Articles
Guides for homeowners after a flood, fire or storm, and for the restoration and home-service companies who put houses back together.
Search these 29 posts
Everything in Articles
10/06/2026
What a Restoration Job File Should Contain
A practical checklist for the records every restoration job should leave behind, built on the topics IICRC says its S500 water damage standard covers.
10/06/2026
Are Lead Services Worth It for a Restoration Company?
How to decide whether a lead service pays for itself: the cost of a booked job, the numbers to track, and the questions to ask before you sign.
10/06/2026
Google Ads, Local Services Ads or SEO: Which First?
How each way of getting found charges, who it suits, and how a restoration company can decide where to start without trusting any one agency's numbers.
10/06/2026
Hiring a Marketing Company as a Restoration Business
What to ask, what to refuse and how to judge results when a restoration company hires someone for SEO, ads or reviews, using Google's and the FTC's own advice.
10/06/2026
IICRC and RIA Certifications: What to Show Customers
What IICRC and the Restoration Industry Association say about their credentials, and how a restoration company can show them to customers accurately.
10/06/2026
Local Services Ads for a Restoration Company
What Google checks before a restoration company can run Local Services Ads, how you pay, and what to ready first. Requirements vary by category and place.
10/06/2026
Hiring Trades After a Flood: What to Check First
After a flood you may need several kinds of company. The FTC's advice on licenses, insurance, written contracts and payment, and how to check a restoration firm.
09/30/2026
Smoke and Soot After a Nearby Wildfire
A wildfire miles away can leave smoke, ash and odor in a house the fire never touched. How it gets in, what EPA and CDC advise, and when to call a professional.
09/30/2026
Flood vs. Water Damage on a Homeowner's Policy
How homeowners policies usually treat sudden leaks, gradual damage, flood and sewer backup, what to ask your agent, and what to document. No promises on coverage.
09/30/2026
Reading a Restoration Estimate Before You Sign
What the common line items on a water damage estimate mean, why the total can change, and what to ask about before you sign a work authorization.
09/30/2026
What to Put on a Restoration Website That Gets Calls
What a stressed homeowner needs in ten seconds, which trust signals are real, how to build useful service and city pages, and what to leave off.
09/30/2026
Your Google Business Profile as a Restoration Company
How to set up a restoration Google Business Profile: categories, service areas, hours, photos, verification, review replies, and fake listings.
09/30/2026
Mold Inspector vs. Remediator: How to Tell the Roles Apart
Mold inspectors and remediators do different jobs. Why one company doing both is a conflict of interest, what state rules exist, and what to ask before you hire.
09/30/2026
Frozen and Burst Pipes: Prevention and the First Hour
Which pipes freeze first, how to protect them in a cold snap, how to thaw one safely, and what to do in the first hour after a pipe bursts.
09/30/2026
Sewage Backup: Why It Is Not a Clean-Water Job
Why sewage water is treated differently from a leak, the health risks, what not to touch, and whether to call a plumber or a restoration company first.
09/29/2026
Smoke Damage You Can't See, and Why the Smell Comes Back
Smoke leaves residue in walls, ducts and fabrics long after the flames are out. Why the odor returns on humid days, and what real smoke restoration involves.
09/29/2026
What Can Be Saved After a House Fire
After a fire, some belongings can be cleaned and restored and some cannot. How to sort them, what a pack-out is, and what to do about food, papers and electronics.
09/29/2026
Systems That Let a Restoration Company Take On More Jobs
A restoration company grows when calls, jobs and paperwork run through simple systems. What to set up first, what to measure, and when software helps.
09/29/2026
Documenting Your Loss Before the Cleanup Starts
Photos, video and a written list made before anything is moved or thrown away make a claim easier to support. What to record, what to keep, and what to leave alone.
09/29/2026
The Adjuster's Visit and Choosing Your Restoration Company
What an insurance adjuster does, how to prepare for the visit, and why you usually get to choose your own restoration company even when your insurer suggests one.
09/29/2026
Getting Found When Disaster Strikes
When a pipe bursts, people search on their phones and call the first company that answers. What a restoration company needs to be found, and to be chosen.
09/29/2026
Reviews and Response Time: Why the First Call Wins the Job
How reviews and speed shape which restoration company a homeowner calls, how to ask for reviews the right way, and how to answer a bad one without making it worse.
09/29/2026
Mold After Water Damage: Testing and Remediation
Mold can start within a day or two of water damage. When it needs a professional, what testing can and cannot tell you, and what mold remediation actually involves.
09/29/2026
After Hail and Wind: Tarps, Board-Up and Storm Chasers
How to make a storm-damaged house safe, what temporary repairs to do first, and how to spot the out-of-town contractors who show up after every big storm.
09/29/2026
Before-and-After Content That Wins Jobs, With Permission
Why before-and-after work convinces homeowners, how to shoot it so the two pictures match, and how to protect your customer’s privacy while you show it.
09/29/2026
The Videos a Restoration Company Needs
Seven kinds of short video that answer what a homeowner is worried about before they call, where to put them, and what a phone can do without a production crew.
09/29/2026
Burst Pipe or Flood: Plumber or Restoration Company First?
After a burst pipe you may need both a plumber and a restoration company. Which one fixes what, what to do before either arrives, and how to avoid paying twice.
09/29/2026
The First 24 Hours After Water Damage
What to do in the first day after a flood, burst pipe or leak: make the house safe, stop the water, document it, and call for help before the damage spreads.
09/29/2026
Water Extraction and Drying: What to Expect
What a restoration company does after a flood or leak, why drying takes days rather than hours, and how you can tell the structure is actually dry.
Latest
10/06/2026
What a Restoration Job File Should Contain
A practical checklist for the records every restoration job should leave behind, built on the topics IICRC says its S500 water damage standard covers.
10/06/2026
Are Lead Services Worth It for a Restoration Company?
How to decide whether a lead service pays for itself: the cost of a booked job, the numbers to track, and the questions to ask before you sign.
10/06/2026
Google Ads, Local Services Ads or SEO: Which First?
How each way of getting found charges, who it suits, and how a restoration company can decide where to start without trusting any one agency's numbers.