Choosing a restoration company — at a glance
- Verify the license. In Utah, DOPL General Contractor license. Public lookup at secure.utah.gov/llv.
- Ask for a COI. Any legitimate company sends a certificate of insurance in under an hour.
- IICRC certifications. WRT for water, AMRT for mold, OCT for odor, ASD for structural drying. Firm number plus individual tech numbers.
- W-2 crew, not subcontractors. Ask directly: “Who’s doing the work — your employees or subs?”
- Written warranty, in months not days. 12 months minimum for mitigation; 24 months for reconstruction is better.
- Xactimate scope for insurance. If they don’t know what Xactimate is, keep looking.
- Response time commitment, in writing. Vague “as soon as we can” is a red flag.
- Local office you can visit. P.O. box or franchise-only presence is a warning sign.
The 10-point checklist
1. License verification
In Utah, restoration companies that do demolition and reconstruction need a Utah DOPL General Contractor license. Ask for the number. Verify it yourself at secure.utah.gov/llv — don’t take their word.
Vault’s: Utah DOPL #11876543-5501.
2. Insurance (COI)
Legitimate restoration companies carry:
- General liability — $1M minimum, $2M preferred
- Pollution liability — $1M (required for mold and sewage work)
- Workers’ compensation on every crew member
- Commercial auto on every truck
Ask for a Certificate of Insurance (COI). Any real company sends one within an hour. If they stall, that’s a red flag.
3. IICRC certifications
The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) is the industry standard. Relevant certs:
- WRT — Water Damage Restoration Technician
- ASD — Applied Structural Drying
- AMRT — Applied Microbial Remediation Technician (mold)
- OCT — Odor Control Technician
- FSRT — Fire and Smoke Restoration Technician
Ask for firm numbers AND individual technician numbers. “IICRC certified” without a number is marketing — anyone can say it.
4. W-2 crew or subs?
Ask directly: “Who does the work — your W-2 employees or 1099 subcontractors?” Franchise brands often sub out everything. The answer tells you about accountability — a W-2 crew is managed and insured under the company’s policy. Subs are often rotating one-week crews with less skin in the game.
5. Warranty, in writing
Industry minimum is 12 months on workmanship. Better is 24 months. Mold-remediation warranties are usually shorter (90 days from clearance is reasonable).
Read the warranty before signing. It should name specific items (drywall, flooring, cabinetry, paint) rather than vague “workmanship” language.
6. Xactimate scope for insurance
If you have insurance, the scope will be in Xactimate — the pricing software your insurance carrier uses. Any company that handles insurance work knows Xactimate. If they can’t produce an Xactimate scope, your claim will be a mess.
7. Written response-time commitment
“We’ll be there as soon as we can” is a non-answer. Ask for a time: “If I call at 3 AM in January, when do you arrive?” Vault’s: 45-minute guarantee in Provo (Mon-Sat 8-5), typically under 60 minutes elsewhere in Utah County, 24/7 live answering.
8. Local office, not just a P.O. box
Legitimate restoration companies have a staffed office with a shop and warehouse. Franchise brands often have a central call center and dispatch to franchisees — your “local” number may ring in a different state.
Vault’s: 1169 S 760 W, Provo, UT 84601. Staffed office, shop, warehouse. Owner Timothy Ellis is in the building most days.
9. Real reviews from real customers
Cross-check names across Google, Facebook, Nextdoor, and BBB. A pattern of 5-star reviews from accounts with no profile photo and only one review is suspicious. Look for mixed-rating profiles that describe specifics (what the job was, how it went, what the price was).
10. The gut check: how do they talk?
On the first call, do they:
- Try to upsell before they’ve seen the damage?
- Pressure you to sign a contract on-site?
- Refuse to put the estimate in writing?
- Say “we’ll handle your deductible” (illegal — insurance fraud)?
- Push for the insurance check to be written directly to them without a scope?
Any of those is a reason to say no and keep looking.
Questions to ask on the first phone call
- What’s your Utah DOPL license number?
- Can you send me a COI today?
- Who does the work — your W-2 employees or subs?
- What IICRC certifications does your crew have?
- What’s your written warranty on mitigation? On reconstruction?
- Do you scope in Xactimate?
- What’s your typical arrival time to [my city]?
- Where’s your office? Can I come by?
Vault’s answers: #11876543-5501 · yes, within an hour · W-2 only · WRT/ASD/AMRT/OCT · 24-month workmanship, 90-day mold · yes · 45 min Provo (Mon-Sat 8-5), under 60 elsewhere · 1169 S 760 W, Provo, come by anytime.
Ready to call Vault?
(385) 250-2825, 24/7. We’ll answer all 10 questions on the first call without being asked.
Credentials · Why Vault · Warranty · Meet the team · Red flags to watch for
More guides: Post-remediation clearance · Negative air containment
Our Provo water damage restoration crew is an IICRC Certified Firm that bills your insurer directly. Call (385) 250-2825.