Characteristics to Look for in a Storm Damage Restoration Contractor

When your commercial property has been affected by major storms like hurricanes, tornadoes, or floods, you need a reliable and reputable storm damage restoration contractor that you can trust. Every day that your property is inoperable, it costs your business revenue. Read on to learn what key characteristics to look for in a reputable property damage restoration contractor.

Key Characteristics of a Reputable Storm Damage Restoration Contractor

Reputable storm damage restoration contractors demonstrate several positive characteristics. The following are the most important.

Licensing and insurance
Experience
Availability and response time
References and reviews
Communication and transparency
Professionalism and workmanship

Licensing and Insurance

First and foremost, you want to ensure your storm damage restoration contractor is properly licensed and insured. When a storm occurs, contractors flock from hundreds of miles away. Many of these contractors come from neighboring states with different licensing and insurance requirements. Just because they’re licensed in their state doesn’t mean that they’re licensed in yours.

Some of these out-of-state contractors are also predatory. In Florida, it’s common for these “fly by night” companies to try to scam property owners. Additionally, these contractors are not always adequately insured. Sometimes they’re either underinsured or not insured at all. Reputable restoration contractors will be properly licensed and adequately insured. This will protect you as the property owner. Most licenses are found online. In Florida, you can use Sunbiz.org to ensure Florida-based companies are legitimate businesses.

Experience

Another characteristic to look for in a reputable storm damage restoration contractor is experience. You should consider the following.

How many years have they been in business?
What types of property losses have they handled in the past?
Do they have a portfolio of past work that you can reference?
What types of industry certifications do they hold?

As you’re looking to hire a contractor, these are all questions you can ask them. Even during an emergency situation, try not to be too quick to hire someone. Do as much homework upfront as you can.

Availability and Response Time

Time is crucial during storms. Again, the goal is to reduce downtime for your business or tenants, if you’re a property manager. Since so many calls will pour into contractors, they have to begin triaging everyone. Therefore, it’s helpful to have a relationship with property damage restoration companies BEFORE a storm occurs.

This relationship ensures that you and your business are a priority following hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, or floods. Working with a company that can respond to your loss within 12-24 hours is critical. Following major storms, keep in mind that many roads are closed or blocked by downed trees and other debris. A good rule of thumb is to allow approximately 12-24 hours for the contractor to arrive at your property after your initial call. Under normal conditions, reputable contractors should respond within 90 minutes of your call.

References and Reviews

Nearly every company has some type of online presence these days. If you struggle to find a company online, it’s a major red flag. Reputable storm damage restoration contractors will have at least one or multiple social media profiles, a Google My Business page, a website, etc. Check the company’s Google My Business page for reviews. You want to look for restoration contractors that have at least a 4.5-star rating or higher. It’s also important to read their best reviews and worst ones.

The contractor should also have a list of references that you can call. Again, not only does this give you a sense of their experience and capability but also of their quality of work.

Professionalism and Workmanship

When you make contact with a storm damage restoration contractor, they should display professionalism from the first call to the last invoice. When they arrive on your property, they should have company-marked vehicles, uniformed team members, and the ability to speak intelligently and eloquently. These initial characteristics are indicators that they take pride in their company and the work that they do for clients.

Communication and Transparency

Lastly, professional storm damage restoration contractors will display excellent communication and transparency. During the management of your project, you should expect frequent updates and projections from your contractor. These updates should include what’s been done and what’s coming up next. Transparency in their estimates and billing is important. Companies that fail to keep you in the loop are a major concern.

Legacy Restoration Is Your Trusted Partner for Storm Damage Restoration Services

In the face of disaster, you need an experienced storm damage restorer that you can trust. At Legacy Restoration, LLC, we have decades of combined experience working on storm damage losses throughout the Southeastern, Southwestern, and Great Lakes regions of the United States.

Our team has specialized knowledge and equipment–allowing us to efficiently manage any sized project. Whether you have a small office building or a large high-rise that’s been affected, at Legacy, we have you covered!