Service
Water damage restoration in Bowie, Maryland
Restoration is the whole job, from wet to rebuilt. This page lays out the order of the work and the point where a Maryland license comes in.
Give your ZIP code and say what happened. Calling soon after you find the water helps.
The order of the work
Restoration moves in stages, and skipping one usually means going back to it.
- Find the source and stop it. Nothing dries while water is still arriving.
- Remove standing water, then pull out what cannot be saved, such as soaked carpet pad or insulation.
- Dry the structure and measure it. A moisture meter shows whether a wall is still wet.
- Clean and treat the space once it is dry.
- Rebuild: drywall, paint, flooring and trim.
EPA's guidance on mold says to dry water-damaged areas and items within 24 to 48 hours, so the early stages are the ones that cannot wait.
Which stage needs an MHIC license
Maryland's Home Improvement Commission licenses contractors who do home improvement. The statute defines that as repair or replacement of a residence or part of one, and a contractor must hold a license to act as one in the state.
That plainly reaches the rebuild stage. Whether a visit that only extracts and dries falls under the definition is a question for the Commission, and this site does not answer it for anyone. Ask the contractor which license it holds for the work it proposes, and ask for the number.
The Commission's consumer page says doing home improvements without a license is a criminal offense, and that its Guaranty Fund gives no protection to a homeowner who used an unlicensed contractor.
Before you agree to work
Read from the Commission's consumer advice page and Business Regulation 8-501.
| Contract | Maryland requires a home improvement contract to be in writing and signed, with the contractor's name, address, telephone number and license number. |
|---|---|
| Down payment | The Commission advises paying no more than one-third of the contract price up front. |
| Permit | If a building permit is needed, the Commission says to ask to see it before work starts. |
| Insurance | Ask for the contractor's current liability insurance certificate. |
Common questions
Does restoration mean the whole house gets torn up?
Not usually. The scope follows the wet materials. Wet drywall that dries and tests dry can often stay. Material that stays wet or has been soaked with sewage is the kind that comes out.
Will insurance pay for it?
Coverage turns on your policy wording and the cause of the water. The insurance guide explains the usual dividing lines. Your insurer decides coverage, never this site or the contractor.
Water still running or standing?
Call and say where the water is and what caused it. You will be connected with an independent restoration contractor taking calls for your ZIP code.