Hiring a water damage contractor in Tennessee: what to check first

What credentials should a water damage company hold?

The credentials that matter are the contractor licence where the work requires one, its insurance, any plumbing or electrical licence the repair needs and any industry certification it claims. Each applies to a different part of the work.

A company that does only drying and removal may need a different credential from one that does structural or roofing repair. A repair that involves structure, plumbing or electrical work needs the relevant licence, held by the person doing that work.

Ask the company to name each credential and say who holds it. A company that cannot answer clearly is one to be cautious about.

How do you check a licence with the state?

The Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors keeps the contractor licence records. Ask the company for its licence number and check it with the Board before you agree the work.

The check should confirm the company's name, the classification and whether the licence is current. A licence in another name, or one that has lapsed, is a reason to stop and ask questions in writing.

Licence thresholds and classifications change, and the Board is the authority on the current rules. Do not rely on a figure from a secondary source for a decision about a particular job.

What should be in the written contract?

The contract should name the company, the work, the areas, the materials to be removed, the drying plan, the readings, the price basis and the warranty the company actually gives. It should say who is responsible for each part.

A good contract is specific. It names the rooms and the materials, and it says how the price will be confirmed if the scope changes during the work.

Read the warranty clause with care. A company can warrant its own work but not the work of the trades it sends you to, and the contract should say so plainly.

• The company's name, address and licence numbers
• The areas, the materials removed and the drying plan
• The readings to be taken and how often
• The price basis and how changes are approved
• Who is responsible for each part of the work
• The final log and the handover to the repair trade

What should you ask about mold work?

Ask which classification covers the mold work, what training the company has and whether it will provide a written scope and a log of readings. Confirm the classification with the Board, because a summary of the rules is not the rule itself.

A company can be honest about its training and still be unable to certify a result. Ask for the scope, the readings and a note of what was removed, because those are the parts that protect you.

Do not accept a promise that the house is mold-free. What a responsible company can give is a record of readings, a description of the work and a statement of what was not checked.

What if the work goes wrong?

Ask the company in writing what it will do to put things right. Keep the scope, the readings, the invoices and the correspondence together, with the licence lookup. A dispute with a licensed contractor can be raised with the Board.

Written records are what make a dispute workable. A call followed by a short email confirming what was said gives both sides something to check.

This site does not perform the work and is not a party to any contract you sign. The contract is between you and the company that does the work.

Questions to put to a company before it is engaged

Ask who will be on site, who holds each licence, how the price is calculated, what happens if the scope changes and how the readings will be shared. A company that answers each question in writing is easier to hold to its word.

Ask whether the company uses subcontractors for any part of the work, and who carries the insurance for them. The homeowner should know who is on the property and whose insurance covers the work if something goes wrong.

Ask how the final payment is tied to the readings and what happens if the company cannot finish. A contract that ties the last payment to a signed log protects both sides.

What to do if the company cannot give its licence number

Do not proceed. A company that cannot give its licence number has not shown it holds one, and you cannot check its standing. Ask again in writing, and if the answer is still no, choose another company.

A licence number is a basic request, and any legitimate company will provide it promptly. The number should match the name on the contract, and the Board's lookup should show the licence as current.

Keep the request and the reply in writing. If a dispute arises later, that record shows the company was asked and what it answered.

The closing checks before final payment

Before the final payment, check the readings, the removal list, the repairs done and the final log. Confirm the company has returned the site to the state the scope agreed.

Walk the rooms with the scope and the log in hand. Confirm that every area listed as dry has a reading at standard, that the removed items match the list, and that any repair the company made is described on the invoice.

Ask for the final log and the warranty terms in writing at the same time, and keep them with the contract. The file is then complete for any later question from the insurer or a buyer.