How to Read a Restoration Estimate Before You Sign

A restoration estimate should say what will be done, in which rooms and in what quantities, before any work starts. Before you sign: ask for it in writing and itemized, ask which items are drying and which are rebuild, and do not sign any document that signs your insurance claim benefits over to the company.

What an itemized estimate usually groups

Estimates differ by company and by software, but most split the job into the same blocks. Knowing the blocks lets you see what is missing and what is duplicated.

Emergency services. Stopping and removing water, boarding or tarping openings, and protecting what is dry. Equipment. Air movers, dehumidifiers and air scrubbers, usually priced per unit per day, which is why the number of days matters as much as the number of units. Demolition and removal. Wet drywall, insulation, baseboard, carpet, pad or flooring that cannot be saved, listed by room and square footage. Cleaning and treatment. Cleaning, antimicrobial treatment and odor work. Monitoring. Moisture readings taken on a schedule until the materials are dry. Contents. Moving, cleaning or storing belongings. Rebuild. New drywall, paint, flooring and trim, normally a separate scope and often a separate contract. Permits, taxes, overhead and profit, shown as their own lines.

Ten questions to ask on every estimate

1. Is it itemized by room and by unit (square feet, linear feet, each, per day), not a single lump sum? 2. Does it separate drying from rebuilding? 3. How many pieces of equipment, for how many days, and what will show that the structure is dry? 4. Which materials are being removed and why? 5. What water category and class did the company assign, and what did it see that led to that? (The IICRC S500 standard is where those terms come from.) 6. Are moisture readings and photos part of the work, and will you get copies? 7. What is excluded, such as contents, mold testing or rebuild? 8. Who pulls any permit, and who schedules inspections? 9. What payment is due before work starts, and when is the balance due? 10. What happens if the scope changes once walls are opened, and how will you be told in writing before the price changes?

Deposits: the 10 percent rule in Florida law

Section 489.126, Florida Statutes, applies to a contractor who receives more than 10 percent of the contract price as the initial payment for repair or restoration of residential property. That contractor must apply for any permits needed within 30 days after payment and start the work within 90 days after the permits are issued, unless the contractor has just cause or you agreed in writing to a longer period. If the contractor does neither, the statute describes a written demand sent by certified mail. This is a summary of the statute, not legal advice; read it and ask a Florida attorney about your own contract.

Do not sign over your claim

Section 627.7152, Florida Statutes, says that for residential property policies issued on or after January 1, 2023, an attempt to assign post-loss insurance benefits is void, invalid and unenforceable, with narrow exceptions (for example a later purchaser of the property or a power of attorney under chapter 709). If an estimate package includes a form that assigns your benefits or lets the company run your claim, stop and ask your insurer or an attorney before signing. See also assignment of benefits in Florida. CFDR is not a party to your repair contract and does not ask you to sign one.

What the estimate does and does not decide

Your matched company documents the loss for your claim and writes a line-item Xactimate estimate. Coverage and settlement decisions stay between you and your insurer. If your insurer's estimate and the company's estimate differ, ask both to list the line items that differ rather than arguing about the totals; the Florida claim guide covers the supplemental-claim window and the free state mediation program.

Compare two estimates the same way

Put them side by side and compare room by room, not total by total. Check that both assume the same affected rooms, the same number of drying days, and the same split between drying and rebuild. A lower total that leaves out equipment days or contents is not a lower price. To check a company before you hire it, see how to check a restoration company; for general cost drivers, see the water damage cost guide.

Get matched, then ask for the estimate in writing

Call or text CFDR at 321-420-7274 and Ryan Solberg matches you with a restoration company. Ask the matched company for its arrival time and for the written, itemized estimate before work starts. CFDR is a referral service: the company inspects, writes the estimate, does the work and contracts with you directly. Serving Orlando and eight other Central Florida counties.