Hiring a water damage contractor in Massachusetts: what to check first

What credentials should a water damage company hold?

The credentials that matter are the Home Improvement Contractor registration for residential work, the Construction Supervisor License where the work needs one, any plumbing or electrical licence the repair needs and any industry certification the company claims. Each applies to a different part of the work.

A water damage company may do only drying and removal, in which case a registration or licence may depend on the work. A repair that involves structure, a building permit, plumbing or electrical work needs the relevant credential, held by the person doing that work.

Ask the company to name each credential and to say who holds it. A company that cannot answer that clearly is one to be cautious about.

How do you check a registration?

The Home Improvement Contractor registration is held through the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation and is renewed online through the state's contractor hub. Ask the company for its registration number and check it before you agree the work.

The check should confirm the company's name, the registration type and whether it is current. A registration that is in another name, or that has lapsed, is a reason to stop and ask questions in writing.

Keep a copy of the lookup result with the contract. If the registration changes during the job, the change should be recorded in the file.

What should be in the written contract?

The contract should name the company, the work, the areas, the materials to be removed, the drying plan, the readings to be taken, the price basis and the warranty the company actually gives. It should also say who is responsible for each part of the work.

A good contract is specific. It names the rooms and the materials, not just the water loss, and it says how the price will be confirmed if the scope changes during the work.

Read the warranty clause carefully. A company can warrant its own work but not the work of the trades it sends you to, and the contract should say so plainly.

• The company's name, address and registration numbers
• The areas, the materials removed and the drying plan
• The readings to be taken and how often
• The price basis and how changes are approved
• Who is responsible for each part of the work
• The final log and the handover to the repair trade

What about mold work?

No Massachusetts state mold-remediation or mold-inspector licence was found in an official source. Ask the company what it holds for mold work, what training it has and whether it will provide a written scope and a log of readings. Do not accept a promise that the house is mold-free.

A responsible company can describe what it did and what it did not check. A record of readings, a list of removed materials and a statement of the areas not checked is more useful than any certificate that claims a result.

If a company offers a mold-free guarantee, ask what it covers and what it excludes, and read the exclusions. A guarantee of a result that depends on conditions the company does not control is worth questioning.

What if the work goes wrong?

Ask the company in writing what it will do to put things right. Keep the scope, the readings, the invoices and the correspondence in one place, and keep the registration lookup with them. A dispute about the registration or the work can be raised with the state agencies that oversee it.

Written records are what make a dispute workable. A call that is followed by a short email confirming what was said gives both sides something to check.

This site does not perform the work and is not a party to a contract with you. The contract is between you and the company that does the work.

Warranties and what they cover

A warranty is only as useful as its terms. Read what it covers, how long it lasts, what it excludes and how to make a claim under it, and get the terms in writing before work starts.

A warranty on the company's own workmanship is different from a promise about a result the company cannot control, such as a house that will never grow mold again. Ask what the company will do if the work fails, and how it will respond inside the warranty period.

Warranties on the repairs done by the trades the company sends you to are usually given by those trades. The contract should say which warranty applies to which part of the work, and who to call for each.

Questions to ask before signing a contract

Ask who will be on site, who holds each registration, how the price is calculated, what happens if the scope changes and how the readings will be shared. A company that answers each question in writing is easier to hold to its word.

Ask whether the company uses subcontractors for any part of the work, and who carries the insurance for them. The homeowner should know who is on the property and whose insurance covers the work if something goes wrong.

Ask how long the contract runs, how the final payment is tied to the readings and what happens if the company cannot finish. A contract that ties the final payment to a signed log protects both sides.

What to do if the company will not give its registration number

Do not proceed. A company that cannot or will not give its registration number has not shown it holds one, and the homeowner has no way to check the company's standing. Ask again in writing, and if the answer is still no, choose another company.

A registration number is a basic request, and any legitimate company will provide it promptly. The number should match the name on the contract, and the registry lookup should show it as current.

Keep the request and the reply in writing. If a dispute arises later, that record shows the company was asked and what it answered.

After the work: the closing checks

Before final payment, check the readings, the removal list, the repairs done and the final log, and confirm that the company has returned the site to the state agreed in the scope. A checklist makes that check quick.

Walk the rooms with the scope and the log in hand. Confirm that every area listed as dry has a reading at standard, that the removed items are the ones listed, and that any repair the company made is described on the invoice.

Ask for the final log and the warranty terms in writing at the same time, and keep them with the contract. The file is then complete for any later question from the insurer or a buyer.