water restoration business plan

Water Restoration Business Plan [Sample Template]

By: Author Tony Martins Ajaero

Home » Business Plans » B2C Sector

Are you about starting a water restoration company ? If YES, here is a complete sample water restoration business plan template & feasibility report you can use for FREE. Okay, so we have considered all the requirements for starting a water restoration business .

We also took it further by analyzing and drafting a sample water restoration business marketing plan template backed up by actionable guerrilla marketing ideas for water restoration businesses. So let’s proceed to the business planning section.

Why Start a Water Restoration Business?

According to reports, there have been over 200 climate and weather disasters across the U.S within the past 36 years. These events have cost over 1 billion dollars and have boosted the restoration industry. Every region in the united states faces different types of damage.

The southeast has a prevalence of tropical cyclones while winter storms are most agonizing in all of the east coast states and along the Gulf Coast. Flooding also is a danger in most states — especially Texas and the lower Mississippi Valley.

When starting this business, you need to consider whether there is enough need in your area to sustain a growing water restoration business. It’s advisable that you do some research into the number of storms and natural disasters in your area in the last several years.

You should also check out the number of existing restoration companies around. Try to find out if they are very busy or if they struggle with slow business. You also need to understand that creating an identity in the industry can be very daunting, that is why you need to begin by getting your certifications.

Analyzing and remediating damage are specific skills you have to learn. When handling mould for example, there are safety protocols you must follow for your crew and the homeowner. Like any other construction business, restoration is based on projects.

It’s important you decide what type of projects you will work on even before you start building your business. Fire and water restoration and mould remediation all need different skills and equipment. If you are completely new to this industry, you may want to start with a narrow focus — water restoration, for example — and then add other services from there.

Another factor you should consider when starting this business is the issue of location. If you are in the northeast, focusing solely on fire restoration may not provide enough work for you.

The weather conditions in the southeast are likely to promote mould remediation work, while in the coastal area, water restoration from flooding could be your main business focus. Focusing your business on one aspect of restoration will make it easy to promote your services to your target audience.

A Sample Water Restoration Business Plan Template

1. industry overview.

Reports have it that the American restoration industry has grown to a magnificent $210 billion annual market and because of many factors, including aging American homes and infrastructure, the worsening severity of storms, the influx of wildfires and frequent flooding.

These points toward a skyrocketing market for home and commercial restoration in the coming years. No one can tell exactly when a disaster will occur. It can strike at any moment, but one thing is certain, disasters happen often. Note that with the increasing water damage, there is always the danger of mould growth. They can occur no matter when a home or commercial property was built.

Moulds can also grow without water damage occurring at all, making unsuspecting home and property owners vulnerable, especially if they live in modern, and eco-friendly homes. The price of getting rid of mould is between $1,111 and $3,211, with high costs approaching $6,000.

Although water damage and mould growth are both far more common, experts believe homeowners should expect more property damage as the result of climate change. In 2016, the Environmental Protection Agency reported $6 billion in property damage from severe storms, a number that has remained constant since 2008.

Flooding on its own is becoming a big problem, especially in the American Southeast, where millions live along the coasts. Fire and smoke damage also costs home and property owners, as well as insurance companies, billions of dollars every year. Report has it that homeowners spend anywhere from $2,586 to $12,993, with the highest amount being more than $60,000 to restore a home.

2. Executive Summary

Aquarius is an Austin-based water restoration and plumbing company that will focus on serving the needs of residential homes in Austin, Texas. Today, the restoration industry as a whole is worth about $210 billion, and this figure according to statistics is expected to grow even more in the coming years.

This is attributed to several factors, including the increasing intensity of natural disasters, aging homes and infrastructure in the United States, as well as commonly occurring wildfires and flooding.

We at Aquarius are dedicated to offer our expertise to the people of Austin in their time of need. By concentrating on a specific segment of the market, we will be able to rapidly gain market share demonstrating our proficiency and professionalism in serving a specific market niche.

One of our key objectives at Aquarius is to establish a company whose primary goal is to exceed customer’s expectations. We plan to leverage our competitive advantages of professionalism and quality by properly training all our employees.

We at Aquarius understand that name recognition is an important part of marketing because people like to hire a company they are familiar with. These are emotional times in people’s lives and they will lean towards the familiar.

We at Aquarius have developed a sales and marketing plan that will give our company a family approach to services which will attract our target market and make them trust us. Our aim is to restore peace-of-mind and put people’s lives back together quickly when water damage issues arise.

Indeed helping people gives a good feeling and we also hope to run a business that meets or exceeds its profit goals. We at Aquarius have set realistic goals for our business to help us turn a profit and keep providing necessary services for the people in our community.

3. Our Products and Services

Aquarius will provide water restoration and plumbing services such as, plumbing repairs, as well as mould remediation, water damage restoration, reconstruction and bio hazard material removal. We believe that our services promote a healthier workplace and living environment, thus promoting better general health. We will also offer the finest in residential home plumbing construction.

We at Aquarius are dedicated to serve residents and local businesses. We plan to establish a business that will be the leading choice in restoring homes and properties damaged by water, mould and outside elements. We believe that by providing customers with quality water damage restoration services, we will be fulfilling the needs of residents in Austin, Texas.

4. Our Mission and Vision Statement

• Our vision at Aquarius is to provide an unmatched service experience quickly, professionally, ethically and with compassion, resulting in peace of mind for all concerned.
• Our mission at Aquarius is to provide the finest water restoration services and house plumbing installation.
• We believe that our company exists to attract and maintain customers and exceed the expectations of our customers.

Our Business Structure

We all know that it will be difficult to run Aquarius without any employees. Our founder Max Jefferson, although a seasoned entrepreneur, cannot do all the marketing, estimating, remediation and reconstruction on his own. That is why we have decided to let him do what he does best while we hire employees to help do the rest.

We understand that in this line of business, knowing how many jobs you can accept in the same timeframe can be difficult at first and will depend on the size of your staff. We have decided to start with the portfolios listed below but hire more people as our workload increases.

We strongly believe that our business is an exciting business opportunity that settles a huge need in the city of Austin. We believe that these distinct services will have benchmarked customer service, something that the industry is not known for having. We will be led by a seasoned management team, whom have extensive industry experience to push us to the top. The portfolios include:

Chief Executive Officer

Service Supervisor

Human Resources and Admin Manager

• Sales and Marketing Executive

Water restoration technicians

Client Service Executive

5. Job Roles and Responsibilities

• Increases management’s effectiveness by recruiting, selecting, orienting, training, coaching, counselling, and disciplining managers; communicating values, strategies, and objectives; assigning accountabilities; planning, monitoring, and appraising job results
• In charge of providing direction for the business
• Creating, communicating, and implementing the organization’s vision, mission, and overall direction – i.e. leading the development and implementation of the overall organization’s strategy.
• In charge of signing checks and documents on behalf of the company
• Evaluates the success of the organization
• Serve as project manager of the organization; works directly with employees
• Develops strategic plans by studying new restoration services
• Accomplishes subsidiary objectives by establishing plans, budgets, and results measurements; allocating resources; reviewing progress; making mid-course corrections.
• Builds company image by collaborating with customers, government, community organizations, and employees; enforcing ethical business practices.
• Maintains quality service by establishing and enforcing organization standards.
• Maintains professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops; reviewing professional publications; establishing personal networks; benchmarking state-of-the-art practices; participating in professional societies.
• Make sure that the organization works in line with international best practices.
• In charge of overseeing the smooth running of HR and administrative tasks for the organization
• Defining job positions for recruitment and managing interviewing process
• Carrying out induction for new team members
• In charge of training, evaluation and assessment of employees
• In charge of arranging travel, meetings and appointments
• Oversee the smooth running of the daily office activities.

Sales and Marketing Manager

• Manage external research and coordinate all the internal sources of information to retain the organizations’ best customers and attract new ones
• Model demographic information and analyse the volumes of transactional data generated by customer
• Identifies development opportunities; follows up on development leads and contacts
• Create new markets cum businesses for the organization
• Empower and motivates the sales team to meet and surpass agreed targets
• In charge of preparing financial reports, budgets, and financial statements for the organization
• Provides managements with financial analyses, development budgets, and accounting reports
• In charge of financial forecasting and risks analysis.
• Performs cash management, general ledger accounting, and financial reporting for one or more properties.
• In charge of developing and managing financial systems and policies
• In charge of administering payrolls
• Ensuring compliance with taxation legislation
• Handles all financial transactions for the business
• Serves as internal auditor for the business
• Perform field restoration activities including demolition , cleaning, emergency flood service, restorative drying, fire and smoke damage cleaning and deodorization, content cleaning, pack out and storage and other specialized cleaning.
• Ensure proper set-up and monitoring of equipment used to address the property’s restoration needs.
• Perform field-remodelling activities including interior and exterior painting and finishing, light repairs and cleaning as needed.
• Complete measurements and drawings, takes photographs and completes folder documentation
• May interact with homeowners, property managers or other individuals while carrying out job responsibilities. Interactions should be conducted in a courteous and professional manner that reflects the customer service philosophy of ARS Restoration Services.
• Respond to emergency situations in homes and businesses caused by water, flood, soot, storm, mould, trauma and other emergency situations.
• In charge of producing good quality restoration by meeting or exceeding accepted industry standards.
• Welcomes clients and potential clients by greeting them in person or on the telephone; answering or directing inquiries.
• Makes sure that all contacts with clients (e-mail, walk-In centre, SMS or phone) provides the client with a personalized customer service experience of the highest level
• Through interaction with clients on the phone, uses every opportunity to build client’s interest in the company’s products and services
• Manages administrative duties assigned by the supervisor or CEO in an effective and timely manner
• Consistently stays abreast of any new information on the organizations’ products, promotional campaigns etc.
• Make sure accurate and helpful information is supplied to clients when they make enquiries

6. SWOT Analysis

Aquarius will offer water restoration and plumbing services for residential houses in our business community. Our business location is ideal as it provides us with a unique market and a growing economy. Austin is the capital of the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties.

This city is the 11th-most populous city in the United States and the 4th-most populous city in Texas. It is also the fastest growing large city in the United States, the second most populous state capital after Phoenix, Arizona, and the southernmost state capital in the contiguous United States.

It provides us with a great proportion of target market as Texas is known to be prone to floods and water damage. We at Aquarius have made adequate plans to leverage this need and provide solution to the menace of water and flooding, that is why we contacted Silicon Business Consultants to do our SWOT Analysis for us.

Silicon Business Consultants are known for the experience and agility they possess in terms of business consulting and analysis. They were very thorough with their dealings and outlined below is a summary of the SWOT Analysis they conducted for us:

According to our SWOT Analysis, our strength in this industry rests on our plans and dedication to provide our customers with a fair price and outstanding service. We also boast of a strong workforce that understand the restoration industry in and out.

These individuals have been in the industry and they understand the changing trends and the quality of innovation needed to stay relevant in the industry. They’ve also been put through specialized trainings that will boost their approach to service and how they treat clients.

According to our SWOT analysis, the right equipment and a trained group of employees will make our restoration company competitive, but we still need to get the jobs to grow our business.

It went further to explain that new businesses in this industry often struggle with letting people in the area know that they exist and what services they offer because when starting up there are no satisfied customers who can spread the word about our work. We’ve looked into this and we’ve come up with a good sales and marketing plan that will help us manoeuvre through this weakness.

• Opportunities

According to industry reports, more than 14,000 people experience water damage every single day, and damage from “water leaks and frozen pipes cost consumers and insurers more than $10 billion every year in the U.S.”

Report also has it that the average costs to repair water damage in the United States ranges from $1,038 to $3,607, and can approach over $6,000 if the damage is severe. Statistics has it that the average age of a home is nearly 40 years old, so this type of damage is expected to continue.

