Frequently asked questions
The service
Who actually does the work?
An independent restoration company that operates in your part of the metro. Our job ends at the handoff: the crew you talk to owns the estimate, the drying logs, the demo, and the invoice. We are the switchboard, not the shop.
What does this cost me?
The referral is free. Billing happens between you (or your insurer) and the crew, after you've approved a written scope. We are never in the middle of that payment.
How fast does someone call back?
The crew covering your town calls you back directly; how fast depends on their day. If water is still coming in, say so on the form and shut off the supply if you can reach it. Emergency and after-hours work can carry premium rates, and the crew tells you that before starting.
Will a bunch of companies call me?
No. Your request and your contact details go to one crew, not to a list.
The crews
Are they licensed?
Every company we route to is an independent business operating in the metro. Oregon keeps a public contractor license lookup at the Construction Contractors Board; the crew that calls you back can give you their CCB number, and it takes a minute to check.
Do they work with insurance?
Yes, that's the normal path for sudden water damage. The crew documents the loss, writes the scope your adjuster asks for, and bills the claim directly when coverage applies. You can also pay out of pocket; either way the conversation about cost happens before work starts.
What if nobody covers my town?
We say so instead of handing your request to whoever is closest on paper. Coverage runs the whole metro plus the edge towns (Sandy, Estacada, Molalla, Canby, Forest Grove, Banks); past that, we'll tell you plainly.
The emergencies
My basement has sewage in it. What first?
Stay out of the water and keep kids and pets clear; sewage is a health hazard, not a cleaning chore. If you can reach the toilet or drain feeding it, stop running water into the system. Then send the form; sewage backups route as same-day calls.
Should I call the city about a sewer backup?
If the backup is inside your home, Portland's own guidance says call a plumber first to find the fault; the city only owns it if the public main is the problem. Street flooding or sewage released outside goes to the city's 24-hour maintenance line at 503-823-1700.
The pipe burst an hour ago. What now?
Shut off the water main if you can get to it, kill power to the wet area if the panel is dry, and then send the request. Speed matters more than description detail; "kitchen ceiling coming down, water off" is enough to route on.