Flooding in Louisiana

royalkid

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Navarre FL
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Gulf Coast Carpet Care
I'm a small biz, and primarily do carpet/tile cleanings. We do water damage restoration for our current clients, but don't advertise at all. I have a butler and a back-up van w/ slide-in.

My question is: for the flooding in Louisiana, do any of you smaller companies travel to do sub work for the larger companies? I heard on the news that over 40,000 homes were affected. Obviously, it's gonna be tear-outs (carpet/pad, dry-wall, insulation, etc...). I'd like to get involved, just don't know how to go about it.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thx!
 

Desk Jockey

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A planet far far away
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Rico Suave
While tropical storms and hurricanes always sound glamorous they are not. No power, no hotel near the damage, no fuel, food, water. You generally need a local license, so being a sub works best.

However I would not suggest working for just anyone, its too easy to get ripped off. It happens all the time. The big guys drag their feet on paying and then offer next to nothing on a very late invoice. The desperate sub takes whatever he can get and the big guys walks away with more than his share of profit. Its crooked, its wrong but has been going on for decades.

Legitimately they can get their bill cut by the adjuster and then pass that loss down to everyone involved. The tales of hurricane shenanigans are many, you have to trust whomever you contract with.

FEMA is no picnic themselves. I have one invoice that is 4-months late from them. They have their own rules and don’t care about standards or care about negotiating price. They pay what they want and that’s it.

My suggestion is unless you know someone that you can trust, I’d stay out. There is money to be made but there is also money to be lost.
 

dealtimeman

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Fort Worth , Texas
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Michael
We will more than likely be there by weeks end unless it continues to rains hard here locally.

We don't go "fishing" we usually have at least 15000 to 25000 worth of guaranteed work lined up before we get there.

Also traveling to muck out buildings or homes is not fun, or glamorous. It is risky and hard work. Becareful who you hook up with for work.

And there's so much work, don't bite off more than you can chew.
 
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Mikey P

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PETE!


giphy.gif





STAY HOME AND WORK ON YOUR WEBSITE
 

Desk Jockey

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I saw on Craigslist where a temp agency is looking for 500 temps for work down there.

They pay $10.00 an hour. They cover hotel, transportation and a $20.00 per diem.
1 month commitment but project is 4 months if you want to work longer.

$10.00 :eekk:
Thats hard, dirty work in undesirable conditions for so little pay. I can't imagine who would sign up. ??

Plus how few will they be able to retain once the reality of the job sets in.
 

Onfire_02_01

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Minnesota
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Jeremy Gray
I saw on Craigslist where a temp agency is looking for 500 temps for work down there.

They pay $10.00 an hour. They cover hotel, transportation and a $20.00 per diem.
1 month commitment but project is 4 months if you want to work longer.

$10.00 :eekk:
Thats hard, dirty work in undesirable conditions for so little pay. I can't imagine who would sign up. ??

Plus how few will they be able to retain once the reality of the job sets in.
Can you send me a link to this add? I may know of someone who would like this kind of work.
 

Ben Hadd

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Athens, Ga
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Steve Baughcum
My first post: I suggest you have an RV to live in and several propane powered generators. Been there, done that. Hurricane Andrew, Katrina, Mississippi River floods in 94.
It ain't gonna be pretty.
 

Mikey P

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The High Chapperal
What am I missing here Hoods.



And can someone tell me the reason why, that doesn't involve chem trails, why a flood like this hasn't happened here before..... (idiots moved into a swamp)
 

Onfire_02_01

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Minnesota
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Jeremy Gray
Heard some official from down there saying that they have had a 100 year flood every year since 1987 in the state of Louisiana.
The official said that he bought a house and could see a levee from his yard and the realter told him that flood insurance was not necessary in that neighborhood. he was like, yeah right!
Turns out the official was the person who organized the national guard and went to rescue the people trapped in New Orleans 11 years ago.

I figure that it is all the Levee's that they are putting in. Someone will run a projection and say we need a levee here to protect this city, it gets built, but no one will go back and re-run the projection to see where the water will go now that it can't go though the protected city.
 

Onfire_02_01

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Jan 2, 2016
Messages
767
Location
Minnesota
Name
Jeremy Gray
I'm a small biz, and primarily do carpet/tile cleanings. We do water damage restoration for our current clients, but don't advertise at all. I have a butler and a back-up van w/ slide-in.

My question is: for the flooding in Louisiana, do any of you smaller companies travel to do sub work for the larger companies? I heard on the news that over 40,000 homes were affected. Obviously, it's gonna be tear-outs (carpet/pad, dry-wall, insulation, etc...). I'd like to get involved, just don't know how to go about it.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thx!
If you really want to do the storm chasing, you will need to be prepaired. On the business end, find the closest open Walmart and buy a tracphone so you can have a "local" number. Take out adds in the local newspapers/radios and make up fliers on bright paper and go around and staple/tape them to damaged houses. If someone is home then by all means talk to them. You will wear out a pair of shoes doing this because most people won't have money to hire you so it will be a numbers game. Bring generators and plenty of gasoline to run your trash/sump pumps. You can leave most of your drying equipment at home as most will be Category 3 water loss and tear out will be mandatory. Also think about bringing a trailer of some kind to haul your personal stuff/sleep in. As others have said you may not find a hotel near where you are working. While you are at that Walmart stock up/buy out their supply of bleach. No fancy sanitizers here, quick and dirty will be the game. If nothing else you may be able to sell a few gallons to DIY'ers along the way. I know a couple of guys who spent 3 months in Louisiana after Katrina, they made 100's of thousands. (really messed up their taxes though for that year)
 

Onfire_02_01

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Messages
767
Location
Minnesota
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Jeremy Gray
If anyone is going to louisiana to do flood work, i know a guy who would like to go down and work. He is the grunt type and loves doing demo work. He can provide his own way down but would need housing while down there. If you would like a temporary worker, let me know.
 

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