ServiceMaster Restoration by Zaba serves Chicago and its suburbs with disaster restoration and specialty cleaning. Its listing mentions fire and water damage restoration, mold remediation, and scheduled or one-time residential and commercial cleaning for home and business owners.

Listed since 01/13/2018

Storm damage in Chicago

Chicago's storm damage is often about wind. On August 10, 2020, a derecho crossed the city with a gust of 72.5 mph measured at Midway Airport, and across the Midwest it became the costliest thunderstorm disaster on record at about $11.2 billion. Trees fell on roofs and power lines, and roofing and siding were torn off across the region.

The housing stock shapes what that damage looks like. Roughly 80,000 bungalows were built in the city between 1910 and 1940, and they remain nearly a third of single-family homes, alongside brick two- and three-flats. Older roofs with aging flashing often fail first, and water then runs into attics and plaster ceilings.

What a storm damage job involves

The first step is stopping more water from getting in: tarping the roof, boarding broken windows and removing fallen limbs. After that comes documentation, a repair estimate and the insurer's own assessment, which may not match. Get any contractor's scope in writing, ask whether the work needs a city permit, and read any agreement before signing over insurance benefits. Our guides to tarps, board-up and storm chasers and the adjuster's visit cover what to expect.