Questions to ask a contractor when seeking remediation services…

On September 7th, Bastrop County Office of Emergency Management posted a checklist from a local Bastrop company about questions to ask when seeking remediation services.  Southpro has answered these questions!

What questions should you ask when seeking remediation services for tragic life incidents?

  • What is the complete name of your company?  Southpro Restoration Services
    • What is considered the base of operations/ where are they from? Central Texas Based, Corporate in Austin
    • Are they local or based in Texas?  Yes  If not, does the companies insurance cover doing business in a state other than the home base? 
  • How long have you been in business & can you provide any references for the type of services you provide?  Serving Central Texas for over 20 years.  We have references, and we are an Accredited Member of The Better Business Bureau.
  • Do you charge for assessments? No charge for assessments  If so, how much and would that amount be included towards part of the final payment?
  • Does your company have a website? www.SouthproRestoration.com If so, please ask them to provide the url. Take a look at it.
  • What is the formation of the company you are talking to: Corporation, LLC, Sole Prop, DBA?  LLC 
    • Are you a franchise and if so, who am I dealing with?  No, we are not a franchise.  Our owner offices in our Austin office. 
    • What level of officer / employee are you discussing the situation with? Owner/CEO, Supervisor, hourly employee… You need someone who is able to answer your immediate concerns and questions on the spot.  You will be assigned a Project Manager for your services.  They will walk you through the whole process.  They answer to our GM, who answers to our CEO.
    • Will the person you are talking to be involved and obtainable during the services?  Yes, once a PM is assigned a job, they will work with the homeowner to keep them informed.  They will supervise the crews in the work that they are doing.  We know that communication is essential to providing a great experience for our customers while going through something very devastating. 
  • Will a representative of the company work directly with insurance personnel?  Yes, the PM will work with the insurance personnel as well. 
  • Does the company provide photo documentation (before, during and after remediation) for the client and/ or insurance companies to aid in the claim process?  Yes, we document the work being done through photos. 
  • Does someone from the company take time to personally talk with you, answer any questions and describe a complex or technical issue using words and terms that you can understand? They should not rush you to make a decision and if they are, why? Is there just cause for an immediate decision? Yes, our PM’s are very good at explaining everything to the homeowner.  We want you to know what to expect, and we know that it may take some time for you to make a decision.
  • Is complete payment required upfront?  The only thing that may be due upfront is the deductible.  If you don’t have the money right away, you can pay us later or we can set up a payment plan.  The insurance company is responsible for the remaining cost. 
  • Can a reasonable time frame for completion of work be established? Does the time frame you’ve been given sound reasonable to you? If not, ask why?  Usually water damage job lasts about 3 days.  That is the standard time.  Depending on the severity of the damage it could take longer.  It is hard to say how long it would take to complete work on a fire damaged house.  The PM will always go over that with you before beginning work and give you an estimated time frame.
  • How does your insurance approve estimates for services and should an insurance adjuster be present while an assessment/walk through is being completed? Often times the insurance adjuster is present.  If not, after the PM does the walkthrough he will contact the adjuster and let them know what steps need to be taken to complete the job.  Then the PM sends the estimate to the adjuster and they make payment off of that.  The PM and the adjuster work very close during the remediation process.
  • Can the company provide a written estimate and how long is the estimate good for?  Yes, we will provide an inspection and estimate at no cost.  The estimate is valid unless the scope of work changes.
  • Is there a contract to sign? Contracts are meant to protect both parties. If there is a contract, does the company go over it with you and discuss the “fine print”? TAKE TIME AND ASK QUESTIONS. Yes, there is a contract.  It is called a Work Authorization form.  Both parties must sign the authorization.  There is not any fine print on our Work Authorization.  All verbiage is on one page, and is easy to read. 

You are embarking on making a decision that is part of the process of getting you back to a more normal state of being after a crisis. The company representative should be able to answer your questions on the spot and NOT deviate from your concerns. If you do not understand what they are saying or if your questions are not being answered, then this should be a red flag. You need to protect yourself and the person you are dealing with should be one that understands such caution. These are a few recommendations from Total Decon Inc., a crime and trauma scene cleanup company based in Bastrop County. These questions and ideas are ones that you can use to arm yourself against a scam while you are in dire need of real assistance.