Our SWOT Analysis noted that just like any other business, one of the key threats we at Aquarius are likely going to face is economic downturn. This is because economic downturn affects purchasing / spending power. Another threat that may likely confront us is the arrival of a new restoration company in same location where our target market exist and who may want to adopt same Business model like us.

7. MARKET ANALYSIS

• Market Trend

Aside natural disasters, reports have it that one of the leading drivers of demand in our line of business is the presence of mould in homes. Indeed new and energy-efficient homes are more likely to experience mould because of the way they restrict airflow.

But experts believe that new and advanced technologies have made it far easier for even homeowners and professionals to detect mould in homes and commercial properties. Therefore, they are going to create a greater demand for the services of mould restoration professionals.

Natural disasters in their own right are also a driving demand for fire and water damage restoration professionals. The Environmental Protection Agency reported in 2016 that severe storms led to about $6 billion in property damage. Indeed this is a huge and almost unfathomable figure, but it is one that has been relatively stable since 2008.

It’s also important to state that most experts in this industry believe that Hurricane Katrina marked a significant shift in restoration industry trends when it hit New Orleans in 2005. Before that time, the restoration industry operated with few standards, and there were few proven practices when it came to billing, paperwork and navigating the regulatory environment.

But all these have changed now. As natural disasters like wildfires, hurricanes and flooding have swept across the country; the demand for restoration professionals has grown massively. Note that the standards with which restoration professionals work and the proven practices they use have improved, too. The industry as a whole is better organized and better ready to respond in the aftermath of a natural disaster.

8. Our Target Market

Our target market strategy at Aquarius is to become the number one choice for people who are looking for exceptional water restoration and plumbing services in Austin, Texas. Anyone can seek for our expertise as long as they have water damage issues.

Water damage can originate from a broken dishwasher hose, a washing machine overflow, a dishwasher leakage, broken/leaking pipes, flood waters and clogged toilets. Report has it that 13.7% of all water used in the home today can be attributed to plumbing leaks.

That is approximately 10,000 gallons of water per year wasted by leaks for each US home. A tiny, 1/8-inch crack in a pipe can release up to 250 gallons of water a day. This goes to explain how huge our target market in the niche we chose is and how they can’t be segmented.

Our competitive advantage

Our plan at Aquarius is to first grow our business visibility through networking activities. Once we’ve developed visibility, we can then highlight our competitive advantages of professionalism and trim quality with a test project for our client. We will be able to win over contracts after our initial display of workmanship. Our competitive advantage in this business is further explained below:

• Professionalism

Due to the lack of government regulations in this industry, anyone can decide to start this business. Now the industry is filled with unprofessional workers who claim to be technicians. We at Aquarius plan to exhibit our professionalism in all aspects of customer interaction as well as job performance.

All our employees at Aquarius will be indoctrinated into this customer-centric culture, ensuring that all interactions with anyone from our company will be a positive experience.

• Trim Quality

This is the part of the job that is seen by customers as opposed to the bulk of the work that is hidden behind cabinets and walls. There are not a lot of restoration and plumbing companies that have consistently good trim quality. We at Aquarius believe this is one way we can easily stand out among our competitors.

Having high trim quality is also an easy way to impress home builders since they will have to fix any issues that are unsatisfying to home-buyers, so sloppy trim work will usually have to be remedied at some point, usually when it is inconvenient.

9. SALES AND MARKETING STRATEGY

• Sources of Income

Just like was stated above, we at Aquarius will provide water restoration and plumbing services like water removal, as well as mould remediation, water damage restoration, reconstruction and bio hazarded material removal. We believe that our services will promote a healthier workplace and living environment, thus promoting better general health.

We will also offer the finest in residential home plumbing construction as well as custom new home construction. We chose residential construction because it is straight forward and clean. Estimates are far more accurate and the company is dealing with a few contractors and diverse home owners.

10. Sales Forecast

We at Aquarius believe that our first month will be used to set up our business, while our second month will be used to train our employee as well as to undertake several jobs. We will use the third month to train three more employees as well as do a few other jobs.

But by our fourth month, we must have established a reliable alliance with a real estate company to help promote our services to their clients. Month six will mark the development and continuous partnership with other real estate businesses and contractors.

From month six on there should be a steady increase in sales activity. However, our sales projections reflects the professional opinion of our sales and marketing team who believe that how much we make will depend solely on the following assumptions:

• The volume of clients our starting workforce can attract from their previous companies.
• The outcome of planned promotions and word-of-mouth marketing.
• Current prices and costs of doing business.
• The types of restoration and jobs that will occur in every month.
• Marketing Strategy and Sales Strategy

Our goal at Aquarius is to become the local leader in water restoration and plumbing services all over Texas. Our marketing and sales strategy will be based on both networking as well as advertising.

This particular sales strategy will focus on Max Jefferson calling and meeting with all those he has worked with in time past, as well as others in the industry. He will relate and chat with them and let them know about his current venture and request a trial build to prove himself.

We believe this industry runs and survives on proper business networking and whenever he runs into someone he will mention his new company.  This will spread the word rather fast as contractors tend to bump into each other all over town.

• Advertising

We at Aquarius plan to leverage local real estate journals. We believe that this publication is a printed resource that Home owners will typically consult when they are in need of a contractor for a specific service in their house.

Because the readership is targeted and so closely interconnected, advertisements will be quite effective. We also plan to place our advertisement in the Yellow Pages, however we believe that the advertisements in the trade journal will be more effective due to the closer demographics and behaviour factors of the readership group.

11. Publicity and Advertising Strategy

Our publicity and advertising strategy at Aquarius will take the form of flyers, direct mailers, price discounts, and advertisements in newspapers and yellow pages. Although we do not intend to spend a large amount on marketing until the firm is ready to expand either into new facilities or open up new ones. We believe this will occur sometime after year five, but we will leverage some approaches to boost our brand awareness and they are;

• Place adverts on both print (newspapers and magazines) and electronic media platforms
• Leverage on the internet and social media platforms like; Instagram, Facebook , twitter, YouTube, Google + et al to promote our services
• Install our billboards in strategic locations all around Austin, Texas
• Engage in roadshows from time to time in targeted neighbourhoods
• Distribute our fliers and handbills in target areas
• Contact corporate organizations by calling them up and informing them of Aquarius and the services we offer
• List our auto repair, servicing and maintenance business in local directories / yellow pages
• Advertise our auto repair, servicing and maintenance business in our official website and employ strategies that will help us pull traffic to the site.
• Ensure that all our staff members wear our branded shirts and all our vehicles are well branded with our company logo et al.

12. Our Pricing Strategy

Although our business industry has no strict government regulations, yet it is still a purely competitive environment where each business must be a price taker. It simply means that a business that has no ability to affect the market price of its services, regardless of how many restoration jobs it does is destined for a crash.

From our detailed research, we were able to find out that the average costs to repair water damage in the United States ranges from $1,038 to $3,607, and can approach well over $6,000 if the damage is severe, while the price of getting rid of mould is between $1,111 and $3,211, with high costs approaching $6,000.

We at Aquarius have analysed every possible market in this industry and we hope to strive or look to charge our clients at the market price (or lower).

• Payment Options

Our job in this business is to provide our clients with fast and reliable solutions at the point of their needs. This also includes providing them with payment options that will make things easier for them. Providing different payment options for our clients will also endear them to our business and make them want to align with us at the point of their needs.

• Payment by via bank transfer
• Payment via POS machine
• Payment via online bank transfer
• Payment via mobile money
• Payment with cash

To provide all these outstanding services, we have partnered with a renowned bank in the country and we hope to make use of that relationship. Our bank account numbers will be made available on our website and promotional materials so that it will be easier for clients to make payments when necessary.

13. Startup Expenditure (Budget)

We at Aquarius will be focusing on a specific niche in the restoration and plumbing market, residential homes. We believe that through a combination of networking activities and advertisements, we will increase our visibility among home owners thus allowing us to gain market share.

We have researched our industry extensively and we believe we can achieve our business goals. We have analysed the market and have decided on how we plan to spend our start up fund. These are the key areas where we will spend our startup capital on;

• Business incorporating fees in the United States of America will cost – $750.
• The budget for Liability insurance, permits and license will cost – $3,500
• Acquiring our business office for at least 6 months (Re – Construction of the facility inclusive) will cost – $100,000.
• The amount required to purchase the needed tool box and repair equipment – $250,000
• Equipping the office (computers, printers, projectors, markers, servers / internet facility, furniture, telephones, filing cabinets, and electronics) will cost – $30,000
• Amount required to purchase the needed software applications to run our business – $ 3,500
• Launching an official Website will cost – $500
• Amount need to pay bills and staff members for at least 2 to 3 months – $70,000
• Additional Expenditure such as Business cards, Signage, Adverts and Promotions will cost – $5,000

From our detailed cost analysis above, we will need approximately five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) to start Aquarius.

Generating Funding/Startup Capital

Aquarius is an Austin-based water restoration and plumbing company that will focus on serving the needs of residential homes in Austin, Texas. Aquarius was founded and will be managed by Max Jefferson. He has been able to raise the required funds needed to start Aquarius from personal savings.

Max Jefferson, a veteran in the plumbing and restoration business plans to build a business that will take over the market completely while also giving customers what they want. His objectives is to make sure sales revenues increase steadily through year three and also to institute a program of superior customer service through rigorous evaluation of service experience.

14. Sustainability and Expansion Strategy

We at Aquarius understand that setting profit goals and checking net profit are ways to make sure our company is profitable. Although we have noted that within our first year, the profits will be small because we will be purchasing new equipment and getting our business set up. But after that we expect our profits to grow steadily.

We plan to buy our supplies in bulk because it will help us reduce cost. We will always ensure that we purchase quality equipment to save on repair and replacement costs. It is sometimes inevitable not to hire subcontractors in this line of business and we acknowledge that anytime we hire a subcontractor, we lose a little control over the job and the budget.

That is why we plan to make sure we develop the ability to handle work in-house, so we don’t need subcontractors. But anytime we have no options but to work with subcontractors, we will pay them by the job instead of by the hour. This way, we are not paying extra if the work takes longer than they initially estimated. We will also create trustworthy relationships with the subcontractors we need frequently.

We also plan to treat small expenditures with as much attention as big ones, because they can add up quickly. We have also put plans in place to track every dollar we spend. We will make sure it is attributed to the right job and claimed as a tax write-off when appropriate. We believe that tracking purchase and inventory carefully will keep us from wasting money on excess inventory.

We also understand that jobs with higher profit margins increase our net profit, so we plan to focus on getting more of those types of jobs. We will starting by figuring out the type of job that brings us the highest profit margin and concentrate on getting those jobs. We will set monthly targets for our team so everyone knows what their priorities are.

Everyone in our company who interacts with customers will be fitted with a business card. We believe business cards are a handy way to be sure our company name and contact information is getting out to the public. Also since our business relies on getting customers in a certain geographic area, networking with local organizations is very crucial. We plan to connect with realtors and insurance agents about introducing our company to their clients.

Checklist/Milestone

• Business Name Availability Check:>Completed
• Business Incorporation: Completed
• Opening of Corporate Bank Accounts: Completed
• Opening Online Payment Platforms: Completed
• Application and Obtaining Tax Payer’s ID: In Progress
• Application for business license and permit: Completed
• Purchase of Insurance for the Business: Completed
• Conducting feasibility studies: Completed
• Leasing, renovating and equipping our facility: Completed
• Generating part of the startup capital from the founder: Completed
• Applications for Loan from our Bankers: In Progress
• Writing of Business Plan: Completed
• Drafting of Employee’s Handbook: Completed
• Drafting of Contract Documents: In Progress
• Design of The Company’s Logo: Completed
• Printing of Promotional Materials: Completed
• Recruitment of employees: In Progress
• Purchase of software applications, furniture, office equipment, electronic appliances and facility facelift: In progress
• Creating Official Website for the Company: In Progress
• Creating Awareness for the business (Business PR): In Progress
• Health and Safety and Fire Safety Arrangement: In Progress
• Establishing business relationship with key players in the industry: In Progress

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How to Start a Water Restoration Company [Business Plan]

A water restoration company is a business that is responsible for cleaning up the aftermath of a water-related catastrophe that damages homes and business properties. A water restoration company also works to restore the property to its normal condition.

