If your family’s home has fire or water damage, you understand how stressful the situation is. Keep these tips in mind to help you find the best home restoration company to handle the damage.

Ask Your Friends for Recommendations

Ask around for recommendations. In many cases, friends or extended family members will have stories about which companies were friendly and professional and which ones left something to be desired.

Consider Their Hours

Find a company that provides 24-hour service. The company should send someone out to observe the damage before giving you an estimate. Otherwise, you run the risk of expecting a cheaper rate for fire damage restoration, but having to pay more.

Ask What the Work Includes

Integrity Restoration of San Diego states that a good restoration company will offer a wide range of services. Water restoration usually requires some type of mold remediation to prevent future problems, and if your home needs rebuilt because of fire, you’ll want to hire a restoration company that provides rebuilding services.

Always Verify the Company’s Certification

A solid company will have Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) and will be in compliance with all federal and local laws that regulate the work. If a company isn’t certified, or if its licenses have expired, keep looking until you find one still operating with valid permits.

These tips will help you to find the best home restoration professionals. Hiring a certified company for your water damage restoration needs will make it more likely that most — or all — of your belongings are salvageable.