How to Get Water Damage Restoration Quotes

Step 1: Document the Damage Before Calling

Before contacting any restoration company, spend 10 to 15 minutes documenting the damage. Take photographs and video of all visible water and damage from multiple angles. Note the water source if known (which pipe, appliance, or fixture). Measure or estimate the affected area in square feet. Note which rooms are affected and what materials are involved (carpet, hardwood, drywall, tile). Record the time you discovered the damage, as this affects the water category assessment.

This documentation serves two purposes: it gives the restoration company enough information to send an appropriately equipped crew, and it creates a record of the damage before any work begins for your insurance claim.

Step 2: Contact 2 to 3 IICRC-Certified Companies

Call at least two restoration companies for on-site inspections. For each company, verify before they visit: do they hold current IICRC certification (the minimum professional standard for the restoration industry), do they carry general liability insurance and workers compensation, do they handle both mitigation and reconstruction or only mitigation, do they work with insurance companies on billing and claims, and are they available for on-site inspection within 24 hours.

For true emergencies (active water flow, sewage backup, extensive flooding), call one company immediately to begin mitigation. You cannot wait for multiple quotes when water is actively damaging your home. The mitigation cost (extraction and drying) is relatively standardized, and you can get competing quotes for the reconstruction phase after the emergency is controlled.

For non-emergency situations (damage already occurred, water source already stopped, no active spreading), you have time to schedule inspections with 2 to 3 companies over 1 to 2 days.

Step 3: Request Xactimate Estimates

Ask each company to provide their estimate in Xactimate format. Xactimate is the industry-standard estimating software used by approximately 85% of restoration companies and insurance adjusters. When all estimates are in the same format, you can compare them line by line.

An Xactimate estimate lists every task as a separate line item: square feet of extraction, number of air movers and days of operation, square feet of drywall removal, square feet of drywall replacement, and so on. Each line has a standardized price based on your ZIP code. This transparency makes it easy to see exactly what each company plans to do and how they priced it.

If a company does not use Xactimate, they may still provide a detailed line-item estimate. This is acceptable but makes comparison more difficult because the line items and pricing will not align with the other estimates. Companies that provide only a lump-sum quote ("$4,500 for complete restoration") without line-item detail should be avoided because you have no way to evaluate what is included.

Step 4: Compare Scope, Not Just Price

When you have multiple estimates, the natural instinct is to compare the bottom-line totals. Resist this. Instead, compare the scope of work included in each estimate. Common scope differences include the number of air movers and drying days (under-equipping saves the company money but extends your drying time and increases mold risk), the amount of drywall removal (one company may propose removing drywall to 2 feet while another proposes 4 feet, which affects both the mitigation thoroughness and the reconstruction cost), whether antimicrobial treatment is included, whether the estimate covers reconstruction or only mitigation, and whether content manipulation (moving furniture) is included or billed separately.

A lower total price often means a smaller scope of work, which may mean inadequate drying, insufficient demolition, or incomplete reconstruction. The cheapest estimate is not always the best value if it leaves moisture in your walls that causes mold in six weeks.

Step 5: Ask About Supplements and Warranties

Supplements (additional charges when hidden damage is discovered) are common and expected in water damage restoration. Ask each company how they handle supplements: do they photograph and document all discovered damage before proceeding, do they communicate the supplement to you and your insurance adjuster before doing the additional work, and what is their process for supplement approval.

Also ask about warranties. Reputable restoration companies warranty their work for 1 to 5 years. The warranty should cover both the mitigation (if mold develops in a properly dried area, the company addresses it) and the reconstruction (if drywall cracks, paint peels, or flooring fails due to installation issues). Get the warranty terms in writing before work begins.