Stars and Bars RestorationWhy This List Exists
When something goes wrong in your home — a pipe bursts, a fire leaves smoke damage, mold shows up behind a wall — you're rarely in a calm, research-everything state of mind. You're stressed, water might still be spreading, and you just want someone to show up and fix it. That's exactly the moment when it's easiest to hire the wrong company: the one with the flashiest ad, the fastest-answering phone line, or the lowest quoted price that turns into a much bigger bill once the work starts.
We wrote this list because we'd genuinely rather you ask us these questions than skip straight to hiring based on who answers first. A company confident in its own work should welcome being asked. Here are the ten questions worth asking any restoration company in Southern Colorado before you sign anything.
Need help right now? Call Stars and Bars Restoration at (719) 676-2456 — we're happy to answer every one of these questions on the phone.
1. Are you actually local, or is this a lead-generation site?
This is the single most important question, and it's the one most homeowners don't think to ask. A large share of the top search results for "water damage restoration [your city]" in Southern Colorado aren't restoration companies at all — they're marketing sites that collect your phone number and sell it to whichever contractor bids for the lead. That contractor could be based two hours away, could be a subcontractor you've never vetted, and the original site has no ongoing relationship with the quality of work you get. Ask directly: "Is this the company that will show up at my door, or will you be dispatching someone else?"
2. What IICRC certifications does your crew hold, specifically?
Don't accept "we're certified" as a full answer. Ask which certifications — water damage restoration (WRT), applied structural drying (ASD), applied microbial remediation (AMRT) for mold, or fire and smoke restoration (FSRT) are all separate credentials covering different disciplines. A company doing mold remediation should have AMRT-certified technicians, not just WRT. You can ask for certification numbers and verify them directly through the IICRC.
3. How fast can you actually be on-site, and is that a real estimate?
Vague promises like "we're always fast" aren't useful. Ask for a specific time window based on your location and get a sense of whether that's realistic given where the company is actually based (see question 1). We're upfront with Southern Colorado customers about response times — fastest in Pueblo and Colorado Springs, longer for communities further out like Alamosa or Raton, NM.
4. Will you document everything for my insurance claim?
Proper documentation — moisture readings, photos at each stage, a written scope of work — is what separates a claim that gets approved cleanly from one that gets disputed months later. Ask to see a sample of what their documentation looks like before you hire them. If a company can't show you an example, that's a red flag. Our water damage insurance claims guide covers what adjusters typically expect to see.
5. Do you work directly with my insurance company, or do I have to manage that myself?
Some companies coordinate directly with adjusters and submit documentation on your behalf. Others hand you a bill and leave the insurance process entirely to you. Neither approach is wrong, but you should know which one you're getting before the job starts, not after.
6. What's your policy on drying time — do you dry to a standard, or dry until it "looks fine"?
This is a subtle but important distinction. A structure that looks dry and one that's actually dry by moisture meter readings are different things. A company should be able to tell you they dry to a documented moisture standard (per IICRC S500 guidelines), not just until the visible signs of water are gone. Cutting drying time short is one of the most common causes of mold showing up weeks after a "completed" restoration job.
7. Will you tell me if a repair is small enough to do myself?
This one is less about the technical work and more about whether you can trust the company's judgment. A contractor who's honest about small jobs not needing a full professional response is more likely to be honest about the scope of a bigger one too.
8. What happens if the job turns out to be bigger than initially estimated?
Water and fire damage often extends further than what's visible on day one. Ask how the company handles a scope change — do they call you before doing additional work, or do you find out when you get the final bill? A trustworthy company will walk you through any change in scope and cost before proceeding.
9. Can I get references from recent local jobs?
Not testimonials from a website — actual contact information for recent customers in your area you can call. A company that's genuinely done good work locally should have no problem connecting you with a past customer.
10. Who is actually showing up at my house?
Ask about the technicians themselves — are they employees of the company, or subcontracted out to whoever's available that day? For a small, veteran-owned company like ours, that's an easy question: it's our own crew, based in Colorado City, and we know exactly who's going to your door.
Why We're Comfortable Being Asked All of These
Robert built Stars and Bars Restoration after his time in the Marine Corps, and the standards that come with that background — showing up when you say you will, being straight about scope and cost, documenting things properly — are the same standards behind every one of these questions. We're IICRC certified, we're local to Colorado City, and we'd rather answer these ten questions on the phone before you hire us than have you find out the hard way after hiring someone else. We wrote more about what veteran-owned and IICRC certified actually mean for how a job gets handled in this article, and about the broader decision process in how to choose a water damage restoration company in Southern Colorado.
Call Us — Ask Us Anything on This List
If you're dealing with water, mold, fire, or storm damage anywhere in Southern Colorado — Pueblo, Colorado Springs, Trinidad, Walsenburg, Cañon City, or the smaller communities we cover — call Stars and Bars Restoration at (719) 676-2456. Ask us any question on this list. We're available 24/7, and we'd rather earn your trust with a straight answer than a sales pitch.
Stars and Bars Restoration | IICRC Certified | Veteran-Owned | Colorado City, CO | Serving all of Southern Colorado