Water Damage Estimate Checklist

Compare what a company proposes to do before comparing totals. You can check these items on screen, print this page, or download the two-page worksheet. Checkmarks reset when the page is reloaded; there is no form to submit your answers.

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A homeowner question checklist from an independent referral publisher. It is not a professional inspection form, a contractor recommendation or an insurance determination.

1. Identify the company and the job

• Record the company’s name, contact details and the person responsible for your estimate.
• Ask the company to confirm whether it can serve your ZIP code and what its initial visit includes.
• Ask about relevant qualifications, insurance and any license required for the proposed work.
• Confirm any assessment, call-out or minimum charge, including if you decline further work.

2. Clarify the proposed scope

• Ask which rooms, surfaces and materials are included in the estimate.
• Ask who will identify and repair the original leak or source; confirm whether that work is separate.
• Ask which extraction, drying, cleanup, removal and disposal tasks are included.
• Ask how the company proposes to assess affected materials and explain its drying progress.
• Ask which repairs or rebuilding tasks are excluded and whether another trade is needed.

3. Understand equipment and additional charges

• Ask for the proposed equipment quantities, billing units and expected rental duration in writing.
• Ask how monitoring visits, equipment changes and collection are charged.
• Ask what determines whether drying equipment needs to stay longer.
• Ask how you will be told about a changed scope and how you approve additional work.
• Check payment dates, deposits, applicable taxes and any other stated fees.

4. Keep the job and the insurance decision separate

• Ask your insurer what documentation it needs and what your policy requires.
• Keep photographs taken safely, written estimates, authorizations and receipts together.
• Ask who is responsible for submitting which documents and whether you will receive copies.
• Confirm your payment obligations; do not treat the contractor’s estimate as a coverage decision.

5. Confirm completion and next steps

• Ask what records the company will provide when it considers its agreed work complete.
• Ask whether remaining repairs or monitoring require a separate agreement.
• Keep the final invoice and the contact details for questions about the completed scope.

Example: why a lower total can cover less

An estimate for standing-water extraction alone is not directly comparable with one covering extraction, equipment rental, monitoring and material removal. This is a scope example, not a price quotation. Ask both companies to explain the same set of tasks and identify exclusions before comparing.

Your notes

Company / contact / estimate date:

Work excluded or requiring another trade:

Questions still unanswered:

References and next steps

The EPA’s flooded-home guidance explains cleanup hazards and links to material-specific guidance. Georgia’s insurance regulator explains why coverage depends on the policy. This checklist turns those general considerations into questions; neither organization endorses it.

Read what a restoration quote should explain, insurance documentation information or water extraction information.

Published September 9, 2026. AI-assisted editorial preparation; no independent professional review claimed. This worksheet does not require you to enter property details or submit your answers.