How Durham Restoration Desk works
Durham Restoration Desk connects Durham County owners and tenants with a restoration company, and charges them nothing for it. We don't own trucks or dehumidifiers. Each request goes to one independent company that works the caller's part of the county; that company makes contact, inspects, prices the job and books it.
Who pays us
The company we refer you to pays a fee for the lead. Homeowners and tenants pay us zero. Pricing is entirely the company's call; we have no say in it and do none of the work.
Our four asks of every company
- Scope and price on paper, up front. What comes out, what stays to be dried, plus how many days it should take.
- A meter log with photos. First day and last day at minimum, so an adjuster can see the house really reached dry.
- Time to read. Nobody should rush you past a signature line, least of all on a page about your insurance.
- The source, named. Say what let the water in and who is fixing it, so you aren't paying for the same room again next spring.
Call (984) 223-9505 if the visit you got didn't match that list.
Checking a contractor
North Carolina has no separate state license for water or fire damage restoration. Rebuild work is different: a project of $40,000 or more needs a contractor licensed by the North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors (G.S. 87-1), and you can look one up at the NCLBGC license search. Whoever does the job, get their insurance certificate and a scope on paper before they begin.
Sources
Every guide closes with its citations. The weather and Eno River figures are our own work from public NOAA and USGS records. FEMA supplies the flood claims and the Census Bureau the housing figures. Method and data.
Photo credits
Photos are from Unsplash, used under the Unsplash License: Colin Rowley, Elijah Mears, Brandon Griggs, Wes Warren, Luca Severin, Eric Parenteau, Hydra 4x, Amritanshu Sikdar. No photo depicts any particular contractor's jobs.