Available data shows that the American restoration industry has grown to an astonishing $210 billion annual market. This points towards a skyrocketing market for home and commercial restoration in the coming years.

We all can agree that hazards and disasters can happen at any moment, but one thing is sure, disasters happen often. Reports have it that more than 14,000 people experience water damage every single day, and damage from “water leaks and frozen pipes cost consumers and insurers more than $10 billion every year in the U.S.”

You need to understand that water damage is also extremely expensive, with an average costs to repair water damage ranging from $1,038 – $3,607, and can approach well over $6,000 if the damage is severe. We also know that with water damage, there is always the danger of mold growth. Mold damage can occur no matter when a home or commercial property was built.

Steps on How to Start a Water Restoration Company

Conduct market research.

The first step in the market research process for your water restoration business is to develop market-based research questions in line with your overall business goal and objective. In this regard, you should source information that will help you maximize your business, give you easy access to techniques and equipment that will help you operate your water restoration business with less stress and increased profitability within the shortest time frame.

a. Who is the Target Market for Water Restoration Business?

The target market for water restoration business should include the public sector; government ministries, agencies, and parastatals (public works department), organized private sector, households, property owners, facility managers, boarding houses/campuses, playground/parks, estates, and communities, farm settlements, campgrounds, and corporate organizations.

b. Is Water Restoration Business a Profitable Business?

Yes, the water restoration business is quite profitable because countless government buildings, schools, and private business facilities are affected by water disasters each year.

c. Are There Existing Niches in the Industry?

There are no niche areas in the water restoration business. However, understanding the classes of damage is important to not only potentially preventing an incident, but more importantly, to understand where you stand in the eyes of the industry. These classes and many more activities can serve as niches to choose from in this business.

• Class 1 damage – it involves part of a room that has absorbed little moisture. It’s the least level of damage.
• Class 2 damage- this is when it has affected an entire room and has absorbed into carpeting and walls.
• Class 3 damage – when it must have absorbed up into the walls, saturated most of the area, and may have come through the ceiling. Class 3 damage is considered the worst.
• Class 4 damage – this stage requires specialty drying due damage done to materials such as hardwood, stone, and concrete.
• Removing drywall
• Carpeting and flooring as well as cleaning up debris
• Drying and getting the humidity

d. Who are the Major Competitors?

• All American Water Restoration
• RVA Restoration
• United Water Restoration Group of Charlotte
• Dalworth Restoration
• Utah Water Damage and Mold Removal by AAA Restoration
• 24-7 Restoration, Inc.
• ASAP Restoration LLC
• Certified Restoration Inc.
• Utah Disaster Restoration Services
• Anytime Restoration Services
• DRYmedic Restoration Services
• Putman Restoration of Shreveport
• Lotus Restoration Services
• Disaster MD Restoration Services
• AdvantaClean of Spring
• Big Guys Restoration & Flooring
• American Response Team
• Oklahoma Disaster Restoration
• AWR Restoration & Cleaning
• Boss Disaster Restoration, Inc.

This industry is highly competitive as everyone is still vying for market share and brand awareness in the industry. Have it in mind that floods ranked #1 in the United States for natural disasters and just as little as two feet of rushing water can easily carry a car away.

Even with the level of competition and innovation going on in this industry, you still have a very large opportunity to leverage and achieve financial sustenance.

e. Are There County or State Regulations or Zoning Laws for Water Restoration Business?

No, there are no county or state regulations or zoning laws for water restoration businesses, but players in this industry are expected to work with the existing regulations governing similar businesses in the county where their business is domiciled.

f. Is There a Franchise for Water Restoration Business?

Yes, there are franchise opportunities for water restoration businesses. Here are some of them;

• ServiceMaster Clean/ServiceMaster Restore
• Rainbow International Restoration
• Paul Davis Restoration
• Restoration 1
• 911 Restoration

But before you consider starting a water damage cleaning and restoration business, you ought to investigate whether franchising might be the right move for you. Check if it suits your dreams and visions for your business, check if it suits your long term and short time goals.

g. What Do You Need to Start a Water Restoration Business?

• A Feasibility Report
• Business Plan
• Licenses and Permits
• EIN (Employer Identification Number)/Federal Tax ID Number.
• A Corporate Bank Account
• Equipment and Utility trucks
• Cleaning supplies
• Startup Capital

Choose a Memorable Business Name

When looking to start a business, before you can begin to file the necessary documents with the constituted authorities or start your website, it is necessary that you come up with a name that you will be recognized with. It is essential that the name you come up with can easily be pronounced, is unique and easily memorable.

Some of the catchy business name ideas suitable for a water restoration business are;

 Water Restoration Business Name ideas

• Wipe Clean© Water Restoration Company, Inc.
• Clean and More® Water Restoration Company, Inc.
• Jason Macel© Water Restoration Company, Inc.
• Go Green® Water Restoration Company, Inc.
• City Clean™ Water Restoration Company, Inc.
• Anthony Lawson™ Water Restoration Company, LLC.
• James Kingston© Water Restoration Company, LLC
• The Restorer® Water Restoration Company, Inc.
• Allen World© Water Restoration Company, Inc.
• Like Pro© Water Restoration Company, Inc.
• Tony Morgan® Water Restoration Company, Inc.
• Cleanest Group® Water Restoration Company, Inc.
• We Remove® Water Restoration Company, Inc.
• The Base® Water Restoration Company, Inc.
• Go Getter® Water Restoration Company, Inc.
• Red Berret© Water restoration company, Inc.
• Gleaning and Co™ Water Restoration Company, LLC
• Chicago City® Water Restoration Company, Inc.
• Bally White® Water Restoration Company, Inc.
• Make Clean™ Water Restoration Company, Inc.

Register Your Business

A. what type of business structure is best for water restoration business.

Although there are some options when it comes to the business structure of a water restoration business, the one that most players in this line of business consider is an LLC. It is common to consider an LLC because providers need to protect themselves from lawsuits, while avoiding the double taxation.

Also since it is taxed like a partnership, it can be more flexible than a corporation and a sole proprietorship – seems like the best of all worlds. Please note that an LLC will need an EIN if it has employees or if it will be required to file any of the excise tax forms listed below.

b. Steps to Form an LLC

• Choose a Name for Your LLC.
• File Articles of Organization.
• Choose a registered agent.
• Decide on member vs. manager management.
• Create an LLC operating agreement.
• Comply with other tax and regulatory requirements.
• File annual reports.

c. What Type of License is Needed to Open a Water Restoration Business?

• General Business License
• Health and Safety Permit
• Zonal Permits
• Signage Permit
• Operational State Facility Inspections (If you have an office)

d. What Type of Certification is Needed to Open a Water Restoration Business?

• Water Remediation Certification and a Contractor License
• Certified Mould professional
• IRI Water Restoration Certification
• Microbial Remediation Supervisor
• Building Moisture and Documentation (BMI)

You need to know that standards exist which those who are starting a water restoration business will need to be aware of, the most commonly cited mitigation industry standard is the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification S500 Standard and Reference Guide for Professional Water Damage Restoration.

Note that this standard outlines the process, procedures and recommendations for qualified mitigation efforts including understanding how to properly dry various affected building materials in residential as well as commercial properties.

e. What Documents are Needed to Open a Water Restoration Business?

• Business and liability insurance
• Federal Tax Payer’s ID
• State Permit and Building Approval
• Certificate of Incorporation
• Business License
• Employment Agreement (offer letters)
• Operating Agreement for LLCs
• Insurance Policy
• Online Terms of Use (if you have a website)
• Company Bylaws
• Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)

It is very important to state that licenses for water damage restoration businesses are typically regulated locally. You need to research your location because they can all vary in different areas. But one document you should have in mind is the service contract or agreement.

In this business, we strongly advise that you ask your clients to sign a service agreement before starting a new project. Have it in mind that this agreement should clarify client expectations and minimize risk of legal disputes by setting out payment terms and conditions.

f. Do You Need a Trademark, Copyright, or Patent?

If you are considering starting a water restoration business, usually you may not have any need to file for intellectual property protection or trademark. This is so because the nature of the business makes it possible for you to successfully run it without having any cause to challenge anybody in court for illegally making use of your company’s intellectual properties.

Cost Analysis and Budgeting

A. how much does it cost to start a water restoration business.

When it comes to starting a water restoration business, the startup cost can range from $20,000 to $80,000 and higher depending on how much equipment the business owner decides to purchase.

b. What are the Costs Involved in Starting a Water Restoration Business?

• Business Registration Fees – $750.
• Legal expenses for obtaining licenses and permits – $3,300.
• Marketing, Branding and Promotions – $2,000.
• Business Consultant Fee – $2,500.
• Insurance – $12,400.
• Rent/Lease – $80,000.
• Other start-up expenses include commercial satellite TV subscriptions, stationery ($500), and phone and utility deposits ($1,800).
• Operational Cost (salaries of employees, payments of bills et al) – $130,000
• Start-up Inventory (cleaning chemicals and materials) – $10,000
• Store Equipment (cash register, security, ventilation, signage) – $1,750
• Utility Truck and Equipment – $70,000
• Website: $600
• Opening party: $3,000
• Miscellaneous: $2,000

c. What Factors Determine the Cost of Opening a Water Restoration Business?

• The Choice of Location
• The Required Licenses and Permits
• The Type of Facility
• The Cost for Branding, Promotion, and Marketing of the Water restoration business
• The Cost of furnishing and equipping the facility
• The Cost of Insurance
• The Cost for Registering the Business
• Source of Your Supplies and Ongoing Expenses
• Cost of Recruiting and Training Your Staff
• The Cost for the Purchase and Customizing of Uniforms
• The Cost for Grand Opening of the Water restoration business

d. Do You Need to Build a Facility? If YES, How Much Will It Cost?

You don’t need to build a facility for your water restoration business because you are expected to go out in the field to offer your services. You may just decide to operate from a small office space or just lease a storage facility for your working tools and equipment.

e. What are the Ongoing Expenses of a Water Restoration Business?

• Cost of your supplies such as pipes, cleaning chemicals, cleaning towels, hand gloves, facemask et al
• Utility bills (gas for utility truck, internet, phone bills, signage, sewage et al)
• Truck maintenance and repair
• Salaries of employees

f. What is the Average Salary of your Staff?

• Chief Executive Officer (Owner) – $75,000 per year
• Accountants (Cashiers) – $35,000 per year
• Cleaning and Restoration Technicians (Cleaners) – $30,000 per year
• Utility Truck Driver – $26,150 per year.

g. How Do You Get Funding to Start a Water Restoration Business?

• Raising money from personal savings and sale of personal stocks and properties
• Raising money from investors and business partners
• Sell shares to interested investors
• Applying for a loan from your bank/banks
• Pitching your business idea and applying for business grants and seed funding from the government, donor organizations, and angel investors
• Source for soft loans from your family members and friends.

Write a Business Plan

A. executive summary.

Like Pro© Water Restoration Company, Inc. is a licensed water restoration company that will provide services to a wide range of clientele. The business will be located in will in North Charleston, South Carolina – United States of America and we will cover other neighboring cities. We chose to operate in this city because we know that our services will be in high demand due to the growing activities in the real estate and construction industry.

b. Products and Service

We will offer a wide range of restoration and cleaning services to both residential and commercial customers, including water damage restoration, fire damage restoration, mold remediation, storm damage restoration, and cleaning services (carpet, upholstery, air ducts, sewage and biohazard cleanup, and odor removal).

c. Mission Statement

Our mission is to establish a water restoration business that will create a standard of excellence in the industry. We want our water restoration business to be listed amongst the top 10 water restoration businesses in the United State within the first 5 years of operation.

