Tips on Hiring a Contractor After a Flood Disaster

What type of contractor do I need to repair my flooded home?

If your home has been damaged by a flood, you may need to hire the services of professionals to mitigate the damages, handle any damaged personal property, or perform repairs. Typically, contractors who specialize in flood mitigation and repair are most familiar with the techniques and processes that this type of work requires. Contractors who specialize in flood damage remediation or "flood restoration contractors" understand the proper procedures necessary to restore and/or dry out a home or building and its contents. Some of the specialized equipment they may include: truck mounted and portable vacuums or water extractors, high velocity air movers, dehumidifiers, and moisture meters to monitor the drying process.

Residential home re-modelers or custom home builders may not have the experience that flood restoration contractors have in this field and may not have the expertise to properly mitigate the damage and/or prevent increased levels of microbial growth (mold). If mold becomes a concern, you may need to hire a certified industrial hygienist to test for mold and provide a restoration protocol or guidelines to mitigate any mold issues. Keep in mind that if you have insurance, your homeowners' insurance policy may have very little or no coverage for mold remediation, so contact your insurance company to find out if you have coverage and what your limits are. Mold remediation can be very expensive!

Usually after a flood, the restoration process will have three main components: 

1. The first is the structural drying phase. This is where the water and moisture is removed along with any materials that cannot be saved such as warped or damaged flooring, baseboard, wet drywall, etc.
2. The second component is the handling of any personal property. This may entail packing up all of the contents of the home including clothing, furniture, or other items and storing and/or restoring them offsite until the structural repairs are completed. This phase also may require the creation of an inventory to document or list any personal property that may have been damaged beyond repair and that needs to be replaced.
3. The third phase in the restoration project is the structural repair. This entails the restoration of building elements that need to be repaired or replaced, including insulation, drywall, baseboards, cabinetry, flooring, painting, etc. In some cases a single restoration contractor may offer to perform all three phases or you may want to choose one company to handle the drying while other companies handle the contents and structural repair.

Before you sign a contract for flood remediation services, consider the following: 

• Read every word of the contract and be sure you understand the terms and conditions.
• Review any fee schedule that details what the charges will be for labor and equipment.
• Get an estimate of what the drying process may cost before any work begins. Any costs or charges that your insurance company does not cover or pay for, you may be held personally responsible to pay.
• Obtain copies of certificates of general liability and workers compensation insurance and be sure the policies are current and in force.
• Obtain copies of any Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) if the contractor intends to use any chemicals, anti-microbial agents, or other substances in your home that could cause adverse health effects.
• Check references and affiliations with trade organizations and the Better Business Bureau.
• Photograph and document your home, its contents, and the extent of any damages prior to anything being done or moved.

As a first hand witness to literally thousands of homes and businesses damaged or destroyed by disasters, Sean Scott, a second generation building contractor specializing in disaster restoration, became aware that survivors were ill equipped to take the next steps to recovery. Unaided, or misguided, disaster survivors struggled to successfully navigate the complex process. Necessity became the mother of invention and The Red Guide to Recovery, a resource handbook for disaster survivors, was born.

The Red Guide to Recovery provides the disaster survivor with a simple, easy-to-use resource that walks them step-by-step through the recovery process to help quell the chaos after any disaster.

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Flood Damage After Large and Small Disasters

There are a few different kinds of flood damage. There are the situations that homeowners can prevent and there are the situations that cannot be avoided. After the latter, the homeowners are left to figure out how to survive the small or large devastation around the home. Flooding can destroy landscaping, a home's furnishings, or even devastate the overall structure.

Flood damage is more than just a little bit of water and wet belongings. Things get destroyed as the result of slow leaks or sudden gushes. If a family is not prepared to prevent further loss or quickly recover from it, it will take a long time to replenish, rebuild, or relocate.

Flood damage is most commonly associated with large-scale natural disasters such as tornadoes, hurricanes and the overflow of nearby water banks during persistent rain. It can often occur on a small scale in one's home as the direct result of the poorly installed, misused or damaged plumbing. In many cases, plumbing can wreak havoc. The basement can flood because of the water heater or washing machine. A bathroom and surrounding rooms can flood because of a drip in a stopped up sink, an overflowing bathtub, or a stopped up and overflowing toilet. None of these situations are fun to deal with.

In-home incidents driven by plumbing and appliances may or may not have been preventable. Preventable catastrophes include those lessened or avoided with better construction, accurate inspection, or improved method of use of a particular appliance within the home. Everything isn't always going to go as planned just because we want it to. When those little leaks become big problems, they will unfortunately cause flood damage within a home.

On the other hand, natural disasters devastate landscapes and homes when the drainage systems and the water absorption capacity of nearby land cannot accommodate the amount of rainfall. The bodies of water in the surrounding area might also go beyond their capacity. Once water overflows the banks of the streams, rivers, ponds and levees it can build momentum toward larger bodies of water and tear apart a town. The worry for some parts of the country isn't necessarily whether their basement will flood. They worry about the earth around their home and their foundation becoming so sodden that the house slides out from under them or is pushed down the street. It is a very real threat and preparation for evacuation, preservation and recovery are key during the dry and rainy months of each year.

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