Is This Restoration Quote Fair? A San Diego Checklist

Is this restoration quote fair?

A fair restoration quote tells you what comes out, what gets dried or cleaned, for how long, and how you will know it is done. If yours can't answer those in writing, get a second price before anything else.

Updated October 29, 2026 · Sources listed at the end

Read the scope line by line

Square footage. Removal and cleaning are priced by area. Does the area match what actually got wet or sooty?
Water category. Is it priced as clean water, gray water or black water? Fixr lists clean water at $3.75 to $4.25 per square foot and black water at $7 to $7.50. A supply-line leak billed as sewage is a red flag.
Equipment days. How many air movers and dehumidifiers, for how many days? Fixr says drying usually takes at least three days. Ten days on a small leak needs a reason in the readings.
Removal. Is the drywall cut at a sensible height, or is the whole wall coming out?
Extras. Antimicrobial treatment, contents pack-out, and "monitoring" visits are real services. Ask what each one is for in your house.

Check the paperwork

Before work starts, most companies ask you to sign something. Find out which kind it is:

Work authorization. Permission to do the job, with a price or a pricing method.
Assignment of benefits or direction to pay. Hands part of your insurance claim to the company. You may lose control over that part of the claim.
Responsibility clause. Makes you pay whatever your insurer doesn't. Common, and worth knowing about before the bill comes.

A contract signed at home in California comes with a right to cancel within a short window, longer if you are 65 or older; the contract has to say how (Civil Code 1689.6).

Check the company

A Contractors State License Board license for repairs of $1,000 or more. Look it up at cslb.ca.gov.
Proof of liability insurance and workers' compensation.
Moisture readings and photos at the start and the end, in writing.

A written scope and price before work starts. What gets removed, what gets dried or cleaned, and for how long.
Moisture readings and photos. Taken at the start and the end, so any adjuster can see the job was finished.
No pressure to sign on the spot. You can read anything before you sign it, including any form that mentions your insurance.
A CSLB license for the repairs. California requires one for any job of $1,000 or more. Ask for the number and check it.

After a disaster

After a storm or wildfire is declared an emergency, California's price gouging law generally caps increases on repair and cleanup at 10 percent over the pre-emergency price (Penal Code 396). Be wary of anyone going door to door after a fire or flood.

Questions San Diego homeowners ask

Should I get more than one quote?

With active water, start drying with whoever can come first; delay costs more than a slightly high price. For the removal and the rebuild, a second written price is worth the wait.

Can I negotiate a restoration bill with insurance involved?

Yes. Many companies price with the same estimating software insurers use, so line items can be compared. Ask the adjuster to review the line items with you.