What To Look For In A Commercial Restoration Company
If your commercial building is damaged, it may feel like an emergency. You’re shut down, losing money, your asset is in trouble… You want a solution yesterday.
Don’t let fear lead you to rash decisions. Take your time, do your research, and make an informed decision about the best contractor to hire for the restoration work — so you aren’t left with even more costs and delays remediating faulty remediation.
Whether you’re facing an emergency, or you simply want to prepare for a hypothetical emergency, here’s what to look for in a commercial restoration company:
Certifications
Anyone can throw up a website and call themselves a restoration company. Certifications are one of the easiest ways to validate their baseline expertise from a third-party source. Don’t be afraid to ask for proof of certification and then verify with the certifying agency.
Credentials to look for include the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) in fire and smoke restoration, water damage remediation, odor control, mold remediation, etc.
Bonded, Licensed, and Insured
This is Commercial Contracting 101 stuff, but worth remembering. Your own insurer will probably require you to hire bonded and insured contractors with licenses from the state.
Again, don’t be afraid to ask for these credentials. Beware of trying to save money by going with an unlicensed, unbonded, uninsured handyman. Not only could you lose your own insurance coverage, but if something goes wrong at the job site, you could be held liable.
Experience
Make sure the commercial restoration company you hire has direct, extensive experience with the kind of restoration you need. You don’t want to hire a company that has almost exclusively done fire restoration when you need water damage restoration.
Try to look for a company with comprehensive restoration experience and at least ten years in business, so they have had the chance to work out the kinks, refine their process, and deliver enough quality work to survive the difficult first few years in business.
Reputation
Try to go with a commercial restoration company that has a glowing track record. In the internet age, getting a baseline sense of a company’s reputation has never been easier. Start with the basics — Google reviews, Yelp reviews, Facebook, etc.
If you want to dig deeper, ask the contractor you are considering to provide references, and then follow up on those references.
Size
As the saying goes, size isn’t everything … but when it comes to commercial restoration, bigger is sometimes better. A small mom-and-pop service provider may only be experienced with residential restoration.
Additionally, they may not have the resources to commit to the project size you face — or even if they do theoretically have them, they are far more likely to be booked up and subject you to long wait times.
Location
Typically, the closer you are to the company’s base of operations, the more prompt, thorough, and cost-effective service you can expect.
This doesn’t necessarily mean you need to be adjacent to the company HQ — many commercial restoration companies have satellite offices that expand their effective service area significantly.
Response Time
Time is money when it comes to commercial restoration. The problem could get worse, and you’re losing money every day — every hour — your facility is shut down or compromised. You owe it to yourself to pick a commercial restoration company that treats your situation with urgency, gets back to you promptly, and quickly puts you on their schedule.
Cost and Projected Timeline
Obviously, you want your restoration completed as quickly as possible, with as little impact on your budget as possible. It’s tempting to go with the lowest quote, the fastest projected timeline, or both.
Be judicious, of course. If a company’s pitch is a serious outlier — faster and/or well below the price of competing estimates — look carefully into that company’s reputation. They might be promising you rainbows in hopes of getting the business. A lower estimate might portend lower quality work (though not always), while a longer timeline may simply indicate that this particular company is overbooked.
Taylored Restorations offers comprehensive commercial restoration services from our operational bases in Anchorage, Mat-Su, and Fairbanks. We’re licensed, bonded, insured, certified, and experienced in all aspects of commercial restoration. Whether you need help fast or just want to connect before the need arises, reach out to us today!