Vision Statement

Our vision is to establish a standard and world-class water restoration business that will be the “go-to” water restoration service in the United States of America.

d. Goals and Objectives

The goals and objectives of the water restoration business is to restore facilities to their original state after water disasters and related damages.

e. Organizational Structure

• Chief Executive Officer (Owner)
• Accountants (Cashiers)
• Cleaning and Restoration Technicians (Cleaners)
• Utility Truck Driver

Marketing Plan

Just like we stated earlier, your success in this business will be dictated by a lot of things and marketing is a benchmark. Marketing here is not all about minor background marketing but a concrete plan organized and outlined for achievements. Things to consider may include.

a. SWOT Analysis

• Excellent operational history
• Attention to detail.
• Accurate estimates with no hidden costs.
• Experience and trained professionals.
• Excellent customer testimonials.
• Reliable and efficient service delivery.
• Not enough clientele to run at full capacity immediately
• The owner is new to large scale marketing
• We will need a loan to purchase equipment and a utility truck
• Lack of economies of scale.

Opportunities:

• Increase in water and related disasters.
• Favorable government policies
• Build upon existing clientele
• Online market, new services, new technology, and of course the opening of new markets.
• Loans diminish profitability until they are paid off
• The first year will be financially tight while we gain customers and pay off loans
• Competition in the area could increase
• Management of employees requires time, money, and efforts
• The environmental department could change its regulatory status and decide to enforce strict regulations that can strangulate new businesses.

b. How Do Water Restoration Companies Make Money?

A water restoration services business makes money by charging clients to clean up their facilities after water damage.

c. Payment Options

• Payment via bank transfer
• Payment via credit cards
• Payment via online bank transfer
• Payment via check
• Payment via mobile money transfer
• Payment via bank draft

d. Sales & Advertising Strategies

• Introduce your water restoration business and the services your offer by sending introductory letters alongside your brochure to facility managers, real estate companies, corporate organizations, campuses/colleges, residents, the government, and other key stakeholders throughout the city where your water restoration business is located.
• Advertise on blogs and forums, and also on social media like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn to get your message across
• Create a basic website for your business to give your business an online presence
• Directly market your services
• Join local water restoration businesses and commercial cleaning associations for industry trends and tips
• Provide discount days for your customers
• Advertise your business in community-based newspapers, local TV and radio stations
• List your business on yellow pages ads (local directories)
• Encourage the use of word-of-mouth marketing (referrals)

Financial Projection

A. how much should you charge for your service.

Water restoration companies charge $2,500 on average for simple mitigation jobs and higher fees depending on the extent of damages done to a property and the resources and time required to restore the facility to its original state.

b. How Much Profit Do Water Restoration Business Owners Make a Year?

You will only need about 300 mitigation projects (small jobs) in a year to earn $750,000. And if you add some high-value projects, your annual revenue could reach as high as $2.4 million.

c. What Factors Determine the Amount of Profit to Be Made?

• The capacity of the water restoration business
• The location the water restoration business is covering
• The management style of the water restoration business
• The business approach of the water restoration business
• The advertising and marketing strategies adopted by the water restoration business
• The number of years the water restoration facility is in business

d. What is the Profit Margin of a Water Restoration Business?

The profit margin of a water restoration business is not fixed. It could range from 45 percent to 80 percent depending on the nature of the water restoration job to be carried out and of course the time, equipment, and tools required to carry out the contract.

e. What is the Sales Forecast?

Below is the sales forecast of a water restoration business. It is based on the location of the business and other factors as it relates to such startups in the United States;

• First Fiscal Year (FY1): $420,000
• Second Fiscal Year (FY2): $880,000
• Third Fiscal Year (FY3): $1.5 million

Set Up your Office

A. how do you choose a perfect location for water restoration business.

• The demography of the location as it relates to the frequency of water disasters
• The demand for the services of water restoration businesses in the location
• The purchasing power of residents of the location
• Accessibility of the location
• The number of water restoration facilities and other businesses like commercial cleaning companies that also offer water restoration services in the location
• The local laws and regulations in the community/state
• Traffic, parking and security et al

Irrespective of the business size, location is one crucial thing which would hit a business hard when made wrongly. You have to note that your location decision has a direct effect on the operation’s costs as well as your business ability to serve customers.

Once you’ve made this decision, it can be very difficult and costly to undo. This is because the cost of moving an operation is often significant and you run the risk of inconveniencing customers and staff. This is why you need to get it right once and for all.

b. What State and City are Best to Open a Water Restoration Business?

• Warwick, Rhode Island
• Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
• Los Angeles, California
• San Antonio, Texas
• Cambridge, Massachusetts
• Chattanooga, Tennessee
• Lewiston, Maine
• Grand Rapids, Michigan
• Chandler, Arizona
• Colorado Springs, Colorado
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

c. What Equipment is Needed to Operate a Water Restoration Business?

• Moisture Meters
• Axial Air Movers
• Centrifugal Air Movers
• Low-Grain Refrigerant Dehumidifiers
• Compact Air Movers
• Air Scrubbers
• Utility Truck

Hire Employees

When it comes to hiring employees for a standard water restoration business, you should make plans to hire a competent Manager (you can occupy this role), Accountant, Water Restoration Technicians (Professional Cleaners), and Utility Truck drivers.

Launch the Business Proper

No water restoration company opens its door for business without first organizing an opening party to officially launch the business. You can choose to do a soft opening party if you are operating on a low budget or you can go for a grand opening party.

The bottom line is that with a proper launching of the water restoration business, you will officially inform people in your city that your water restoration business is open for business.

a. What Makes a Water restoration business Successful?

• Choose a good location and reliable equipment to launch the business
• Partner with facility managers
• Hire only competent, hardworking, and trustworthy staff
• Be deliberate with your marketing sales approach
• Encourage the use of word of mouth to promote your water restoration business
• Leverage all available online and offline platforms to promote your water restoration business.

b. What Happens During a Typical Day at a Water Restoration Business?

When work resumes, the staff or marketing team goes out to source for business. Before a deal is sealed, a water restoration company is expected to carry out an inspection of the location and the nature of the water restoration job to be carried out. This will enable them to know the nature of the equipment to be deployed to the site.

Once the deal is sealed, the water restoration company does the job as agreed by both parties. If after the job is carried out and the clients aren’t satisfied, the water restoration company is expected to go back and do a thorough job at no extra cost to their client.

The business is closed for the day.

c. What Skills and Experience Do You Need to Build a Water Restoration Business?

• Ability to Pay Attention to Details
• Good managerial and human development skills
• Good Accounting and Bookkeeping Skills
• Visionary Leadership
• Team-building & Interpersonal Skills.
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills.
• Organizational skills.
• Problem-solving ability.
• Good Supervisory skills
• Experience in managing commercial cleaning services business
• Experience in managing people
• Experience in business administration
• Experience in handling cleaning chemicals and handling power cleaning machines and equipment.

9. Discuss with an Agent to Know the Best Insurance Policies for You

Insurance protection is very necessary in any business that wants to succeed and grow. In this business, you will surely depend on your water damage restoration insurance to provide protection for both your vehicles and business. We believe that the insurance can include a BOP with general liability, workers’ compensation, commercial truck insurance and other coverage that provide protection against costly lawsuits.

In the United States, insurance usually are required by law. If you earn income by providing water damage restoration services to either residential or commercial properties, make sure you’re familiar with the local rules and regulations where you work.

• Workers Compensation Insurance
• General Liability Insurance
• BOP insurance
• Commercial vehicle policy

More on Home Improvement

How to Start a Profitable Fire And Water Restoration Business [11 Steps]

Business steps:, 1. perform market analysis., are fire and water restoration businesses profitable, 2. draft a fire and water restoration business plan., how does a fire and water restoration business make money, 3. develop a fire and water restoration brand., how to come up with a name for your fire and water restoration business, 4. formalize your business registration., resources to help get you started:, 5. acquire necessary licenses and permits for fire and water restoration., what licenses and permits are needed to run a fire and water restoration business, 6. open a business bank account and secure funding as needed., 7. set pricing for fire and water restoration services., what does it cost to start a fire and water restoration business, 8. acquire fire and water restoration equipment and supplies., list of software, tools and supplies needed to start a fire and water restoration business:, 9. obtain business insurance for fire and water restoration, if required., 10. begin marketing your fire and water restoration services., 11. expand your fire and water restoration business..

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7 Must-Do Tips for Starting a Water Restoration Business

Not quite sure where to begin when starting your own water restoration business? Or maybe you have a starting point but you're looking for a few more tips for success.

These seven must-dos can help you lay a sturdy foundation for your new business by coming up with a solid business plan, researching your company's obligations, and investing in good equipment. 

1. Develop a solid business plan.

Your business plan should include your company's vision and goals and how you plan to achieve those. If you're looking to investors to help kickstart your business, be sure to include the following in your restoration business plan:

• Value proposition Answer the question, "What does our restoration company offer, and why is this valuable to our potential customers?"
• Marketing plan Come up with a marketing budget and how you plan to use it. Will your money be best spent advertising on Facebook or should you attend a home show to create brand awareness?
• Revenue inflow Create a statement containing how you plan to see an inflow of revenue over a certain period of time. How long do you plan to invest in your company before you begin to see profits? 

If you plan to complete training such as IICRC training for your business, include it in your business plan. This will establish greater credibility with investors and loaners.

2. Choose a name for your restoration business.

Your business name can set your restoration company apart, if you name it wisely. Here are two handy tips: 

• Keep it short. Choose a name that will keep your website URLs and social media name short. This will help your name stick with potential customers longer. 
• Avoid unusual words or spellings. Don't choose a complicated name. If a potential customers remembers you but can't remember how to spell your name to find you, your name might end up doing more harm than good.

3. Scope out your competition and target market.

One of the most important parts of research before starting a business is related to your competition and target market. 

Competition

The first thing you'll want to do while completing a competitor analysis is determine who your direct competitors are. Are there restoration companies in your area who offer the same services you plan to offer?

After determining your competition, research their product line, pricing, and target audience. In addition, find out how they market their products and promote their content. 

Find your competitors' strengths and weaknesses to help you identify opportunities for your business. Is their social media marketing message poor? Now you know how to outdo them. Do they consistently publish relevant blog posts? Learn to produce and publish helpful content yourself!

To learn more about competitor analysis and get templates to help you out, check out HubSpot's article on how to perform a competitor analysis . 

Target Market

Do you want to help out homeowners whose basements have been flooded or are you more interested in working with project managers whose commercial buildings have water damage?

Determine who you want to promote your services to and in what area you plan to do the most business in order to establish how to market to them.

4. Research info on small business taxes.

Begin a conversation with your accountant to discuss what you, as a small business, will be required to pay in taxes and which tax cuts you can take advantage of.

Don't be afraid to ask questions about tax laws that seem confusing. It's important to begin asking questions now, so you know what to expect and how to handle the tough stuff when it does arise.

5. Seek advice for legal obligations.

You'll have legal obligations to fulfill if you plan on starting a water restoration business. Find out your state's licensing requirements and which types of insurance you'll need in order to get started. It's best to complete the necessary work now to avoid trouble later on. 

Don't try to do it all on your own. Get advice from someone who has the expertise to help you out, wether that's a restoration professional or a business mentor.

6. Invest in equipment you need.

To start a water restoration company, you'll need quality equipment. Here are a few essential tools to invest in.

Moisture detectors

Moisture detectors do just that–they identify how much moisture is in a specific area. It's an important tool to have for the initial water damage evaluation as well as to ensure that the drying process is complete by the end of the job.

