Start with the same project brief
Give each provider the same starting information: your Southern California project ZIP, property type, affected rooms, known source of damage, when it was discovered and work already completed. Explain whether you need mitigation, contents services, rebuilding or a combination. Include available assessments and photos taken from safe, authorized areas. Label unknown conditions as unknown rather than guessing. For condos or commercial buildings, identify who can approve work and coordinate access. This makes differences between proposals easier to spot without pretending that a short online brief replaces a site assessment.
Compare the work, not just the total
Build a simple comparison sheet with one column per provider. List the rooms and materials addressed, proposed tasks, included quantities, exclusions and items awaiting assessment. Ask whether the price covers extraction and drying only or also demolition, disposal, finish repairs and cleanup. For example, two proposals for a kitchen water loss may differ because one includes cabinet removal and reconstruction while the other ends after mitigation. Ask the second provider to clarify those gaps before treating the cheaper total as the better value. Record each answer against the same scope item.
Understand drying and equipment charges
Ask the provider to describe equipment charges, monitoring visits, delivery and collection, and the assumptions behind the proposed duration. Find out what records you receive and how additional days or equipment are authorized. Ask who decides when the drying phase is complete and what findings are handed to the repair contractor. A fixed total and a proposal with daily charges should be compared using their stated assumptions, rather than a made-up completion date. Document what happens if concealed conditions change the work. This checklist does not determine the drying method or whether materials can remain in place.
Track contents, storage and return
If belongings need to leave the property, ask how items are identified, photographed and inventoried. Compare packing, transport, cleaning assessment, storage charges and return arrangements separately. Establish who approves disposal decisions, how you access the inventory and what happens to items requiring specialist review. Ask whether the quoted storage period includes the expected reconstruction period and how extensions are handled. For a managed property, identify who owns the contents and who can authorize decisions. Keep details of valuable items, access codes and tenant information out of public notes; discuss them privately with the selected provider.
Separate reconstruction from improvements
For rebuilding, compare finish specifications, material allowances, selection deadlines and responsibility for ordering. State whether you want the previous condition restored or would like optional upgrades. Ask providers to price elective improvements separately so their proposals remain comparable. Identify who coordinates related trades and how unfinished mitigation findings affect the next phase. For occupied homes or businesses, ask which spaces must be unavailable and how access is scheduled. Request a clear handoff between mitigation and reconstruction, including outstanding items and the person responsible for resolving them. A proposal should explain its assumptions rather than guarantee a generic project timeline.
Clarify approvals, qualifications and communication
Confirm the business identity and relevant qualifications for the scope offered. California CSLB consumer resources provide contractor license checks and guidance on choosing contractors and reviewing agreements; use those official resources where applicable. Ask the provider for insurance information and identify who will supervise the work, communicate progress and approve changes. Record how additional work is described, priced and authorized before it proceeds. For commercial or multifamily projects, name the authorized representative and any owner, tenant or manager approvals needed. Provider review through this website does not itself verify credentials, approve a contract or guarantee availability.
Keep pricing and insurance decisions separate
Ask what the proposal includes, which charges remain uncertain and how payment arrangements are documented. Keep copies of proposals, written authorizations, inventories, progress reports and change records. If an insurance claim is involved, ask your insurer about its documentation and coverage process directly; a restoration proposal is not a coverage decision. Do not assume a contractor price is approved because a claim exists, or that an elective upgrade is included. Compare the scope and responsibilities first, then resolve outstanding pricing questions with the provider and coverage questions with the insurer.
Send a request that helps providers respond
Before requesting review, gather five essentials: project ZIP, property type, affected spaces, work already completed and the next phase you need. Include your timing constraints and the person authorized to discuss the project. Use the recovery checklist to organize these details, then request provider review. Keep the comparison sheet as proposals arrive and ask focused follow-up questions where information is missing. The aim is a clearer discussion and a documented scope, rather than selecting a provider from a headline price alone. Serviceability, assessment, pricing and acceptance must be confirmed directly for your project.
Official resource: California CSLB consumer resources ↗
Reviewed October 10, 2026. This guide helps organize a project; it does not assess property safety, determine insurance coverage or replace professional inspection.
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