Hire a water damage company on a written scope, a named set of removals and drying end points, and written answers about which licences, registrations and permits apply. This guide does not name an Oklahoma licence for the trade. Check everything in the written contract before any work starts, and keep a copy.
Key takeaways
- Ask every company which licences, registrations and permits apply to the job, and check each one with the agency that issues it.
- A written scope with removals, drying end points and the readings that finish the job is the document to compare.
- Insist on proof of the company's own insurance in writing, and keep a copy with the contract.
- Do not pay the full amount before the work begins, and do not sign a contract that has blank sections.
- A company that will not explain its readings or its scope in writing is a company to walk away from.
- The contract, the scope and the readings together form the record that decides any later dispute.
Why does this guide not name a licence for water damage work?
This guide does not name a licence for the trade. Naming one without a confirmed source would give a reader false comfort. Instead, the reader should ask the company to name every licence, registration or permit that applies, and check each with the issuing agency.
A company that says it holds a licence should be asked for the licence name, the number and the issuing agency. A licence claim that cannot be checked is not a reason to hire the company, and a company that offers a number without a name should be asked to explain.
Where the job needs a permit, the permit belongs to whoever does the work, and the company should say which permits apply. A permit question can be checked with the town or city office that issues it.
What must a written scope contain?
A written scope names the rooms, the materials to be removed, the materials to be dried in place, the cleaning to be done, the readings that end the job and the number of visits expected. A scope that leaves out any of these is incomplete, and it cannot be compared fairly with another.
The scope should say how the water will be removed, what equipment will be used and where it will be placed. It should also say who handles the repairs and whether the repairs are included in the quote or priced separately.
Ask the company to sign and date the scope, and to attach the first readings. A signed scope with readings is the basis for every later decision, including any change order and any insurance claim.
What insurance should the company show me?
Ask for a certificate of the company's own insurance, showing the type of cover and the policy period, before work starts. A company that cannot show its insurance should not be engaged. This guide does not state what the company's policy must cover, which is for the company and its insurer to say.
Check that the certificate names the company as it appears on the contract. A certificate in a different name, or one that has expired, is not useful, and the company should be asked to explain the difference.
Your own insurer is a separate matter. Tell your insurer which company is doing the work, and ask it which part of your policy applies to the loss and to the work.
How should payment be handled?
Do not pay the full amount before the work starts, and do not pay in cash without a written receipt. Agree a payment schedule that is tied to the scope, and keep each payment matched to the work it covers. A payment that is not tied to a scope is hard to challenge later.
A deposit for materials or for mobilising the crew is a normal request, but its size and purpose should be written in the contract. Ask what the deposit covers and what happens to it if the work does not go ahead.
Keep every receipt and every invoice. If a payment is made directly to a supplier or a subcontractor, ask for the receipt in the company's name and record the payment in your file.
What should I check in the contract before I sign?
Read the whole contract, check that each section is complete and ask for any blank section to be filled in or struck out before signing. Confirm the company's name, address and contact details, the scope, the price basis, the payment schedule and how changes will be agreed.
Check whether the contract allows the company to add work without your written approval. A clause like that should be removed or limited to changes you have approved, with the reason and the price shown in writing.
Look for terms about cancellation, access to the property and responsibility for damage to belongings. Ask what each means in plain words, and get the answer in writing before you sign.
What are the warning signs of a poor company?
Warning signs include pressure to sign at the door, a demand for full payment up front, a price given with no scope, a refusal to show readings or a refusal to name the company's licences and insurance. A company that cannot explain its drying end point in plain words is one to be careful with.
A company that says it will be on site at a particular hour that it cannot guarantee is making a promise it may not keep. Ask it to explain how the crew is dispatched, and note whether the answer is consistent.
A company that tells you the insurer will pay for everything, without seeing the policy or the loss, is making a claim it cannot know to be true. Ask the insurer, not the company, what the policy pays.
What do I keep once the job is finished?
Keep the signed contract, the scope, the readings, the removal list, the photographs, the invoices and the receipts, and the plumber's or roofer's notes. Keep them together in one place, both paper and digital, for as long as the claim or any repair may need them.
The final readings show that the drying finished at its target. The removal list shows what was lost. Together they answer most of the questions a buyer, an insurer or a later contractor will ask about the job.
Ask the company for copies of everything at the end of the job, and check that the copies match the originals. A missing page at the end of a job is easy to overlook and hard to replace later.
How do I confirm a company's name and address before I sign?
Ask for the company's full legal name, its business address and a phone number that is answered during the job. Check that the name on the contract matches the name on the insurance certificate, the invoices and any permit. A mismatch is a reason to stop and ask questions before any money changes hands.
A company that trades under one name and insures under another is not necessarily dishonest, but the difference should be explained in writing. The person who signs the contract should be the person who has the authority to bind the company.
Keep a note of the company's details at the start of the job, with the name of the person you dealt with. If a dispute arises later, that note makes it easier to find the right party to speak to.
What should a drying plan promise, and what should it not?
A drying plan should describe the steps, the equipment, the readings and the end point, and it should say how the progress will be shown to you. It should not promise an arrival time it cannot control, a finish date that depends on the readings, or an outcome for the insurance claim.
Water damage crews are sent as soon as one is available, so a promise of a particular arrival time is a promise the company may not be able to keep. Ask instead how the dispatch works and how you will be told when the crew is on the way.
A drying plan that promises a finish date regardless of the readings is describing a wish, not a plan. The honest version ends on measured targets, and it tells you what would make the job take longer.
Frequently asked questions
Does a water damage company need a licence to work in Oklahoma?
This guide does not name a licence for the trade. Ask every company which licences, registrations and permits apply to your job, and check each one with the agency that issues it, before you sign anything.
How many companies should I call before choosing one?
Call more than one if the job allows it, and ask each for the same scope in writing. Comparing written scopes is more useful than comparing the first verbal figure, and it shows which companies explain their work clearly.
Can a company start work before I sign the contract?
Emergency steps such as stopping the water and removing standing water are often needed at once. Ask for the emergency work to be recorded in writing, with a price basis, and sign the full contract as soon as it can be agreed.
What if the company says the insurer will pay the bill directly?
That is an arrangement to be set out in writing and confirmed with your insurer. Do not assume the insurer will pay, and do not sign over the claim without reading what it means. Ask your insurer what it will and will not pay directly.
What should I do if the work goes wrong?
Raise the problem in writing, with the readings or the photographs that show it, and ask for it to be put right. If the company does not respond, seek advice on the contract and, for an insurance matter, contact the Oklahoma Insurance Department, which is the state regulator for insurance claims.
Can I get a list of references?
You can ask, but a reference is only as useful as the company's record. The written scope, the readings and the contract are the evidence that matters most, so check those before relying on a reference.
This guide is general information for Cleveland County homeowners, not a substitute for an on-site inspection. Prices are estimates. See our disclaimer.