Search "best water damage restoration company in Kennesaw" and you'll get ads, directories and lists. We don't rank companies. Instead, here's how to judge any company yourself, quickly, while water is still on the floor. The best company for your job is the one that's properly licensed for the work, trained to industry standards, clear about its plan and price, and able to document the job for your insurer. For an overview of services, see our page on water damage restoration in the Kennesaw area.
The five-minute phone screen
Ask these on the first call. A good company will answer without hesitating.
- Can you get someone here today, and what happens on the first visit?
- Are your technicians trained to the IICRC S500 water damage standard?
- Will you take moisture readings each day and give me copies?
- Do you work directly with insurance companies, and will I see the estimate before work beyond emergency mitigation?
- Who handles the rebuild, your company or someone else?
Licensing in Georgia
Georgia requires a license from the State Licensing Board for Residential and General Contractors for contracting or construction work over $2,500 in materials, labor or both, and building departments may not issue permits for that work to unlicensed persons. Emergency drying alone may be handled differently from repairs, so ask who holds the license for the rebuild. Plumbing and electrical work are separately licensed trades. You can check licenses through the Georgia Secretary of State.
Training and standards
The IICRC publishes the industry's main standards: S500 for water damage restoration and S520 for mold remediation. Training to these standards doesn't guarantee a good job, but it means the crew should understand water categories, drying goals and safe removal of contaminated materials. Ask which technicians on your job are trained and in what.
What a good estimate and plan look like
- itemized lines for extraction, removal of specific materials, equipment by type and day, and treatments
- the water category and why
- a drying plan with how moisture will be measured and what the drying goals are
- photos and a written record of anything removed
- clear exclusions, such as plumbing repairs, mold or rebuilding
Our cost guide explains how to compare estimates fairly.
Red flags
- pressure to sign immediately, or a contract with blank spaces
- a demand for full payment up front
- no moisture readings, or vague answers about drying
- a stranger at the door offering to handle your insurance claim. Georgia's insurance commissioner warns homeowners to beware of unknown public adjusters who show up after a loss.
- talk of mold testing before anyone addresses the water. The EPA says that in most cases, if mold is visible, sampling is unnecessary.
Checking a company's track record
Look the company up yourself: its Georgia business registration, its license if it does repairs, and independent reviews on sites you trust. Ask for a certificate of insurance, and ask how long it has worked in Cobb County. A company that's local to Kennesaw, Acworth or the surrounding area will usually know the permit offices and the kinds of homes involved, from Legacy Park to Powder Springs.