Water Damage Frequently Asked Questions

IICRC stands for Institute of inspection, cleaning and restoration certification. The IICRC sets standards and certifications for inspection, cleaning and disaster restoration industries.

This is an emergency situation and time is of the essence! Call 225-401-6568 for emergency service! United Fire & Water can be on site within one hour of the initial call to identify all areas that have moisture issues, remove all standing water, set up and then monitor air movement equipment, and begin the dehumidification process. Call us ASAP to avoid microbial growth and secondary damage.

The deductible is your responsibility and should always be paid before services begin.

No, you don’t. And 95% of the time it is next to impossible to estimate the exact cost of water damage project at the start. Each loss has different materials that were affected, varying amounts of water involved with the loss, and different circumstances – we will take all of this into consideration and get an estimate prepared for you – usually within 24 hours of the start of the project.

We utilize Xactimate software and a price list that is updated monthly for your specific location. This is the same software (or something very close to it) that your insurance company will use to write their estimate – giving us an apples to apples comparison for breakdown of scope and costs related to the loss.

We are able to submit the estimate to your insurance company on your behalf and discuss any items that the insurance company has question on. Before any repairs are final we typically have an agreed estimate with your insurance company.

Remember – United Fire & Water will be working for you. Not your insurance company. It is our job to negotiate with the insurance company to get you what is needed to make you whole again, and to return your property to a pre-loss condition.

The time to completely dry a structure depends on many factors such as temperature, humidity, how quickly emergency services begin, amount of saturation and the types of materials affected. Through consistent monitoring and evaluation of the drying process, we can determine when drying is complete. While there are no rules to determine how long your property will take to dry, we can tell you that on average a typical water loss will dry out in three to five days, but can be longer.

No, it is important the equipment is running around the clock. The more hours per day the equipment runs – the less days the equipment will be in your property. The equipment is strategically placed to encourage optimal drying. Turning off the equipment will only increase our dry time, and the threat of microbial growth and secondary damage.

This depends on how long the damage had been left unnoticed. If a water loss has been tended to quickly by a restoration professional mold is generally not an issue. With a careful and thorough inspection, and timely response, most mold issues can be avoided.

Just because something look and feels dry doesn’t mean that it is dry! UFW will utilize penetrating and non-penetrating moisture meters, infrared cameras, 17 years (and thousands of water damage projects) of experience, IICRC standards – and common sense – to determine when your property is dried to a pre-loss condition.