Is your company actively involved in Restoration work?

[Mikey P]

Just curious as to how many guys here do restoration work.

Have you done it and got out?

Thinking about it?

Got a Serve pro/master in your town that have the market all sewed up so you're afraid to try?

 

[hogjowl]

I got in big time with Allstate the first year I was in business and did almost nothing but restoration work for the first five years I was in business. At one point, I was the most active Allstate contractor in the central Ala. area. (According to Allstate)

I was turning over huge dollars, and making peanuts.

I never want to be in that situation again.

 

[Desk Jockey]

You were doing the reconstruction also weren't you?

The better margins are in the emergency services and drying phase.

Reconstruction turns some large numbers but your material costs are included in there.

With insurance companies squeezing the contractors even tighter now, it's a lot of risk for diminishing returns.

Extract it, dry it, and kick it to some one else!
8)

 

[TimP]

I tried to get into it. Started out with about 10 grand in equipment to get my feet wet. In one years time I got 1 job and had to fight to get it (made good money like 2.5 grand for a few hours worth of work but I handled the whole job from tear out drying and redoing the floors and base). And I know of at least 1 more job where I was requested and the insurance company said they couldn't use us. Anyways after that I decided that I can't have 10 grand in equipment sitting around and sold it. You have to be in with the insurance companies or not be in it at all. And the companies pretty well have who they want to do it already lined up.....so they don't even want to talk with you about getting set up. Unless some insurance companies come and give me confirmation that I will be on their lists or I won't ever get back into it.

 

[cmaster]

Usually only emergency services

 

[Ernie G]

It was a small part of our bus. for a long time-I liked the money-hated the hours-did'nt much like waiting for my money. We got out 8 or 10 years ago.

 

[cu]

suck it dry it and bye bye baby...unless its a bloody job then it;s ...that had to hurt....

 

[Chads]

Too Scared to get in it in california and to many laws

 

[Al]

Yes

 

[Steve Toburen]

The better margins are in the emergency services and drying phase.

Extract it, dry it, and kick it to some one else!
8)

As usual, it all comes back to the Pareto's Law, also known as the "80/20 principle". In this case 80% of your net profit will come from 20% of the work and Richard has it nailed. We call it "Damage Containment" in SFS but I like Richard's "extract it, dry it, and kick it to some one else!" Let them deal with the headaches.

Steve

PS IMHO the fastest, easiest money around in this business is the Damage Containment on a small to medium sized residential loss. BUT you have to have both your logistics and the Emotional Dynamics of dealing with a traumatized home owner down. If you don't, better to leave it to Chavez ...

 

[davegillfishing]

we do some work but not much..i would say 2-3 a month at the most..unless it is rainy season, then we do some more. just suck, dry and kick nothing major.
dave

 

[Rob Lyon]

We are doing more this year in dryouts only,we are set up with the more floods program, it is a little to soon to tell, but we have faith it will work out!!

 

[Warren Wallace]

small jobs here the next warehouse over is a new restoration company we work together on my
jobs my equipment his exactimate bill

 

[Warren Wallace]

small jobs here the next warehouse over is a new restoration company we work together on my
jobs my equipment his exactimate bill

 

[LeeCory]

I just got into it. I had given it thought for many years and finally decided it was time.

I took the WRT and ASD last month at Boldens and have since purchased all the meters ($2400) and some equipment. From the dehu testing I saw at Boldens I have decided to go with the Phoenix 200 HT's.

I just finished my first job a few days ago that I discounted for the guy since he was paying out of pocket and made almost $1700. If all jobs were like this one, I can say without hesitation that I would rather do this work than cleaning carpets.

I don't know how I will continue to get the jobs yet but I am beginning with direct advertising to the public. I send out out flyers monthy and will have 20,000 going out next week that covers two cities. This flyer will feature both cleaning and emergency extraction and drying. I will also begin making contact with some agents and other folks that may be able to give some referrals.

I don't expect to become a restoration "big shot", nor do I have unrealistic expectations. However if I could achieve 4 or 5 jobs a month in time I would be happier than Ladwig at an aluminum foil convention.

What got me moving in the direction of adding restoration work was a flood last year during a particularly heavy rainfall and I took many calls from desperate people begging me to help. I felt bad turning them all away because I didn't have the equipment or training to properly help them. I also saw how much money I lost during that week.

I also welcome anything that could help supplement my income during the slow months.

Bring on the work...

 

[B&BGaryC]

Just curious as to how many guys here do restoration work.

Have you done it and got out?

Thinking about it?

Got a Serve pro/master in your town that have the market all sewed up so you're afraid to try?

A nameless faceless franchise that may or may not be anything like the one mentioned in your thread tried to force their way into our town. (Or not, maybe I am making it up to sound cool, the following story could be an entire work of fiction)

Anyway, this nameless faceless entity called every company in town and told them to become their franchise or find something other than disaster restoration to do. Thought they would start a panicked bidding war. Nobody wanted to be their franchise. They told us that within 6 months they would be set up in our area whether or not anybody bought a franchise. They said they don't want to put anybody out of business, but that's just what happens when they come to town.

We told them, "Just try it. Montana is a Good-Ol-Boy state, we've been working with all these people for 20 and 30 years. I don't think anybody in this whole state gives damn what your contracts say... By the way, aren't you getting sued in other states over these contracts that will supposedly put us out of business?"

You know what? They never came.

(Probably because I made it all up.) :wink: