When it comes to naturally occurring disasters, floods take the top spot for causing the most damage, and they can be expected in areas near large bodies of water. However, even when they are supposed to come, and specific measures have been taken against them, it can still be one of the greatest tragedy humans have to face in their lives when they arrive. Not only do they destroy the homes and streets and affect the livelihoods of millions of people, but they also leave emotional trauma in their wake. They can be very devastating and leave lasting affects in a person’s life such as an immense fear of water and more.
However, even though they are so terrifying, floods can be recovered from with some effort. Emotionally, it takes time to get over the damage caused by the event, but you can take care of the practical aspect sooner. Even if healing the trauma immediately is out of your hands, handling the other part is a matter that you can quickly solve. If you’re a flood victim and have survived a terrible flood, you may be confused about the next step to take after this life-changing experience. You might be wondering whether you should contact a general contractor or a water damage specialist to help you and what decision you need to take. However, this is a common problem among flood victims and can easily be resolved. Have no worries as we’re here to help:
To help you make your choice, here are the significant differences between a general contractor and a water damage specialist:
Water damage specialists specialize in restoring your property and mitigating your losses. Whereas a general contractor is hired for completely new construction such as remodeling your home and improving it. It’s your choice to make.
Water damage specialists take on different cases of floods with the intention and priority of saving the building. This means it can involve the demolition of individual parts and the removal of damaged materials such as walls and stuff. Secondly, the equipment used by water damage specialists is entirely different from those of a general contractor.
The main focus of a General Contractor is to build new construction and remodel an already existing room or any other part of the house that has been destroyed by the flood. For example, their work would be concerned with such tasks like building a room or remodeling a bathroom. This is the type of work they specialize in, reparation and completion.
When it comes to water damage specialists, their work is more focused on restoring, and they’re more often than not certified by IICRC (Inspection Institute of Cleaning & Restoration Certification). This is a widely known program that educates different types of contractors on various issues. For instance, they teach the correct way to go about removing, cleaning and restoring the damaged materials in a building after a flood.
A General Contractor is state-licensed and usually take the help of expert specialty sub-contractors who can manage the tasks for them. These tasks may include electricity work, plumbing, dry wall, painting, flooring, etc.
Another difference between water damage specialists and general contractors is that water damage specialists are usually called for restoration projects where the owner of the property has filed a claim with the insurance company. This is because the damage has to do with water mainly, and due to this reason, the work has to do with removing the floors and the wet materials in the building. It also includes replacing the damaged material with the help of drying equipment. However, this does not necessarily mean that they’re licensed or qualified for the task of putting everything back to the way it was before the water caused the damage and wrecked them.
Property owners tend to contact general contractors and form contracts with them. In such situations, it isn’t necessary that all of them have insurance claims with the home restoration project. Despite this fact, they’re still required to repair and replace any such materials which have been removed or broken by the water or from a leak in the plumbing, fire damage, smoke and such.
Now that you know all the factors involved, you should give some thought to what you have to do and which one to go with. Our last advice would be to see what better suits your needs and think it through in a practical manner. Hope you make the right choice.
Need a professional water damage specialist to come to your home or business quickly? Contact ServiceMaster QRS, day or night, for speedy emergency service. We work with your insurance company. Call (773) 388-9200 today!