Self-propelled dump trailers

Each one of Equipter's dump containers for restoration professionals are self-propelled and double as material lifts and debris management systems. The most popular dump trailer hauls up to 4,000 pounds of debris and lifts up to 12 feet. Throw you debris from a second-story access point into the container, drive to an on-site dumpster, and lift and dump the water-damaged waste.

To use Equipter dump containers to handle the heavy lifting, simply load your supplies into the container, drive and lift it to where it's needed, and unload. 

Air movers 

Air movers, or drying fans, are essential for decreasing drying time on the job. There are several types of air movers–axial, centrifugal, and compact. Make sure to do your research to determine which type works best for the type of structures you plan to work on. Also consider square footage. 

Dehumidifiers

Low-grain dehumidifiers are some of the most powerful and effective dehumidifiers for the restoration industry. Conventional dehumidifiers are cheaper and more portable but don't have the power of an LGR dehumidifier. Decide which would be most effective for your business and purchase the dehumidifier that will help you do your best work.

This is not a comprehensive list of tools, so be sure to do your homework to find out what else you'll need to get started! Don't forget to include your business purchase plans in your business plan to continue building credibility and sticking to your budget.

7. Connect with a business mentor.

A business mentor can help with many of the points addressed in this article–how you can appeal to your target market, what your tax obligations are, and legal issues you should be aware of. They're often a budget-friendly way to get advanced business knowledge for kickstarting small businesses. Consider connecting with a SCORE mentor in your area for free. 

In addition to all the effort you put into building your business, be sure to take time to enjoy the entrepreneurial journey. Incorporate the above tips into your business strategy to ensure a good start to your water restoration business. 

How to Create a Water Restoration Business Plan: A Complete Guide

AdvantaClean

Climate change has resulted in worsening weather patterns, putting more homes and businesses at risk of flooding. And unfortunately, scientists expect this trend to continue.

This means water restoration services will continue to be in high demand. And since it’s an emergency service, something people can’t put off until the economy or their finances are better, water restoration is a very recession-resistant industry.

If you’re thinking about starting a water restoration business, here’s what you need to do to get started.

Write A Business Plan

No matter what kind of business you’re starting, you’ll need a comprehensive plan that includes everything from initial operating costs to funding, marketing strategies, and details of the day-to-day operations. It should include realistic goals, as well as a plan for growth.

If you plan on seeking financing, your business plan should include a valuation of the services you plan to provide to your customers, a detailed marketing budget and how long you expect to operate your company before you turn a profit.  

You should also have a plan for handling issues that are specific to the industry, including response time. Emergencies don’t just happen during business hours. Potential clients need someone to respond right away when their homes or businesses are flooded. They need the water gone and the cleanup begun as soon as possible. If you can’t handle it, they will turn to your competitors.  

Scope Out the Competition

You’ll need to investigate the other water restoration companies in your chosen market. Find out what services they offer and at what price. See who their main clients are. Find out how they market their business, and how successful those efforts are. Identifying their strengths and weaknesses will help you determine a direction for your business. If you know what they’re offering, or more importantly not offering, you can find a niche in the market and tailor your business to fill it.

Determine What Services You’ll Offer

Determine what kind of services you plan to offer/what types of customers you will service. Most water restoration companies also offer fire restoration services. Others offer mold remediation and radon mitigation. Offering the services your competition doesn’t is an easy way to stand out.

Obtain Proper Licensing and Insurance

You’ll need to file the appropriate paperwork to register your business with the state’s Secretary of State office. Then you need to get a business license from the city or county where you’re going to operate. Don’t forget to obtain the required insurance before you open your doors.

You may want to consider hiring an attorney to make sure all of this is handled properly. If you’ve joined a franchise brand like AdvantaClean, you’ll have a built-in network of support that can guide you through these steps.

Determine What Equipment You’ll Need

When you’re just starting out, you need to avoid the temptation to buy equipment you don’t need right now. At first, you’ll only need moisture meters, dehumidifiers, air movers, cleaning products, and a van to haul it in.  

Establish Contacts with Other Industries

When you’re starting out in the water restoration business, a good number of referrals will come from other professionals. If you have good relationships with insurance agents, Realtors, plumbers and even fire departments, they will pass along your company’s information when they find someone in need of water restoration services.

The Benefits of Buying a Restoration and Remediation Franchise

Before you start your water restoration business, you should consider the benefits of buying a restoration and remediation franchise instead. The chances of succeeding are much greater when you follow a proven business model rather than developing your own business plan. This is especially true if, like most newcomers to the industry, you have no experience in water and fire restoration or related services.

The AdvantaClean Advantage

A leader in the home restoration industry more than 25 years, AdvantaClean is a recognizable, trusted brand. We are a water and fire restoration franchise, a remediation franchise, and much more. We offer our clients multiple distinct service lines, which translates into multiple revenue streams for our franchisees. The services we provide include mold testing, removal, and remediation, radon testing and mitigation, air duct and driver vent cleaning, moisture and humidity control, natural disaster response, and sanitization services to combat COVID-19 and other viruses. Many of these services are designed to build a customer base that relies on repeat business. We make sure that all our franchisees are trained to perform all these services, so they become experts in the industry.

Contact Us Today

To find out more about owning a restoration and remediation franchise that stands out in the highly competitive marketplace, request more info from AdvantaClean today. One of our franchise advisors will answer your questions so you can see if owning an AdvantaClean franchise is the right investment for you.

Invest in your future by becoming an AdvantaClean franchise owner.

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Water, Fire and Smoke Restoration Business Plan Template

•   Water, Fire and Smoke Restoration Business Plan Template (Microsoft Word)  –  $47.00
•   +Add Excel Worksheet (Recommended)  –  $35.00
•   +Add PowerPoint Template and 4 Funding eBooks  –  $65.00
•   +Add Business Startup, Finance, Marketing Documents 781 Templates  –  $185.00
•   +Add Operational, Employee and Policy and Procedure Templates  –  $35.00

How to get funding for your Water, Fire and Smoke Restoration business!

“Here’s the ‘Perfect Solution’ to getting your Water, Fire and Smoke Restoration business funded quickly…even if you don’t have a clue on how to write a business plan and don’t have the budget to pay a professional to do it!”

If you want to get your Water, Fire and Smoke Restoration business organized and funded then here’s the perfect solution:

Did you know that a well-written and researched business plan is the key to getting funding for your Water, Fire and Smoke Restoration business?

But most entrepreneurs neglect this aspect of their startup.

That’s usually because they are not knowledgeable enough to write a business plan on their own.

Or do not have the budget to pay a professional business plan writer.

But if you’ve ever wanted to start a Water, Fire and Smoke Restoration business and you need to write a business plan to get funding then our Hybrid Fusion Business Plan Template is for you .

Our Hybrid Business Plan Template is not just high quality, in-depth and researched, but also a business plan that has examples for you to insert your own market and business specifics into.

A Water, Fire and Smoke Restoration business is a great business for those interested in entrepreneurship.

Water, fire, and smoke restoration businesses play a crucial role in helping homeowners and businesses recover from disasters and mitigate damage to their properties. With natural disasters and accidents occurring frequently, there is a constant demand for professional restoration services. Starting a water, fire, and smoke restoration business allows entrepreneurs to provide essential services to their community while also building a profitable enterprise. With proper training and equipment, entrepreneurs can establish themselves as trusted experts in the field and develop long-term relationships with clients.

And with our business plan template, you’ll be able to seek funding from investors and be up and running in no time.

With modifications (Like the name of your company and owner’s bio, market, financials, company images and location specifics) you can customize this business plan for your exact needs.

Here’s why a free business plan template can risk your chances of funding:

Lenders and investors see thousands of business plans and they know when you’re using a generic free template because the “Wording is just not right.”

You can have the best idea for your venture and pitch it to them perfectly, however when you leave and they review your plan what will it really say about you?

And free isn’t really free if it costs you your funding .

Why leave the future of your business to chance?

Our business plan templates are written for your specific market and references are included.

Start your business off the right way with our comprehensive Hybrid business plan template.

As part of this package, you will receive our Water, Fire and Smoke Restoration business plan template, which contains the following sections:

• Executive summary
• The enterprise
• The business concept and need
• Industry/market overview.
• Growth strategy and implementation summary
• Management plan
• Risk factor
• Use of proceeds

Click here to view sample pages of this exact plan.

Depending on which version of the business plan options you purchase (more on that in a moment), you’ll receive the following:

37 page Water, Fire and Smoke Restoration busines s plan template with references.

• This Water, Fire and Smoke Restoration business plan template will be delivered via digital download in fully editable Microsoft Word and includes a Water, Fire and Smoke Restoration business pre-written example text, general industry research, references, and narrative already completed for you.
• Red instructional text above each section is included to let you know what to insert in that section. In some areas, you can just add your information, in others you will need to use the example text as a basis to write your own business specifics such as what sets you apart, your local market, your business team, etc.

Click here for screenshots of the plan you will be receiving.

Water , Fire and Smoke Restoration Finan cial Template in Microsoft Excel (recommended )

This Excel template will allow you to enter financial data specific to your business and will produce proforma financial statements for use in your business plan. The worksheets (Set-up, Start-up, Sales, Headcount, Inventory, Operating Expenses, Capital Budget, Equity & Debt, and Amortization Schedule) contain instructions, questions for you to answer, and boxes (cells) for data entry. Cells in which you are to answer questions or enter data are yellow. Purple cells contain formulas that will be calculated automatically.

Click here for screenshots of these documents.

Business Funding Package with PowerPoint and 4 eBooks

(A must-have if actively seeking investment). Includes a business Microsoft PowerPoint slideshow template “Pitch Deck” to show lenders and investors your concept at a glance. It includes 12 slides with instructional text for you to insert your specific business images and information into.

This funding package also includes the Funding eBook bundle to educate you on your funding options and how to best present your business concept. These 4 eBooks guide you through individual interventions, second-party arrangements, corporate funding options, government interventions, managing business cash flow, quick start funding overview, exit strategy, common mistakes to avoid when pitching your concept, and much more.

Business Startup, Finance and Marketing Templates to show investors that your business is prepared to launch

Business Assessment Documents. Vital documents to make sure you are prepared for your venture. Includes: Business Plan Guidelines, Strategic Planning Checklist, Trend Analysis Checklist, Executive Summary Template, Market Study Outline and Business Analysis Worksheet. 6 Documents to help get you organized.

Business Startup Documents. Essential Documents to Help Launch Your Venture. Includes: Board of Directors Documents, Confidentiality Agreements, General Administration, Basic Financial Checklist, Franchise Feasibility Test, Startup Cost Worksheet, Franchise Comparison Worksheet, Strategic Management, Organization-Wide Goals and much more. 66 Documents to help you get started.

Raising Capital Documents. Practical documents to help you get started raising capital. Includes: Government Grants and Program Worksheets and Guide, Loans and Borrowing Documents, Investment Analysis Summary, Bank Loan Request Sheet, Loan Application Review Form, Loan Calculator, Pledge of Shares of Stock, General Continuing Guaranty, Due Diligence Checklist, Promissory Notes, Investment Analysis Summary, Term sheet for potential investment and much more. 51 Documents to help you obtain funding.

Online Startup Documents. Key documents to establish your online presence. Includes: Advertising and Marketing Online documents, Confidentiality Agreements, Content and Copyright Agreements, Hosting Agreements, Software and License Agreements, Website Development Agreements, Website Notices and Checklists and much more. 72 Documents in total to help you online.

Finance and Accounting Documents. Vital documents for your finance and accounting business needs. Covers: Banking, Bookkeeping, Buying and Selling of Shares, Financial Statements, Government Grant Programs, Insurance, Investments, Investors Relations, Invoices and Billing, Loans and Borrowing, Raising Capital and much more. 169 Documents in total to help with your business finances and accounting.

