Finding out how much good-quality water damage restoration costs can be a bit of a shock! Luckily, most of the time, home insurance covers most of the cost, but seeing the price tag may still be daunting. Water damage restoration can sometimes cost thousands of dollars to fix. What could warrant so much money?
We’ve found that when you want to know something about someone, the best way to find out is to ask them! So in this article, we ask the experts at Cleaner Guys, a professional water damage restoration company, “Why is water damage so expensive?” Here’s their expert answer.
Table of Contents
- Specially-Designed Equipment
- Specially-Certified Skilled Labor
- Materials, Materials, Materials
- Travel Costs
- Some Unfortunate News
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Resources
Specially Designed Equipment
One of the biggest reasons water damage restoration can be expensive is specially designed drying and testing equipment. Every water damage restoration company uses this special equipment, because it makes the restoration process far faster and more efficient! Water damage can be restored without any of this brilliant labor-saving equipment, but it would usually take many weeks longer. Restoration companies use the best water damage restoration equipment so that you can have your home back as quickly as possible.
The photo above is an example of this specialized water-damage equipment. The photo is of a Cleaner Guys technician, on a real Cleaner Guys water damage repair job, using the Injectidry system to restore our client’s floors. Injectridry is a piece of equipment specifically designed to evaporate water from inside floors, without having to tear up the floors! It’s a brilliant piece of equipment, but because it’s so specially designed, it’s expensive.
Water damage restoration equipment like this is one of the reasons water damage can be expensive. Only specially-certified restoration technicians have equipment like this, and the training to use it effectively.
Specially-Certified Skilled Labor
Another primary reason water damage repair can be costly is the highly skilled technicians you’re paying for. It takes extensive training to be able to restore water damage correctly, and that training costs money and time. Water damage restoration technicians have to take lots of special certification courses and conferences to learn how to deal with all kinds of water damage correctly. There’s a lot of science involved in knowing how to take care of water damage! Since you haven’t gone through that extensive training, you have to hire someone who has, so that they can fix your water damage the right way.
Materials, Materials, Materials!
In large water damage situations, a lot of materials are often beyond salvaging and need to be torn out and replaced. This is because if the water sits in your home or business for a long time, materials like wood and drywall can become too saturated to be able to dry out. They may also suffer water staining, and sometimes mold as well. Part of the cost of water damage restoration is the replacement of those materials, which can include wood framing, drywall, flooring, subflooring, cabinetry, tile floor, drywall mud, sanding materials, paint and primer, trim, and more!
A good restoration company will also spray a water-damaged area with an anti-microbial solution, to prevent mold growth. Mold growth is very common after water damage because mold loves moisture. These specialty chemical solutions also cost money, which also has to be factored into the total cost of water damage restoration.
Travel Costs
Another part of the cost of water damage remediation is traveling to your location. You can’t bring your water-damaged house to us, so we have to bring our equipment and technicians to you! Vehicles big enough to carry our equipment and materials are pretty pricey, as is gas, and all other associated travel expenses. This also factors into the total cost of your water damage restoration. You have to help the people who can save your house get to you!
Some Unfortunate News
There’s one other factor that can affect the price of water damage restoration. Not all companies are as honest as they should be with their pricing. Some dishonest companies may choose to overcharge, or get the most expensive materials instead of the most cost-effective ones. Sadly, we’ve seen it before in our area of work. In fact, we’ve often had clients come to us after being dissatisfied with another restoration company’s work. They then discover that the previous company had been charging the client too much! It happens all the time.
However, some good, honest companies commit to keeping prices as low as they can, thinking of the customer and not themselves. We’re proud to say that Cleaner Guys is one of these companies! We hate that some companies will do such things to unwitting clients, and so our mission is to always provide the best and most honest prices and customer service that we can.
If you live in Western Washington State, then you’re in luck — you could work with us directly! But if you live anywhere else, the best way to make sure you choose a company that won’t overcharge you is to look at other clients’ reviews on platforms like Google, Yelp, and Angi. Those reviews will usually tell you if the company regularly charges high prices, or whether clients are generally satisfied with their prices.
To learn more about how to choose a trustworthy mold remediation company, read this article.
Frequently Asked Questions
Water damage is bad because it can compromise the structural soundness of your home or business, and it can cause mold, which can make you sick. Water damage must be cleaned up as soon as possible to avoid jeopardizing the safety of the home or business’s occupants.
How much water damage restoration costs is entirely dependent on the extent of the damage. It is therefore too complicated to give an estimate on how much water damage as a whole may cost. Cleaner Guys recommends that you get estimates for your specific water damage from several restoration companies.
Water damage will not go away on its own, and ignoring it will almost always only make it worse. The longer water damage is allowed to remain without being dried properly, the more likely it is that it will grow mold. Mold is dangerous for your health. Do not ignore water damage and hope that it will go away.
More Resources
Wondering what to expect from the water damage restoration process? Read this. ➜
Worried about whether water can damage your wood floor? Read this. ➜
How can mold make you sick? Is it dangerous? Learn what you need to know here. ➜
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. No part of this article is medical or legal advice, and may not be used as such. For all serious medical matters, consult your doctor. For all serious legal matters, consult your legal advisor. This article contains Cleaner Guys’ experience and opinions only.
