Before hiring a water damage contractor in Illinois, check the written scope and price, the company's insurance, the references and any registration the job calls for. No state licence specific to water damage restoration was found, so the contract and the company's own paperwork are what the owner should review.
Key takeaways
- Get the scope and the price in writing before any equipment is set up, and read what is excluded.
- Ask which registrations and licences the job calls for, and ask the company to show them.
- Check the company's insurance certificate, and check that it covers the work being done.
- No state licence specific to water damage restoration was found in Illinois, so the contract matters more than any title.
- Verify any registration or licence with the body that issues it, rather than relying on the company's word.
What should a written contract include?
A written contract should name the company, the address, the scope of the work, the materials to be removed, the drying plan, the readings to be provided, the price basis and the payment terms. It should be signed before the work starts.
Read the exclusions carefully. A contract that does not mention removal, the readings or the records may leave those out of the price and leave you to find the cost later.
Ask for the drying log and the photographs to be part of the deliverables, so the owner has the record for any insurer.
Ask that the contract name who will supervise the work on site and how to reach that person during the job. A contract that names only an office number leaves the owner without a clear contact when a question arises at the bottom of the stairs.
Does Illinois require a license for water damage work?
No state licence specific to water damage restoration was found for Illinois. Other trades that the job may involve, such as plumbing or electrical work, have their own requirements, and the company should say which apply to its work.
A company can hold registrations and licences for the trades it uses, and it should be able to say which ones it holds for the work in your building. Ask, and ask to see them.
Do not accept a certification or an industry badge as a state licence. Ask the company to explain what the document is and who issued it.
How do I check the company's insurance?
Ask for a certificate of insurance that names the coverage type and the limits, and check that it covers the work being done. Ask the insurer that issued it to confirm the certificate is current.
A certificate shows the coverage on the date it was issued. Ask whether it covers the type of work in your building, and whether the company carries its own insurance for its crew.
This guide does not state the insurance requirements of any particular job. Ask your own insurer whether it has a view on who should do the work.
What questions should I ask on the phone?
Ask how soon a crew is likely to be sent, which records you will receive, who will be on site, how the price is set and who the company's contact is after the job. A clear answer to each question is a good sign.
Ask whether the company will read the building before it sets a price, and how the readings will be shown to you. A company that quotes a figure before seeing the building is guessing.
Ask who handles the repairs after the drying, and whether the company will refer you to a trade or do the work itself.
Ask whether the company will read the building together with the owner, and whether the readings will be explained on site and left in writing. A company that explains its readings in plain language is easier to check than one that reports a single figure without the points behind it.
What about references and reviews?
Ask for references you can call, and read any reviews with care. A review is one customer's experience and cannot show how the work will go on your building.
Ask the references what the company did well and what they would change. Ask whether the records arrived in time for the insurer.
Read reviews for patterns rather than single comments, and be wary of any review that does not match the work described.
What if the company is not the one that comes?
Some call lines connect the caller with a local company that does the work. In that case, the company on site is the one that holds the paperwork, and you should ask it for the registrations and insurance directly.
The line's role is to answer the call and pass it on. The company that attends is responsible for its own work, its credentials and its records.
Ask the attending company for its registration and insurance details when it arrives, or when it calls ahead of the visit.
Ask how the company handles a building that is reached by a neighbor's water or a shared drain. The answer shows whether the company looks at the route or only at the room in front of it, which matters for a home or a building with shared walls.
What should I do if something goes wrong?
Keep the contract, the photographs, the readings and every message. Raise the issue with the company in writing first, and if it is not resolved, consider the complaint route for the trade involved or the consumer office for your state.
Write down what went wrong, when, and what you asked for. A written record is easier to resolve than a conversation.
Do not sign a release or a final payment until the issue is settled or you have advice on it.
How do I compare two quotes for the same job?
Compare the scope first and the price second. Two quotes are only comparable if they describe the same rooms, the same materials to be removed, the same drying plan and the same records. A lower figure that leaves out the removal or the readings is not a lower price for the same work.
Ask each company to explain its scope in writing, and ask what it would change if the readings showed more wet material than expected. A company that answers clearly is easier to hold to the work.
Keep the quotes and the notes of the conversations together. If the work goes differently from the scope, the written comparison is the record of what was agreed.
What about a company that asks for payment up front?
A deposit for materials can be reasonable, but a large payment before any work is read and scoped deserves a question. Ask what the payment covers, when the balance is due and what happens if the work stops.
Avoid paying in cash without a receipt, and avoid any arrangement that leaves the owner without a written contract. A reputable company will put its terms in writing and will explain them without pressure.
If the company wants to be paid directly from an insurance payment, ask the insurer whether it accepts that arrangement and keep a copy of the assignment or direction you sign.
What should a final walkthrough check?
At the end of the job, walk the building with the crew and check each area against the scope. Ask for the final readings, the closing log, the photographs of the finished area and a list of anything that was not done.
Confirm that the materials removed are the ones listed, that the equipment has been taken away, and that any openings made for readings have been noted or closed by the trade that will close them. Note any defect in writing before you sign.
Keep the final log with the contract. It is the proof that the building reached the goal, and it is the document an insurer or a buyer will ask for later.
How do I handle a company that disappears after the first visit?
A company that stops responding after the first visit should be treated as a problem to escalate, not as a closed matter. Keep every record of the calls, texts and emails, and write to the company's listed address to ask for the scope, the readings and the invoice.
If the company does not respond, the records you have kept show what was agreed, what was done and what is outstanding. Those records are the starting point for a complaint to the trade or consumer body that applies, and for a discussion with your insurer if the work is part of a claim.
Avoid paying a final balance to a company that has not provided the readings and the closing log, since those are the proof of the work.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a licensed contractor for water damage in Illinois?
No state licence specific to water damage restoration was found. Ask the company which registrations and licences apply to its work and ask to see them.
What is the single most important document?
The written contract with the scope, the exclusions and the price basis. Read it before any equipment is set up.
How can I check a company's insurance?
Ask for a certificate of insurance, check that it covers the work, and ask the issuing insurer to confirm it is current.
Should I trust a certification badge?
Not on its own. A certification is an industry credential, not a state licence. Ask the company what it is and who issued it.
Who checks the work once it is done?
The readings and the log show whether the building reached the goal. Ask for the final readings, and keep them with the contract.
Should I ask for a warranty?
Ask what the company guarantees in writing and for how long, and read the terms. This guide does not promise any warranty, and the company's own terms and any manufacturer's terms are what apply.
What if the company will not put anything in writing?
Walk away before any equipment is set up. A company that will not describe its scope, its price basis or its records in writing is not one to rely on, whatever it says on the phone.
What if the company has already been paid and the work is incomplete?
Write to the company setting out what was agreed and what is missing, with a date for a response. Keep copies of everything, and seek advice from the consumer office or a lawyer if it does not respond.
This guide is general information for Champaign County homeowners, not a substitute for an on-site inspection. Prices are estimates. See our disclaimer.