Water removal..

[White Collar]

I was looking through the yellow pages at some cleaners in the area and some offer "Flood Water Removal" Not the restoration.

Anyone heard of just doing the water removal and then give the rest to a restoration company, maybe for a referral fee or something?

Is that a viable business add on? Or are you just taking way to much liability on yourself?

 

[joeynbgky]

I do it, and if needed refer customer to another company, most of the time they jut need an extraction

 

[Ron Werner]

the extraction is the only part I'd do. I'd gladly turn the rest of it over to a restoration company

 

[kmdineen]

Initial water removal is a critical part of every drying job. The class and category of the loss should be determined to develop a drying strategy. Using sub surface extraction equipment is slower and cost the customer more money. However that cost can be offset if "in place" drying is done. If the water removal company does a through sub surface extraction and the restoration company determines the carpet pad must be removed, the extra time spent on extraction was wasted. If a light wand extraction or a poor initial extraction was done it could add a lot of time to the drying job or the restorer would have to extract again before setting up equipment. Who should pay for that? There are a lot of variables as to how to cost effectively dry each job, the restorer and the extraction company must have the same drying strategy in mind and extraction equipment available for this partnership to work.

 

[Desk Jockey]

The risk would be if the home or business owner did nothing else following your extraction.

If problems developed later I suppose a dishonest customer could claim they thought you took care of the problem incorrectly by removing the water but not completely dry their home or business. Also that you did not do your due diligence by informing them that more would need to be done.

Some people truly would not know they difference of what they were purchasing from you and it could happen. Doubtful, but always a possibility.

You're probably better getting the training and doing the whole job, if it's larger and beyond your ability then pass it off.

Just doing a part of what is necessary, is a lot like you preconditioning their carpet and then telling them they need someone else to come in and HWE out the soil. :shock:

Weigh your risk, if it's a small area of commercial glue down carpet and they have good air movement minimal risk. If there are a lot of materials wet, walls, ceilings, carpet, pad, you might be in over your head.

It's really not that hard to do it all, remove the wet materials that can't be dried, and dry those that can be. Monitor the drying with meters and when the meters tell you it's dry, it should be.

 

[Ron Werner]

I've referred a lot of WD work over the past 7yrs or so since I took my last WD Class (Steve Swan) and I realized its beyond the scope of my busn. I know enough now to explain the hazards and a basically what needs to be done and give them a couple numbers to call. There is just too much about mold etc and the restoration companies stay up to date on that more than I do.