When it’s time to start rebuilding after a flood, choosing a contractor is one of the most important decisions you’ll make in the process. A good contractor can work quickly and restore your home on time and on budget. A bad contractor can do substandard work, delay the process, and ultimately cost you both money and time.

What to do

• Verify the credentials of any contractor you’re considering

• Get multiple estimates from different contractors

• Check contracts before signing

• Be sure to structure payments

• Seek out local resources

Verify the credentials of contractors

Selecting a contractor to oversee your rebuilding is a big decision. Especially so if you don’t have experience hiring or managing contractors in the past. But there are a few things you can do to protect yourself when selecting a potential contractor.

Before you begin working with a contractor, look up their business by name on your state’s construction contractors board. Your state board will tell you their license number, if it is active and up to date, and you can also check for any past complaints or violations. All that information should factor into your decision making process.

During negotiations, ask for certificates of insurance, making sure they have liability and workers’ compensation coverage that is adequate (minimum $500k). Ask for past client references and contact them to see how their projects went, and make sure at least some of the references are also for fixing flood damage. You can look up online reviews at Google, Yelp, Angi, and/or HomeAdvisor as well. It should go without saying, but be wary of any contractors who suddenly appear at your front door after a disaster.

Time is of the essence after a flood, so if potential contractors are taking too long to answer your questions or provide you references, move them to the bottom of your potential list.

Get Multiple Estimates

A good rule of thumb is to get 3 written estimates from potential contractors. Ask for a detailed scope of work and compare the costs of materials between all estimates, not just the bottom-line price for the job. 

Make sure they’re trained and work in flood-related cleanup. Ask about their methods of moisture detection, mold prevention, and removal methods.

Pay close attention to contracts

Once you’ve picked a contractor to handle your rebuild, review any contracts they send over closely before signing. Make sure you see a starting date and completion date spelled out, along with a payment schedule that corresponds to the stages when work is completed. It’s a good idea to not pay more than 30% upfront and check the contract for detailed warranty information and that proper permits are applied for and approved for the build.

Structure your payments

Establish a payment schedule that is tied to completion of stages of the project. You don’t want to get into the position of a contractor that has most of your insurance money but hasn’t completed much of the rebuilding yet. Your state may also have laws that limit how big of a downpayment you are allowed to make upfront. You can hold back final payments until all work passes final inspections. And be sure to keep track of all receipts for insurance and tax purposes.

Seek out local resources

When you’re looking for a contractor, you can contact your local building department for recommendations. Friends and family are definitely your best sources to find reliable contractors and/or vendors but if you have no leads, you can check with your local county to see if there is a disaster contractor registry listing area specialists. You may also want to consider restoration companies that work directly with your home insurance by asking your insurance agent for a list of approved contractors.