How Damage Restoration Charleston works

Step 1: describe the problem

Begin with what you noticed, and where and when. With damage restoration, that usually means the room or part of the property, the date it began, how often it occurs and anything you have tried already. Photos are useful. The technical name for the problem is not needed, as identifying it is the provider's first job.

Step 2: check your ZIP code

In Charleston, the site covers ZIP codes: . Providers serving Mount Pleasant, North Charleston, James Island, West Ashley and Summerville also receive requests. A ZIP code on the list begins the confirmation and does not promise an appointment, since the street address and availability are confirmed by the provider.

Step 3: use Call Now or send the request form

Call Now connects you with a provider, and the short form sends your details to a provider so they can reply by phone. The form asks for your name, phone number, ZIP code and the service you need, and it asks for consent for a provider to contact you. Consent is not a condition of purchase.

Step 4: the provider confirms the details

• Your address, property type and access
• What you have seen and what you have tried
• Whether the job fits the provider's service area and schedule
• Any assessment charge before the visit
• Who will attend and what to expect on the day

Step 5: the inspection and the written scope

A sound visit starts with an inspection of the moisture, materials and the source of the water that matter for your problem. The provider names what they found and explains the proposed assessment, drying and repair. Ask for the scope, the exclusions, the products or parts to be used and the follow-up in writing before you agree.

Step 6: decide, schedule and follow up

Your options are to accept, compare another provider or decline. After accepting, hold on to the written agreement, the product or parts list and any warranty terms, and find out what to do and whom to call should the problem come back.

What to prepare before you call

• A short description and any photos
• Notes on pets, children, allergies or other health concerns
• Your street address and ZIP code
• Who can give access to the property and the best time to reach you
• The date the water or storm damage problem started and any earlier work

What this process is not

It is not a diagnosis, an appointment confirmation, a price or a warranty. A website request is a connection, and each of those things comes from the provider. If a provider promises something unusual, such as a guaranteed result or a price over the phone for an unseen problem, ask for it in writing.

A worked example

Here is a typical case. Scratching is heard in the ceiling at night and droppings turn up in the garage. You read the service page that fits, check that your ZIP code is listed and use Call Now. Questions follow from the provider about where the noise was heard, when it started and what the droppings look like, and a time is agreed to inspect the roofline and attic. At the visit you are shown the findings, the proposed assessment, drying and repair is explained and the scope is put in writing. You may compare it with a second opinion, then decide.

Every part of that example is yours to accept, change or decline.

If the provider cannot help

Reasons a provider may decline a job include an address outside its area, a full schedule or work it does not do. Say that you still need help, and ask the person you speak with to suggest another business, or send the form again so that another provider can respond.

If you need help right away

When time matters, Call Now is better than the form, and the urgency should be described. A danger to people or property, such as fire, flooding, an electrical hazard, a gas smell or a serious allergic reaction, calls for emergency services first, because this website is not one.

Your choices at every step

• You can read first and call later
• You can use the form without calling or call without using the form
• You can ask for the scope and the product or parts list before you agree
• You can compare another provider or decline
• You can ask the provider to stop contacting you

Timing, scheduling and access

How quickly a provider can attend is determined by its schedule, the time of day and the urgency of your problem, so this website gives no arrival window. Give the provider the name of whoever can let it in, say whether gates or pets are involved, and note which times suit you. Agree the visit time and how you will hear about any change.

If the problem changes or gets worse

If the situation changes before the visit, such as water spreading, activity increasing or a part failing, call the provider and say so. A provider can often change the plan, the order of work or the time of the visit when it knows what has changed.