what training it has and whether it will provide a written scope and a log of readings. Do not accept a promise that the house is mold-free.

A responsible company can describe what it did and what it did not check. A record of readings, a list of removed materials and a statement of the areas not checked is more useful than any certificate that claims a result.

If a company offers a mold-free guarantee, ask what it covers and what it excludes, and read the exclusions. A guarantee of a result that depends on conditions the company does not control is a claim to question.

What if the work goes wrong?

Ask the company in writing what it will do to put things right. If it does not respond, take the matter to the licensing board for a licensed contractor, and keep the record of the work and the payments.

A dispute with a licensed contractor can be taken to the licensing board, and a dispute about insurance can be taken to the Department of Insurance. Keep the scope, the readings, the invoices and the correspondence in one place.

This site does not perform the work and is not a party to a contract with you. The contract is between you and the company that does the work.

What questions should you ask on the first call?

Ask where the company is based, how quickly a crew can attend, what licences and insurance it holds and who will be on site. Ask also how the scope is written and whether the price is confirmed before work starts.

A company that answers these questions clearly and in writing is easier to hold to its word. A company that avoids them, or that promises a price over the phone for a job it has not seen, is one to question. The first call is a fact-finding call, not a commitment.

Ask whether the company uses subcontractors for any part of the work, and who carries the insurance for them. The homeowner should know who is on the property, and whose insurance covers the work if something goes wrong.

How should you compare two companies?

Compare the scopes, the readings, the removal lists and the handover, not the totals alone. A lower total can hide a smaller scope, and a higher one can cover more work or more testing.

Put the two scopes side by side and mark each area: what is being removed, what is being dried, how many readings are taken and when the final log is delivered. The differences will show where the price is coming from.

Ask each company to explain its differences from the other in writing. A reasoned answer is a good sign, and a company that will not explain its figure is harder to trust for the rest of the job.

What should the homeowner keep after the work?

Keep the contract, the scope, the readings, the removal list, the final log, the invoices and the correspondence. Those documents are the record of the work and the basis for any warranty, claim or future repair.

Store the documents in one folder, paper and digital, with a short index at the front. The index should list each document by date and say what it covers.

If the work is later challenged, the folder is the evidence. A homeowner who can show exactly what was done, and when, is in a far stronger position than one who has to reconstruct the history from memory.

Warranties, guarantees and what they cover

A warranty or guarantee is only as useful as its terms. Read what it covers, how long it lasts, what it excludes and how to make a claim under it, and get the terms in writing before work starts.

A warranty on the company's own workmanship is different from a promise about a result the company cannot control, such as a house that will never grow mold again. Ask what the company will do if the work fails, and how it will respond within the warranty period.

Warranties on the repairs done by trades the company sends you to are usually given by those trades, not by the restoration company. The contract should say which warranty applies to which part of the work, and who to call for each.

When a dispute arises during the work

Most disputes can be settled if the scope and the record are clear. Stop the work where it is safe to do so, put the disagreement in writing, and ask for a reasoned response before any further payment is made.

A written disagreement should name the item in the scope, the reason for the dispute and the outcome you want. Keep copies, and ask the company to respond in writing within a set time. A dispute that is raised early, with a clear record, is much easier to resolve than one that is left until the final invoice.

If the dispute cannot be settled, the options depend on the issue. A question about a licence or a licensed trade can go to the licensing board, a question about the insurance can go to the insurer and the department, and a contract question may need a lawyer. Keep the record in one place throughout.