Employment and HR Documents. Key documents you need as you grow your venture with employees. Covers: Compensation and Benefits, Contractors and Consultants, Employee Records, Employee Reference Letters, Firing and Termination, Hiring Employees, Insurance, Managing and Motivating Employees, Policies and Documentation and much more. 267 Documents in total to help manage your workforce.

Sales and Marketing Documents. Crucial documents as you grow your venture with marketing and sales. Covers: Addressing Complaints, Customer Relations, Market Analysis, Purchase orders and price quotes, Sales and Marketing Management, Sales Agreements and Contracts, Sales letters and much more. 142 Documents in total to help grow your venture.

Advertising and Marketing Online Documents. Documents to get your name and brand online effectively. Includes: Affiliate Program Agreement, Agreement for Internet advertising services, Co-branding agreement terms and provisions checklist, Co-branding agreement, Free linking agreement, Press release template, Website Cross Sponsorship Agreement, Website Linking Agreement. 8 Online Marketing Documents to help develop your online presence.

Business Operational Plan, Employee Handbook, and Policies and Procedures Templates

Show your investor that you are ready to launch by completing these vital foundational documents prior to starting. They include:

Operational plan template for you to describe your business’s mission and operations, including information on your strategic content, company objectives, key performance indicators, key assumptions and risks, goals, and more.

Employee handbook template to create for your current or future employees explaining your policies and what you expect from them and what they should expect from you.

Policies and procedures template (an addition to your employee handbook) to communicate the culture of your business, your standards on employment, schedules, compensation, benefits, hiring policies, and other workplace policies to protect not just your business but also your employees.

*These are templates for you to complete as operations and employee requirements vary per business. Please view the sample pages.

(Delivered in digital Microsoft Word format)

That’s a lot of information! But don’t be overwhelmed. We have offered each item individually so you can choose what you need or all of them. Scroll down to learn more.

See what our customers are saying about our business plan templates.

“The plan had some great points that were very beneficial and important to my business. I hope other clients are able to see the value you are able to provide in their business plans, just like myself. I would highly recommend you to other prospective entrepreneurs. It’s been a pleasure and I look forward to execute my business plan.”

Kristina K.

“Honest Business Plans has given me the tools and inspiration to pursue my business venture. Not only was the template helpful in helping me form my business idea it really explains how it would benefit my company.”

Mikio VanDrunen

“Shawn has been a tremendous help to me and my business ventures. His templates were extremely helpful to me with regard to moving my business from the conceptual phase to something that could be successfully implemented. Furthermore, his business plan example and associated materials allowed me to organize and structure my venture according to how I wanted to run and grow my business. I also found the process much easier with the materials (as opposed to doing everything on my own), since they provided a solid blueprint for my business.   I would recommend Shawn and his team to other entrepreneurs and business owners without hesitation. They have been great to work with!”

Kevin Cisney

The best part about our plans is that the TIME-CONSUMING parts are DONE for YOU.

Our Hybrid Fusion Business Plan Templates save you time as most portions are already completed for you, including the general narrative, market research and format are already researched and written for the Water, Fire and Smoke Restoration industry.

What makes our Hybrid Fusion Business Plans Different?

Here are just a few reasons why our Honest Business Plan Template is the best solution to begin planning your venture:

• Formatted layout for investor and lender use.
• A full narrative written from scratch for your industry.
• Red instructional text guides you through each section of the business plan, explaining what each section is about and what to include, ensuring a polished, professional plan.
• Written in a persuasive way to show investors the true potential of your venture.
• Hybrid Fusion Cross between a business plan sample and template to make customization more realistic.
• Simple Pricing: Straight forward pricing no long-term subscription or obligation. Purchase and instantly download and edit.

Click here for sample pages of this Water, Fire and Smoke Restoration business plan template.

But we don’t want to sell you on EASY.

We want to make sure you obtain a researched market-specific business plan template you are able to build a realistic and truly investor-friendly business plan upon.

Real investors and lenders see 3 to 15 business plans a day.

With the big “Corporate” business plan template companies luring you in with an “Easy” business plan those very lenders see right through them.

With our plan templates, you will have something extensive, unique as well as researched to set you apart from the “Corporate” generic business fill-in-the-blank plan templates.

Know exactly what you will be receiving by viewing our sample pages for this business plan here.

Do it yourself and not only save but learn more about your business as well.

• Each complete plan takes us about 160 to 200 hours to research , write and create and is written in a way to make it easy to understand yet investor friendly. A professional business plan writer would charge a minimum of $650 to create a unique business plan of our length.
• This is the viable solution you have been looking for. A comprehensive template with full narrative specifically for your industry. Our business plans are investor friendly, and offered at a fraction of the cost of a professional business plan writer.
• We stand behind our quality. Our plans are in-depth and researched. If you are able to find a more researched, referenced, comprehensive, Water, Fire and Smoke Restoration business template for the Water, Fire and Smoke Restoration industry for a lower price we will refund your money.
• Don’t believe the MYTH of “Fill in the blanks” business plan templates. Each venture is unique as is each market. If someone promises you a “fill-in-the-blanks” template or automated way to create your business plan then you are effectively getting a generic plan. Our hybrid business plan offered here is researched written and formatted specifically for the Water, Fire and Smoke Restoration industry.
• Before purchasing, please understand the usage of this document (Yes, you will have to put in some work)  we are honest about what we offer and provide screenshots of the documents you will be receiving so there is no misunderstanding.

A customized or turn-key document from a reputable professional business plan writer starts at $950 and a cost upwards of $5,500 or more (A Google search will show you this).

We are attempting to help you get started on a budget hence we are providing our extensive hybrid fusion business plan documents as a starting point for you to build your plan upon.

30-DAY MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE.

Like any business, there are risks. I am so confident that this is the most comprehensive Water, Fire and Smoke Restoration business offering out there that if you are able to find a more comprehensive Water, Fire and Smoke Restoration business plan package that includes a 35+ page business plan template and matching Excel worksheet for a lower price, I will refund your money. Click here for terms and conditions.

*PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS PRODUCT IS NOT A TURN-KEY SOLUTION, BUT AN EDITABLE TEMPLATE THAT IS MEANT TO SERVE AS A FOUNDATION/BASIS/OUTLINE ON WHICH YOU CAN DEVELOP YOUR OWN PROFESSIONAL WATER, FIRE AND SMOKE RESTORATION BUSINESS PLAN WITH SOME EFFORT.

THE BEST TIME IS NOW

There is never a better time than the present to start your Water, Fire, and Smoke Restoration business as the demand for professional restoration services continues to rise, ensuring a steady stream of clients seeking assistance in times of need. The resources we provide will help jump-start you. However, in the end, only you can choose to make a difference in your life.

*This is a Business Plan Template/Outline in Unlocked and Editable Microsoft Office and should only be used as a starting point/foundation to write your own plan. You will need to edit it for your needs.

CHOOSE THE OPTIONS THAT WORK BEST FOR YOU. SSL Secured Checkout via PayPal or Credit Card. Your future Water, Fire and Smoke Restoration customers are waiting.

Order Now Below

Disclaimers (Please read prior to purchase)

-This is an editable example business plan template, which is in between a business plan template and a sample. This is NOT a complete Turn-key business plan. Modify and use this Hybrid business plan template as a foundation to create your own plan. View Sample pages to see exactly what you will be receiving.

-We are unable to make any changes to this plan or excel sheet or pitch deck or documents for you.

-By purchasing these documents, you agree not to resell, copyright, or post them online.

-Digital Download for Microsoft Office XP 10.0 in Windows XP and higher versions.

-Will also open in Microsoft Office for Mac, however, some formatting issues may be present and will need to be corrected. For this reason, we are unable to guarantee 100% direct compatibility with Microsoft Office for Mac.

-This is a large Microsoft Word file. Please keep in mind that we are not responsible if your computer processor is unable to render them quickly. We have tested these files on multiple MACs and PCs and they render fine on our end. However, we are unable to account for or guarantee how the files will perform on your end due to various extensions and operating system performance. Although rare, if you are having rendering issues you may need to attempt to open and work on the Microsoft Word files on an alternative, newer or faster computer.

The best time to start is now. Purchase with confidence. SSL Secured Checkout and 30-Day Money Back Guarantee if you are able to find a more comprehensive and up-to-date plan and funding package combination for a lower price point.*

Thanks for scrolling down to the bottom of this page! Whether you purchase from us or not I wish you much success in your Water, Fire and Smoke Restoration venture!

How To Start A Water Restoration Business

To start a water restoration business, one must acquire necessary certifications, devise a comprehensive business plan detailing the services, costs, market analysis, purchase the required equipment, secure funding, adhere to legal requirements, and implement effective marketing strategies.

• Last Update: November 23, 2023

• Steps in this Guide: 11

Are you interested in starting a water restoration business? With the increasing frequency of natural disasters and plumbing emergencies, the demand for water damage restoration services is on the rise. This presents a lucrative opportunity for entrepreneurial individuals looking to enter the restoration industry. However, starting a water restoration business requires careful planning, knowledge of the industry, and the right strategies. In this blog post, we will guide you through the key steps and considerations to help you successfully launch and grow your water restoration business.

How To Start A Water Restoration Business: Step-by-Step

Step 1: business plan creation.

Develop a thorough business plan capturing your market research, organizational framework, promotional approach, and financial forecast for a comprehensive understanding of your business goals and strategies.

Step 2: Business Registration

To ensure legal compliance, businesses must register with government agencies at the local, state, and federal levels. This entails obtaining an EIN, registering for taxes, and acquiring all required licenses and permits.

Step 3: Insurance Coverage

Obtain a comprehensive insurance policy to safeguard your business against any accidental damage that may occur during the restoration process. This will provide the necessary protection for your property and secure your business from potential financial risks.

Step 4: Investment and Budgeting

In addition to calculating start-up costs and ongoing expenses, it is crucial to carefully consider your pricing strategy to not only recover costs but also generate a sustainable profit for your business.

Step 5: Purchase Equipment

It is essential to invest in the right water restoration equipment like dehumidifiers, air movers, fogging machines, and moisture meters. Having the necessary tools ensures effective restoration and mitigates further damage in water restoration projects.

Step 6: Training & Certifications

In order to further enhance your professional skills and credibility, it is important to participate in relevant training or certification programs. These can be obtained through industry associations, as well as franchiser training programs if you are part of a franchise.

Step 7: Hire a Team

It is essential to hire experienced professionals who possess the necessary expertise in water restoration. Additionally, they should also have the required certifications and licenses to perform the job efficiently and effectively.

Step 8: Marketing Strategy

Develop a comprehensive marketing plan incorporating traditional and digital strategies like SEO, pay-per-click ads, social media marketing, direct marketing activities such as mailers or ads, ensuring maximum reach and engagement.

Step 9: Service Launch

To successfully venture into the market, establish your services in the public domain. By delivering exceptional customer service, you can foster customer loyalty and maximize word-of-mouth referrals, enabling growth and success for your business.

Step 10: Networking

One effective method to enhance your business presence and foster potential collaborations is by actively engaging in industry-related local business organizations, networks, and groups.

Step 11: Continuous Improvement

Continuously evaluate and enhance your business plan, marketing strategy, equipment, and employee training. Strive for superior quality and customer happiness, embracing innovation and staying ahead of industry trends.

Check out our FREE Basecamp for Builders!

…with step-by-step guidance to key business building tasks and 30+ lists with curated information.

6 Things to Consider Before Starting a Water Restoration Business

Julia Lorei September 26, 2022 9:44

Get your business license and certification

Starting a water restoration business can be intimidating, but there are a few things to keep in mind that will help streamline the process. One of the most important things is to get your International Institute of Cleaning and Restoration (IICRC) certification before you start. 

Cash flow – Money for Your Water Restoration Business

Research your target market and competition , invest in equipment, moisture meters, drying fans, dehumidifiers , building the right team, set up your accounting / know how to bill customers , julia lorei.

