Choosing a Water Damage or Mold Restoration Company

Choosing a restoration company

The brand on the truck matters less than how the job is run. A national franchise is a locally owned business using a shared name, and quality varies by owner. Ask every company the same questions, and pick the one that answers in writing.

Updated October 28, 2026 · Sources listed at the end

Franchise or local: what actually differs

	National franchise	Local independent
Ownership	Local owner, national brand and systems	Local owner
Pricing	Set by the local owner; ask for line items	Set by the owner; ask for line items
Rebuild	Some do, some subcontract	Some do, some subcontract
Quality	Depends on the owner and crew	Depends on the owner and crew

Charleston homeowners who compared quotes online found both kinds on either end of the price range. One pattern they noted: pricing tends to run higher where work goes through subcontractors and insurance billing.

Ten questions to ask

Who will be in my house: your employees or subcontractors?
How do you measure moisture, and will I get the readings and photos?
What exactly will you remove, and what will you dry in place?
How are equipment and drying days billed?
Does anything you want me to sign assign my insurance benefits?
If my insurer pays less than your invoice, who owes the difference?
Do you rebuild? If not, who does, and when?
For rebuild work: what is your South Carolina license number? (Mold work itself isn't licensed in SC.)
Do you carry liability and workers' compensation insurance? Can I see the certificate?
For mold: who tests, and is it someone independent of you?

What we ask of companies we refer

A written scope and price before work starts. What gets removed, what gets dried, and for how long.
Moisture readings and photos. Taken at the start and the end, so any adjuster can see the job was finished.
No pressure to sign on the spot. You can read anything before you sign it, including any form that mentions your insurance.
The cause fixed, not only the symptom. Mold comes back when the moisture source stays.

Checking a license

South Carolina requires a residential specialty contractor license for jobs over $500, a residential builder license over $5,000, and a general contractor license over $10,000. Look them up at verify.llronline.com. A 2019 legislative study found no license or certification is required to call yourself a mold specialist in South Carolina.

Questions Charleston homeowners ask

Are national restoration franchises better than local companies?

Not necessarily. A national franchise is a locally owned business using a shared brand, and quality varies by owner. A local independent company can be just as equipped. What matters more is a written scope and moisture readings you can see. Check the license where South Carolina requires one, and don't sign insurance forms on the spot.

Does South Carolina license mold remediation companies?

No. A 2019 South Carolina legislative study committee found that people who hold themselves out as mold specialists don't need a license or certification from any governing body, and a 2026 bill to create one has not passed. Repair and rebuild work over certain dollar amounts does need a state contractor license.

Do I have to use the company my insurer recommends?

Generally you can choose your own contractor. Ask your insurer how they handle a company that is not on their list, and get the answer in writing.