1. Share a little bit about your company – its background, location, etc.
1-800 WATER DAMAGE is a national property restoration franchise and is part of BELFOR Franchise Group. Our branch is located in Westerville, Ohio, and serves the Central Ohio market. We just hit our 1-year anniversary and have earned a strong reputation as a certified, reliable, and honest restoration company that delivers top-quality work for our residential and commercial customers.
2. When did you first get the call about the loss? How did you land this job? Did you have a prior relationship, referral, online search, etc?
The customer was the father-in-law of a customer we had just completed water mitigation services for her flooded basement. She suggested that her father-in-law call 1-800 WATER DAMAGE of Columbus Northeast because she had a great experience working with our team and was happy with the quality of our work.
3. Walk us thru the loss:
a. What type of loss was it? How did it happen?
It was a water damage loss where the homeowner returned from vacation and found water leaking from the 2nd-floor living room ceiling and down into the basement. A small tear in a water supply line to the master bathroom sink caused the loss.
b. How much of the structure was affected?
Most of the house was affected because the water leaked for an extended period. About 75% of the first and second floors were impacted and 100% of the basement/crawlspace. It even affected the garage and the homeowners vintage sports car (the car was OK and only needed a detailing). The water affected ceilings, walls, flooring, cabinetry, and the homeowner’s contents.
c. Did this require mitigation? Rebuild? Contents?
All of the above. While at the initial inspection, we set up some dehumidifiers to start stabilizing the environment. Next, we sent in samples for asbestos testing and coordinated with a plumber to determine the cause of the leak and provide a plumbers’ report. Then, we brought in Blue Kangaroo Packoutz, another BELFOR Franchise Group company that does top-quality contents restoration. After the homeowner’s contents were evaluated, inventoried, and transported offsite, our team of technicians began the mitigation scope – they moisture mapped the entire property, removed unsalvageable affected materials, treated the property with antimicrobial, and set up equipment to begin structural drying. The reconstruction team is rebuilding the property as we speak.
d. How big was the crew working on the loss, especially in the days immediately after?
We had a 6-person crew plus a supervisor handling demo/cleanup, moisture mapping, and equipment placement/mitigation.
4. What was the biggest challenge on this loss? What was the biggest win?
There were two challenges we managed during the loss. The first challenge for us was the timing of the loss – it happened right in the middle of a big surge in our area from heavy rainfall. Because of the surge, resource management was a challenge due to the large amount of equipment and labor needed to do the job right. The second challenge was managing the power load. We used 2 power distribution boxes and still had to be strategic with equipment use to avoid overloading the property and tripping breakers. The biggest win was coordinating smooth handoffs between contents, mitigation, and reconstruction, reducing the time the insured had to be out of his home in a hotel (and ALE for the carrier).
5. What is the biggest lesson your team learned, good or bad, on this loss?
I’d call it more of a confirmation than a lesson, but it’s something we talk about often at 1-800 WATER DAMAGE of Columbus Northeast: treat every job, no matter the size, like you were working on your own home or your family’s home. Take the extra time to clean up the jobsite, communicate with the customer and other stakeholders, and do the job right. Every job is an opportunity to earn our reputation and can lead to referrals!
6. How long did the restoration process take?
The restoration process is still ongoing but we are well into the reconstruction phase. When I recently caught up with the property owner, he was pleased with the pace of the project. Before reconstruction, the contents team inventoried and transported the contents over about a 2-day period. Next, the mitigation team arrived the day after the contents team finished and took another 4 days to complete demo and structural drying. The reconstruction team started working with the property owner before the mitigation team was finished and started the rebuild process about a week after mitigation wrapped up.
7. How was communication with the carrier/adjuster throughout the process? How long did it take to get paid in full?
The communication on this claim was great. We connected with the assigned adjuster almost immediately after the inspection and had his direct contact number. We met him onsite and walked the property so we were aligned early in the project.