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The Restoration Entrepreneur University

Should you start a restoration business? Are there too many?

Are there too many restoration businesses? Is there room for another restoration business in world? 

The short answers are no, there aren’t too many and yes, there’s room for more. 

Here is the long answer: 

Restoration businesses are often thought of as the businesses that show up when a hurricane hits, there’s major flood, or there have been a bunch of fires.  

In truth, most restoration business isn’t part of a headline. It’s a broken pipe, a fire in a home, or a roof leak that destroyed the two floors below it. Restoration jobs appear in every season and everywhere.  

The key to being successful in the restoration industry is connections. You need to make sure that you know the plumbers, carpet cleaners, insurance adjusters, fire fighters, anyone in your town or city that will see a restoration job before you do. They can call and refer you to the homeowner or business owner. 

You should also look at being a Third-party Administrator (TPA). Being a TPA allows you to handle everything for everyone. The customer gets a great contractor who can make everything happen. The insurance company gets someone they can trust to handle all the paperwork and make sure everything’s been done to their satisfaction.  

There are a lot of restoration businesses in the world, but there are even more restoration jobs that need to be done. As the climate becomes even more unpredictable, we’ll see more storms, floods, and fires that will need repairs in homes and businesses around the world.  

How do you get started?  

Of course, the easiest and best answer is to sign up for The Restoration Entrepreneur coaching plans and let us show you step-by-step.  

Let’s look at some of the elements you need to start your business.  

• Business plan – You should have a business plan, even if it’s just a single page. It should detail what you plan to do as a business, the area you plan to work, and how you’ll bring in business. 
• Marketing plan – You need a marketing plan that looks at how you’ll attract new customers and forge the relationships you need to build your business.  
• Website – Even during an emergency, most customers will research you online. If you don’t have a website, you might find yourself out of the running. Many people don’t consider any business that hasn’t taken the time to put up a website. 

The goal is to know how you’ll get your first job, how you’ll get your 50 th  and how big you want your business to become.  Learn more about starting your own restoration business here: https://growmyrestorationbusiness.com/article/starting-your-restoration-business/

Start with an unclouded vision, some knowledge of how to make your first sale, and how you’ll continue to grow your business. 

Of course, if you want some help, let the experts at The Restoration Entrepreneur guide you through with individual and group coaching, as well as self-paced courses.  

Honestly, most of us had mentors to guide us though our most worthwhile efforts. Starting or growing your restoration business is something that can and should be done with mentors. 

Follow us on LinkedIn to stay up to date on what’s happeing in the industry: https://www.linkedin.com/company/10436236

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Nexa Collections

Business Plan to Start a Water Restoration Company

Here’s a basic structure for a business plan that you can use for a water restoration company.

Article Contents * Contents of your business plan * A sample business plan * Additional considerations

This business plan outlines the strategy for starting a water restoration company in the [city, state]. The company will offer a comprehensive range of water restoration services, including drying, cleaning, repairing, and rebuilding damaged property. The company will target homeowners, businesses, and insurance companies. The company has a strong management team and a sound financial plan. The company is well-positioned to succeed in the water restoration industry. The target market for the company will be homeowners, businesses, and insurance companies. Homeowners will be the primary target market. Businesses will be a secondary target market. Insurance companies will be a tertiary target market.

Business Plan

• Describe your company, its legal structure, and what it will offer (water restoration, mold remediation, etc.).
• Briefly touch upon your mission statement and values.
• Summarize your plan for making the business profitable.
• Provide details about the company, such as the company name, location, and size.
• Detail the nature of the business and the marketplace needs you aim to fulfill.
• Describe the competitive advantages that will make your company successful. Example: The company will be named [company name]. The company will be located in [city, state]. The company will be owned and operated by [owner name]. [Owner name] has over 10 years of experience in the water restoration industry.
• Define your target customer (e.g., homeowners, commercial property owners, or insurance companies).
• Include a thorough industry description and outlook.
• Include information about your competitors.
• Analyze your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT analysis). Example: The water restoration market is a growing market. The market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.4% from 2022 to 2027. The market’s growth is being driven by factors such as increasing incidences of water damage, raising awareness of the importance of water restoration, and increasing insurance coverage for water damage.
• Describe your business structure (e.g., sole proprietorship, LLC, or corporation) and management team.
• Provide an organization chart if necessary.
• [Owner name] – Owner and CEO
• [Manager name] – Manager of Operations
• [Sales representative name] – Sales Representative
• Detail your services, such as water damage repair, mold remediation, storm damage restoration, etc.
• Include any related services like inspections or consulting.
• Discuss how these services meet customer needs.
• Describe any plans to add services in the future.
• Describe your marketing and sales strategies.
• Online marketing (website, social media, search engine optimization)
• Offline marketing (direct mail, print advertising, trade shows)
• Referral marketing
• Discuss how you will maintain customer relationships and encourage repeat business.
• Provide financial projections to give creditors an idea of how your business will perform.
• Include forecasted income statements, balance sheets, cash flow statements, and capital expenditure budgets.
• Include assumptions upon which those projections were based. Example: The company’s financial plan projects that it will generate $1 million in revenue in its first year of operation. The company is projecting a profit of $100,000 in its first year of operation.
• If you are seeking funding, describe the amount of money you’re seeking, how you will use that money, and the terms you would like.
• Discuss future financial plans, like when your company will be profitable or when investors can expect a return on their investment.
• Explain your long-term plans for the business. Will you sell it? Pass it to your descendants?
• This gives potential investors an idea of how and when to get their money from the business. Example: The exit strategy for the company is to be sold to a larger water restoration company within five years of operation.
• Include any additional information, such as resumes of key employees, building permits, contracts, or other pertinent documents.

Sample Business Plan

Remember, this is just a basic structure and may need to be adjusted based on your specific business needs or the requirements of your potential investors. Also, be sure to have your business plan reviewed by a lawyer or business advisor to ensure all bases are covered.

Additional Considerations

• Get the Necessary Training and Certification
• Secure Funding
• Purchase Equipment and Vehicles
• Hire Skilled Technicians
• Obtain Insurance ( Liability, workers’ compensation insurance, vehicles, and health insurance for employees if applicable)
• Develop Relationships with Local Insurers
• Advertise Your Business
• Deliver Exceptional Customer Service
• Connect with a Business Mentor
• Seek legal advice and evaluate the competition.
• Stay Updated

Success won’t happen overnight. It takes time to build a reputation and a client base, so stay persistent and refine your business strategies.

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Beginners Guide for Starting a Water Restoration Business

• January 05, 2022

It’s no surprise that water damage can occur in a variety of ways in any home or business. There are issues with washing machines, appliances, toilets, and plumbing, among other things. For that, many people are interested in starting a water restoration business. There's a lot of potential here. 

And, after all, everyone knows that mitigation is where the money is, right? But where do you even begin? You will have questions about products, services, and the scope of your work if you're just starting out. This detailed guide will help you to learn how to start a water damage restoration company.

So, let’s get started!

Steps to Follow for Starting a Water Restoration Business 

Knowing that you'll need sales first, not loads of water damage equipment (yet) or promotion (ever), means you're on your way to developing a great restoration firm and already saving money.

To get a good share of the work in your community, you'll need to provide full-service restoration. Insurance agents are looking for organizations that can repair homes (no matter what caused the damage) and assist them in closing claim files. 

Because water damage is the most profitable part of the business, restricting your services to water will make you appear greedy. Here are some important things to consider if you want to learn how to become a restoration contractor:

Industry & Market Research

The restoration sector in the United States has expanded to a staggering 0 billion annual market. This is a result of issues such as aged homes and infrastructure, increased storm intensity, the surge of wildfires, and regular flooding. 

This indicates that the demand for home and commercial restoration will rise in the future years. Flooding is also becoming a problem, particularly in the American Southeast, where millions of people live along the coasts. 

Every year, water damage is estimated to cost billions of dollars to home and property owners, as well as insurance providers.

Recognize the Threats and Challenges You'll Face

This business, like any other suitable and successful enterprise, has its own set of problems. Experts always emphasize that building a great business requires more than simply money. 

To attain or establish a spectacular water damage restoration business, you must be focused, willing to take chances, and dedicated. The following are some of the problems and hazards that come with starting a water restoration business:

• Unexpected Business Expenses and Challenges
• Competitor Management
• Putting Together a Business Team
• Exiting the Company Creating a Vision and a Business Idea
• Obtaining Funding for Your Startup
• Finding Good Employees
• Identifying Potential Clients

Analysis of the Economic Situation

Due to the diverse foreign and indigenous causes of damage, this industry is continually in demand. Many organizations provide relief to sufferers, but the greatest water damage repair company also offers a variety of services in addition to restoration.

Don't just rush into the industry and expect to compete with the big boys right away; every great journey begins with a single step. You should get a good start before attempting to dominate the water damage restoration market.

Obtain the Appropriate Contracts and Documents

Make sure you have contracts in place that will stand up in court. Don't ask for other people's contracts!

You'll have to take them to your lawyer and have them customized for your state unless you live in Florida, California or Texas. This is due to the fact that contract law varies by state. Your lawyer gives you way too much, but that's fine! You'll just select the ones you require and have your lawyer customize them for you.

Don't rely just on a contract. Understand how to properly use that contract. This is critical because if it isn't used correctly, filled out correctly, or completed at the appropriate time, it may be useless.

Know-How Much to Charge

If you want to know how to start a water restoration company that works successfully, this point is very important. Knowing how much to charge in order to earn a profit is a crucial part of launching a restoration company. 

You should consult with professional restoration contractors if you don't know how or what to charge.

How To Become a Restoration Contractor: Tips & Tricks to Follow?

How to market your business.

Marketing your company will bring you more work and awareness, but where do you begin? Should you include social media marketing in your marketing strategy? Will you handle the social media marketing and administrative responsibilities yourself or will you hire someone?

What about press releases and bylines in industry publications? Will you experiment with search engine optimization and pay-per-click marketing? Investigate and comprehend the numerous marketing options available to your company.

Understand the Seasonal Impact

Seasons can also influence how busy — or not — you are. The busiest seasons for water damage restoration are spring, summer, and winter. You may experience downtime or unusually high job referrals depending on your location, weather, and temperature. Consider the equipment, services, and resources available. 

Will you be working alone or will you need to expand your staff in the future? Most scenarios will require contractors to operate alone at first. Additional work may entail the hiring of additional personnel as your company grows.

Summing It Up with A Bonus Tip

Adding extra services not only simplifies decision-making for clients (hiring one firm rather than vetting several). But it also helps you to raise profits without having to subcontract out to other organizations.

To determine what all-purpose/crossover items you would need, think about certifications or licensing needs, as well as what additional services you'd be ready to give. The professional restoration contractors offer combined services such as:

• Steam Cleaning
• Furniture Cleaning
• Reconstruction + Remodeling
• Carpet + Rug Cleaning
• Painting 
• HVAC + Duct Cleaning

So, now starting a water restoration business isn’t that difficult… right?! Also enlisting a business on a well-reputed directory such as the Topspot101 is also not tricky anymore and it also ensures maximum lead generation. 

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• Resources for Entrepreneurs > Opening a Business > How to Start a Small Business

How to Start a Fire & Water Damage Cleaning & Restoration Business

How to Start a Small Business

Launching a fire and water damage cleaning and restoration business is a rewarding experience if you have the creativity and tenacity necessary to be a successful entrepreneur. We offer a few secrets to give you a jump-start on planning for your business.

Thinking about opening a fire and water damage cleaning and restoration business? We tell you what you need to know to get started.

Industry Outlook: Fire & Water Damage Restoration

Each year, thousands of American residences are affected by fire emergencies. In addition to coping with the trauma of the emergency itself, many families are left to deal with the fire and water damage to their houses and personal property.

