What a restoration estimate is for
A water loss is billed in pieces that owners never see: equipment days, monitoring visits, flood cuts, antimicrobial, disposal. An estimate that lists each one and how it is counted turns a frightening number into a plan. On insurance jobs it also gives the owner something to compare with the carrier's estimate.
What to put on a restoration estimate
- Category of water and area affected.
- Extraction and drying by the square foot.
- Equipment by unit and day.
- Tear-out of drywall, carpet and pad.
- Monitoring visits and the drying goal.
- Rebuild noted as a separate estimate.
A worked example
A supply line leak, clean water across about 200 sq ft of laundry room and hall. The extraction line uses the calculator's typical price.
| Line | Qty | Unit | Price | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water removal and drying, clean water * | 200 | sq ft | $3.75 | $750.00 |
| Air mover | 12 | day | Your price | |
| Dehumidifier | 3 | day | Your price | |
| Flood cut and remove wet drywall | 40 | ft | Your price | |
| Moisture monitoring visit | 2 | visit | Your price |
Count equipment as units times days. Four air movers for three days is twelve air mover days, and the owner should see it that way.
* Typical price from our free water damage restoration cost calculator, which lists its sources. Your own costs and market come first.
Line items restoration companies use
| Line item | Unit | How to write it |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency response and setup | each | After-hours call-out, inspection and moisture map. |
| Water extraction | sq ft | Category of water and surfaces extracted. |
| Air mover | day | Per unit per day on site. |
| Dehumidifier | day | Per unit per day on site. |
| Moisture monitoring visit | visit | Readings recorded each visit. |
| Flood cut and remove wet drywall | ft | Height of the cut and disposal. |
| Remove wet carpet and pad | sq ft | Carpet saved or discarded. |
| Antimicrobial application | sq ft | Product used on affected materials. |
| Containment for mold work | each | Poly walls, zipper door and negative air. |
| Air scrubber | day | HEPA filtration per unit per day. |
| Smoke and soot cleaning | sq ft | Walls, ceilings and contents areas. |
| Disposal | load | Debris and wet material hauled away. |
| Contents pack-out | hour | Packing, moving and storing belongings. |
Terms and deposit language for restoration
- Deposit. Emergency work starts without a deposit. Planned mold and rebuild work takes a deposit at signing, within your state's limits.
- Payment. Homeowner-paid work is due on completion. On insurance jobs, the owner is responsible for the deductible and anything the carrier does not pay.
- Warranty. You stand behind drying to the goals in your moisture log and mold removal to clearance where testing is part of the job. Cause of loss, like a failed pipe, is the owner's or a plumber's to fix.
- Equipment days are counted from setup to pickup, by unit.
- Moisture readings and photos are kept for every visit and shared with the owner or adjuster.
- Rebuild after drying is a separate estimate.
How to fill it in
- Put in your business details once; this browser keeps them for every template.
- Fill in the customer and the job.
- Change the line items to fit this job and add your prices.
- Set tax, the deposit and the good-until date.
- Print to PDF, download Word or CSV, or send it from Koira.
Free tools for restoration
- Water damage restoration cost calculator
- Mold remediation cost calculator
- Basement waterproofing cost calculator
- Labor rate calculator
The same estimate for other trades: appliance repair, auto detailing, carpentry, carpet cleaning, chimney, house cleaning, commercial cleaning, concrete, deck, drywall, duct cleaning, electrical, fence, flooring, garage door, general contractor, glass, gutter, handyman, holiday lighting, home inspection, hood cleaning, hvac, insulation, irrigation, junk removal, landscaping, lawn care, locksmith, masonry, moving, painting, pest control, plumbing, pool service, pressure washing, property maintenance, remodeling, roofing, security system, septic, siding, snow removal, solar, tile, tree service, water treatment, waterproofing, window cleaning, window and door.
More for restoration companies: how restoration companies run on Koira.