Before you ask anything
Three steps come before any hiring decision:
- Stop the water at the fixture or the main shut-off, if it’s safe.
- Take photos and video. Arizona’s Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions (DIFI) advises taking pictures before any water mitigation company, plumber or restoration contractor shows up.
- Call your insurer. DIFI suggests calling your insurance company or adjuster before you call a contractor, and confirming what will be covered.
One more point about this site. Providers you reach through our phone line are independent businesses. We don’t check their licenses, insurance or workmanship, and we don’t recommend one over another. The questions below are how you check for yourself.
“What is your Arizona ROC license number?”
The Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC) puts it plainly on its home page: “Anyone can pretend to be a contractor. Check the license.”
- Look it up. Use the Contractor Search on the Arizona Registrar of Contractors website. The record shows whether the license is active and what type of work it covers.
- Match the class to the job. The ROC tells homeowners to make sure the license class allows for the work listed in the contract.
- Confirm who you’re talking to. The ROC suggests verifying that the person you’re dealing with actually represents the contractor, by calling the phone number listed on the ROC license record.
The license matters later too. The ROC says you have no recourse through the agency if you hire an unlicensed entity. Arizona’s Residential Contractors’ Recovery Fund can compensate eligible homeowners who were harmed by a contractor with a residential license, within limits and after a complaint process. It’s generally open only to owners who live in the home or plan to, and the ROC is clear that a payment from the fund isn’t promised to anyone.
Arizona law exempts some small jobs “of a casual or minor nature” from licensing, under a dollar limit set in the statute. The exemption doesn’t apply when the work needs a local building permit, and anyone advertising under it must say in the ad that they don’t hold a license. If someone tells you they don’t need a license, ask why, and check the ROC search anyway.
For mold, there’s one more wrinkle. Arizona doesn’t have a separate mold remediation license that we could find. Check the contractor’s ROC license and ask about their mold process, covered below.
“Can I see proof of insurance?”
A license and insurance are two different things. The ROC notes that, apart from workers’ compensation, it doesn’t require contractors to carry insurance to hold a license.
Ask for a certificate showing liability coverage, and check that the business name matches the license record. DIFI also suggests confirming a contractor’s license, insurance and complaint history before you hire.
“Will you put the scope of work in writing before you start?”
Get it in writing and read it before anything starts. Arizona law (A.R.S. § 32-1158) sets out what a contract between a contractor and a property owner must contain once it’s above a set dollar amount. Among other things:
- The contractor’s name, business address and license number
- A description of the work
- The estimated completion date
- A notice of your right to file a written complaint with the Registrar of Contractors, with its phone number and website
The same law says the contractor must give you a legible copy of every document you sign.
For a water damage job, ask the scope to spell out what will be removed (carpet pad, baseboards, drywall), what equipment will be set up, and how the provider will decide when drying is done. On payment, the ROC advises never paying in cash and not letting payments get ahead of the work.
“How will you measure moisture, and will I get the readings?”
Dry-looking surfaces can still hold water inside a wall or under a floor. A provider should use moisture meters to find it and take readings as the job goes. Ask:
- Where they’ll take readings and how often
- What reading counts as dry for each material
- Whether you’ll get a copy of the drying log and photos
DIFI suggests keeping your own log of times, dates, names of technicians and equipment such as dehumidifiers and air movers. Ask how they decide between drying a material in place and removing it. The EPA says wet drywall may be dried in place if there’s no obvious swelling and the seams are intact. Our guide on how long water damage takes to dry explains why there’s no fixed timeline. See also structural drying.
“How do you handle contaminated water and mold?”
Not all water is the same. The IICRC, which publishes the industry’s water damage standard, says water from sewage and other contaminated sources calls for contamination controls and worker protection before drying starts. The EPA advises that when damage comes from sewage or other contaminated water, you should call in a professional with experience cleaning and fixing buildings damaged by contaminated water. Ask what category of water they think you have and what that changes. See emergency water extraction.
For mold, the EPA’s advice is direct: make sure the contractor has experience cleaning up mold, check references, and ask the contractor to follow the recommendations in EPA’s Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Buildings. Ask how they’ll contain the work area, what they’ll remove, and how the moisture source will be fixed.
If testing comes up, ask why. A joint EPA and CDC guide says sampling for mold is not usually recommended. If anyone in the house has health concerns, talk to a doctor. See mold remediation.
“Will you check for lead or asbestos before cutting into walls?”
This matters in older homes. The EPA says homes built before 1978 are more likely to have lead-based paint, and that by law contractors must use lead-safe work practices on emergency renovations in homes built before 1978.
For asbestos, the EPA says the only way to be sure whether a material contains it is to have it tested by a qualified laboratory, and “if in doubt, treat the material as if it contains asbestos and leave it alone.” Ask what the provider does before cutting drywall, ceilings or old flooring.
“What records will I get for my insurance claim?”
Ask for photos before, during and after the work, moisture readings, and a list of what was removed and why. The Insurance Information Institute advises keeping damaged items until the adjuster has seen them, so ask before anything goes in a dumpster.
Coverage answers come from your insurer, not from anyone doing the work. DIFI says, “Do not take the contractor’s word for what is covered.” Our insurance guide covers the general rules.
“Who does the rebuild?”
Getting the water out and drying the house is one job. Putting back drywall, flooring and cabinets is another. Some providers do both, and some hand the rebuild to a different contractor. Ask which applies, and check the license for whoever does each part.
A plumber repairs the leak that caused the damage. For bigger repairs, the Flood Control District of Maricopa County notes that you may need a building permit before reconstruction starts, and suggests checking with your community’s building department first.
Don’t sign under pressure
DIFI advises avoiding high-pressure sales and people who come to the door offering services you didn’t ask for. A real emergency still leaves time to stop the water, take photos, call your insurer and read what you’re signing. Don’t sign anything with blank spaces, and keep a copy of everything.
What to do first
- Stop the water and take photos.
- Call your insurer and ask what your policy expects.
- Get the contractor’s ROC license number and look it up.
- Ask for proof of insurance.
- Read the written scope before you sign.
- Keep copies of every reading, photo and document.