Can I choose my own restoration contractor?
Yes. The property owner chooses who does the work. Insurers keep preferred vendor programmes and will often steer you toward one on the first call, but a recommendation is not a condition of the claim and nothing in a standard policy requires a particular company.
What a preferred vendor programme is
Contractors on those lists have agreed pricing and process with the carrier, which speeds up approvals and gives the insurer predictable costs. That can genuinely be convenient.
It also means the contractor has an ongoing commercial relationship with the party paying the claim. That is worth knowing rather than being alarmed by, and it is the reason to understand who your contractor answers to.
Where the pressure usually comes from
The first call after a loss often comes from a mitigation company dispatched through the carrier, sometimes before you have spoken to anyone. It can feel like the decision has been made for you.
You can accept that dispatch for the emergency work and still choose someone else for the rebuild. Those are separate decisions and they do not have to go to the same company.
What to check before you sign anything on a wet floor
Read what you are signing during the emergency. Some authorisation forms include a direction to pay and assign your claim benefits to the contractor, which is a bigger decision than authorising an emergency dry out.
Ask what the document covers, whether it commits you to the reconstruction as well as the mitigation, and how to end it if you change your mind.
What we do
We work directly for the property owner. We document the damage, write the reconstruction scope, and communicate the construction details with your adjuster, and you can end the relationship at any point before work starts.
We are not a public adjuster and we do not tell you what your policy covers. That is between you and your carrier.
Still Want Someone to Look at It?
Send photos and a description and you get a written price with the scope spelled out. Open every day, 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM. Emergency response in 24–48 hours for urgent property damage.