Is this restoration quote fair?

Start with the published ranges

Job	Published range	Source
Water damage restoration	$1,200 to $5,000	Fixr
Mold remediation	$1,500 to $9,000	Fixr
Mold in a crawl space	$500 to $2,000	Fixr
Crawl space encapsulation	$1,500 to $15,000	This Old House
Crawl space dehumidifier, installed	$800 to $2,000	This Old House

National published figures. Full cost guide with sources.

The upsells people describe

Across Charleston homeowner threads and consumer guidance, the same patterns come up:

• Drying equipment that stays too long. Equipment is usually billed per unit per day. Ask for the daily moisture readings; equipment should leave when materials are dry, not when the schedule says.
• A crawl space job sold as the cure, with the water source left alone. Ask what caused the moisture and how the quote fixes it.
• A thin scope. Two encapsulation quotes can differ by thousands because one wraps the walls and piers and includes a drained dehumidifier, and the other is a floor liner. Compare item by item.
• Testing by the company selling the removal. Hire the tester separately if a test matters to you.
• Cash only, or most of the money up front. The FTC lists these as warning signs, and the SC Department of Insurance says reputable contractors usually don't ask for a large payment upfront.

Forms to read twice

Work authorization. A plain permission to start is normal. Check whether it also makes you liable for anything insurance doesn't pay, and at what rates.

Assignment of benefits (AOB). The SC Department of Insurance says to be cautious: typically there is a promise from the contractor to handle all matters with the insurance company for you, and you may be giving up some, most or even all of your rights. You can decline and still hire the company.

Direction of payment. A form telling your insurer to pay the company directly. Fine if you meant to sign it; a surprise if you didn't.

Anything about representing you to the insurer. Under South Carolina's public adjuster law, only a licensed public adjuster may act as one, fees are capped at 10 percent of the settlement, and you can rescind a public adjuster contract within five business days of signing (S.C. Code 38-92). The same chapter says repair contractors may not get around those rules by taking a power of attorney from the homeowner.

Red flags from the FTC

• Someone shows up unasked because they are "in the area" or have materials left over from a previous job.
• Pressure for an immediate decision.
• Payment demanded in cash or in full up front.
• A request that you get the permits yourself.

After a storm, add two more. The SC Department of Insurance warns that many fraudsters travel from state to state. And watch for the roofer at the door who says he will meet your adjuster and the new roof won't cost you a dime: South Carolina law bars roofing contractors from negotiating an insurance claim on the owner's behalf (S.C. Code 40-59-25).

Questions to ask before you sign

1. What exactly is wet or moldy, and how did you measure it?
2. What comes out, room by room, and what gets dried in place?
3. How are equipment and drying days billed, and who decides when drying is done?
4. Will I get photos and moisture readings at the start and the end?
5. Do you rebuild, or is that a separate contractor and a separate price?
6. Is anything here an assignment of my insurance benefits?
7. For rebuild work: what is your South Carolina license number?

Licenses and your right to cancel

South Carolina doesn't license mold remediation. Rebuild work does need a state license above set amounts: a residential specialty contractor for jobs over $500, a residential builder over $5,000 (S.C. Code 40-59-20), and a general contractor over $10,000 (40-11-30). Look up a license at verify.llronline.com.

The FTC's Cooling-Off Rule gives three days to cancel certain sales of $25 or more made at your home, but it excludes sales made to meet an emergency, which can include water damage work you asked for. South Carolina's own three-day home solicitation right applies to consumer credit sales, meaning financed ones. Read the cancellation terms on anything you sign at home.