How we verify providers
Effective
Why this page exists
Before writing this standard we read through customer reviews of water damage restoration companies serving Bergen County. The emergency drying was rarely the problem. The complaints were about what came after: invoices well above the estimate, rebuilds that stalled for months, companies that seemed to answer to the insurer rather than the homeowner, belongings damaged or missing, tenants turned away, and calls that stopped being returned. This page sets out what we check before a company can be reached through Flood First Aid, and what we ask of every listed provider to avoid those problems.
What we check before listing a provider
Before a provider is marked as verified, we confirm the business trades under the name it gives us; check its New Jersey home improvement contractor registration against the Division of Consumer Affairs record; check any trade licence the work requires, such as a plumbing licence, with the body that issues it; and confirm, by ZIP code, the area it serves and the services it offers, including whether it handles contaminated water and residential or commercial property. Each check is recorded with the date it was made. The diagnostic tool only matches you with providers that are active and verified for your ZIP code and the service you need.
What we ask every listed provider to commit to
A written scope and estimate before work starts, with the emergency drying and any rebuild as separate documents. No change to the scope without the customer's written approval first. Its registration number and a current certificate of liability insurance on request, before work begins. Disclosure in advance of who will be working in the home, including any subcontractor. Drying to measured moisture targets, with the readings shared with the customer. A photographed, itemised inventory of any belongings taken off site. A receipt for every payment, and no cash-only deposits. A clear answer for tenants about who can authorise the work, rather than a refusal to talk to them. And a named contact for the whole job, including the rebuild.
What we do not check
We do not inspect jobs, supervise work, set or review prices, or confirm that a provider is available at any particular moment. Verification is a record of checks made on a date, not an assurance of work quality and not a statement about a provider's status today, as our provider disclaimer explains. Where a page shows no verified provider for an area, the referral telephone lines on that page connect to companies in an advertising network that we have not verified, and the page says so.
What you should still check yourself
Look up the registration number yourself, ask for the insurance certificate, and get the scope in writing before you sign anything, especially any document that assigns your insurance benefits. Our guide to the questions to ask a water damage restoration company sets out twelve questions that cover the problems described above, with what a good answer sounds like.
If a provider falls short
If a provider you reached through this site did not keep to these commitments, write to info@floodfirstaid.com with the date, the address of the job and what happened. We will review the listing, and a provider that does not keep to this standard may be paused or removed. We cannot resolve a dispute between you and a provider or recover money for you; for that, the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs accepts complaints about contractors.