The fire & water damage restoration industry has emerged to meet the needs of fire-affected families and businesses. Advances in technology and the industry itself have equipped startups and established companies with the tools they need to undo the smoke and water damage incurred by a fire disaster.

The Restoration Industry Association (RIA) is a professional organization that offers certifications and other resources for emerging companies in the fire & water damage restoration field.

Operational Concerns for Startup Restoration Businesses

Emerging restoration businesses need to address many of the same issues as other startups. Hiring , location, marketing -- it all plays a role in your startup's success.

However, there are also a handful of unique issues you'll need to be prepared to address as you embark on your career as a business owner that solves the challenges created by fire damage and water damage:

• Response Time. Fire victims want someone to begin restoring their property to its original condition as quickly as possible. The hours following a fire emergency are traumatic -- if your business isn't capable of initiating a response process within hours of the event, it's unlikely that you'll gain ground on your competitors.
• Safety. Safety issues are a major concern for fire restoration service providers. Athough your clients may want you to begin restoring their property as soon as possible, you may need to coordinate your activities with the local fire department to ensure a safe working environment for your team.
• Material Handling. There is a science involved with understanding how smoke and water affect various materials. As a professional restorer, you need to be familiar with a broad range of materials and restoration processes.

How to Write a Simple Fire & Water Damage Cleaning & Restoration Company Business Plan

If you're putting off writing a business plan because you're intimidated by the process, here are the words you've been dying to hear: Business plans for fire and water damage cleaning and restoration businesses don't have to be complicated.

Rather than avoiding your business plan, keep your business plan simple . Ultimately, your business plan is intended to be a resource for you, the business owner.

Instead of investing countless hours in a lengthy business plan, put pen to paper now and document the essentials with the understanding that your plan will be revised as you move forward.

Investigate Competitors

Prior to opening a fire and water damage cleaning and restoration business in your town, it's worthwhile to find out what the competition looks like. We've provided the link below to help you get a list of local competitors in your area. Just enter your city, state and zip code to get a list of fire and water damage cleaning and restoration businesses in your community.

• Search for Fire & Water Damage Cleaning & Restoration Businesses Near You

Before you open up shop, make sure you know what you will offer to your customers that provides a significant advantage over your competition's offering.

Learning More About the Industry

Once you've finished assessing the competion, the next step is to talk to somebody who is already in the business. If you think owners of nearby fire and water damage cleaning and restoration businesses will give you advice, think again. The last thing they want to do is help you to be a better competitor.

But, a person who owns a fire and water damage cleaning and restoration business in a different city can be a great learning resource for you, after they realize you reside far away from them and won't be stealing their local customers. In that case, the business owner may be more than happy to discuss the industry with you. In my experience, you may have to call ten business owners in order to find one who is willing to share his wisdom with you.

How do you find an owner of a fire and water damage cleaning and restoration business who is willing to advise you because you live in different cities?

Simple. Let your fingers do the walking by using the link below.

• Find Your Fire & Water Damage Cleaning & Restoration Business Mentor

Advantages of Buying an Established Fire & Water Damage Cleaning & Restoration Business

Spurred on by dreams of a future big money buyout and an undeniable entrepreneurial impulse, many would-be fire and water damage cleaning and restoration business owners are driven to pursue startup strategies.

But from a business and financial perspective, it may make more sense to leverage an existing fire and water damage cleaning and restoration business as your vehicle for world domination.

Existing fire and water damage cleaning and restoration businesses are proven operations with dependable revenue streams. As an added bonus, you'll also gain the ability to headaches and hassles of startup trial-and-error .

Is Franchising the Right Option?

The chances of making a success of your new business are much greater if you become a franchisee in lieu of doing everything yourself.

Before you consider starting a fire and water damage cleaning and restoration business, you ought to investigate whether franchising might be the right move for you.

The link below gives you access to our franchise directory so you can see if there's a franchise opportunity for you. You might even find something that points you in a completely different direction.

• Home Repair Franchise Directory

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6 reasons why water restoration business is beneficial nowadays.

Every day, around 14,000 people experience a water damage emergency at home or in the workplace. Water restoration is a billion-dollar industry. The average cost of simply drying a “clean” water leak alone already costs $2,700 while the average cost of drying an entire house and repairing areas like the drywall or carpet is $7,500.

If you have the education, training, and skills in water restoration, you might consider putting up   your own water damage company .

Starting your own business can be a fun and challenging journey. On this post, let us talk about the major reasons why water damage restoration is one of the most profitable business ideas nowadays.

Water restoration business has great growth potential

If you’re looking for profitable business ideas, a restoration company should be part of your options. As of 2018, the   restoration industry is worth $210 billion   and the figure is expected to grow in the coming years. There are several factors for the continued growth: the increasing intensity of natural disasters, flooding and wildfire issues, and aging homes and infrastructures.

Furthermore, increasing awareness about the health effects of mold in homes has contributed to the growth in the restoration business. The new technology has made it possible for home restoration companies to detect the presence of mold in homes and buildings, which means they are going to create a greater demand for restoration services.

Lastly, natural disasters are driving demand for restoration services. The   increasing number of natural disaster   occurrences due to worsening climate change has made restoration service even more crucial these days.

Water restoration business is profitable

As mentioned earlier, water restoration companies charge $2,500 on average for simple mitigation jobs or dry-ups. Of this price, the profit margin is usually 75%. For major restoration work, such as a rebuild, they charge $10,000 (on average) and the profit margin can be as high as 50%.

If you dig deeper into the figures, you will only need about 300 mitigation projects (small jobs) in a year to earn a $750,000 revenue. And if you add some more high-value projects, your annual revenue could reach as high as $2.4 million.

In your first year in business, your profit might be small as you are still trying to build your reputation and might still be purchasing new equipment. That is normal in all other kinds of business. After that, you can expect to see an increase in your profit.

Here are some strategies to amp your sales:

• Partner with local government agencies.
• Partner with the fire department in your city or region.
• Network with plumbers, contractors, realtors, property managers, and insurance agents.

Water restoration business requires little initial investments

Another advantage of the water restoration business is that it doesn’t require huge investments. The start-up cost is not as expensive as a home repair company. You need minimal equipment to be able to start offering services. You will need moisture meters, cleaning products,   dehumidifiers , air movers, and a service van. That’s it and you’re all set. You have to resist the temptation to over-equip especially if you are working on a small capital. If you are hiring subcontractors for certain projects, let them use their own equipment. They should provide for their own tools. You should also invest in a truck-mounted water extraction machine but this can wait until you have saved money from your earnings. As your business grows, you can expand your services and cater to more specialized projects which call for specialized tools and equipment.

Water restoration business has small risks42>

Water restoration is among the industries that are not affected by economic and recessionary influences. There will always be a demand for restoration service and people will be willing to pay for it. Perhaps the biggest risk associated with this industry is connected to employee management. Restoration companies can largely benefit from purchasing   employment practices   liability   that provides protection against wrongful termination, failure to promote, harassment at work, etc. Employee burnout is also a real thing in the industry.

A lot of ongoing work to be done in the water restoration business and it’s challenging

It doesn’t take long before you realize that working in this industry is challenging. Right from the start, expect to get a lot of calls requesting for emergency services, even on weekends, and at the time when you’re supposed to be having some rest. Plus, you get to deal with the long hours fixing dirty, laborious water damage problems. Your ability to adapt to changes will determine your success in this industry. The key is to invest in tools and equipment that will make work easier. More importantly, you must plan ahead. Create a strategy that will get you to where you want to be.

Restoration business is about helping others

The restoration industry is not for people who simply want to make money. It requires passion and dedication to cope with the long hours of hard physical work. Apart from your skills and professional abilities, people need your compassion and empathy to recover from disasters. If you’re motivated by helping others especially during natural calamities such as storms and flooding, you will find this business rewarding and fulfilling.

You will find lots of new business ideas out there. But if you’re specifically looking for something profitable, requires minimal investment, is less vulnerable to economic downturns, challenging, and gives you an opportunity to help others, putting up your own water damage restoration company is a great option.

But of course, just like other kinds of business, it takes hard work, dedication, and strategic planning to succeed in the restoration business. Start by making a business plan that outlines your business model. Next, invest in the right equipment. You can start with just the basic tools and invest in some more once you start earning. To get more clients, consider partnering with government agencies, as well as other home improvement contractors in your area (plumbers, engineers, property managers, and real estate agents).

More importantly, your desire to help people recover from disasters should give you the motivation to overcome the challenges and triumph in this industry.

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Saving Homes and Businesses After Water Damage

Flooding, major water leaks and water damage from putting out a fire can wreak havoc on a home or business. Add the cost of remediation and restoration, and business owners’ and homeowners’ stress levels quickly rise.

“Even a little water can quickly cause major damage," the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) notes on its Floodsmart.com site . “Just one inch of water in a typical home can cause up to $25,000 of damage. Water can damage or destroy drywall, flooring, carpet, furniture, personal belongings and anything with electronics. If not removed quickly, it can cause dangerous mold and structural damage.”

Carpet and vinyl flooring can be thrown out, but wood floors are another matter.

“Moisture trapped within the wood creates an ideal environment for mold and mildew growth,” blogs DRYmedic Restoration Services. “Within 24 to 48 hours, mold spores can begin to colonize, posing health risks to residents and further compromising the structural integrity of the flooring. The presence of mold not only exacerbates the damage, but also leads to more serious and costly remediation efforts.”

In older homes, flaking lead paint and asbestos removal are concerns for residents and properly trained and certified remediation/restoration workers after a water-damage incident.

Would you like to add water remediation and restoration to your plumbing business? It seems like a natural progression for plumbers, who are water experts.

We talked to two Benjamin Franklin Plumbing franchisees who added water remediation/restoration through the DRYmedic Restoration Services franchise. Both franchises reside under the Authority Brands umbrella.

Prioritizing Customer Care

“As a Northern California native aware of the region’s challenging weather, I saw an opportunity to add a restoration company to my plumbing business,” explains John Rossi , franchise owner of Benjamin Franklin Plumbing of San Francisco Bay Area, DRYmedic Restoration Services of East Bay and North Bay, CA, and Mister Sparky Electric of North Bay, CA. “For the first three months of operation, I did no marketing, relying solely on leads from our Benjamin Franklin Plumbing plumbers—a testament to the power in having both of these companies in my business portfolio.”

He has nine team members across two locations (Concord and Novato, CA): three in-office and six field technicians.

It was a matter of reputation for Matt Black —franchise owner of Benjamin Franklin Plumbing of Port St. Lucie, FL, and DRYmedic Restoration Services of Treasure Coast, FL. He had recommended a local water remediation and restoration company to one of his plumbing customers.

"That customer returned and showed me a list of work he was billed for but the company never completed,” he recalls. “I didn’t want to take another hit to our reputation, so adding a DRYmedic franchise made sense.” Black has one mitigation director, two project managers and two demo techs for the franchise; his wife also is working with him.

Rossi notes that in-person training was held at DRYmedic Restoration Services’ new, state-of-the-art facility in Bloomfield Hills, MI, over two weeks: half in the classroom and half in the field. “Unlike other restoration companies, in-field training takes place on actual jobs within the community rather than staged projects or flood houses,” he says. 

Dealing with customers looking at thousands of dollars worth of damage to homes and businesses requires empathy. Both men note that techs undergo soft-skills training to explain the process to customers, respectfully answer their questions and assure them that their homes or buildings will be clean and safe when the process is completed.

“Our technicians handle each project and property with the utmost care and attention to detail,” Rossi says. “We are taught to approach our work with empathy and understanding, recognizing the emotional toll disasters can take on homeowners and their families. Our technicians are very personable and prioritize customer care above all else.”

Focus on Health and Safety

Flood water is likely to contain chemical and biological contaminants that pose various health risks. A sewer backup with human waste is a biohazard. Mold and asbestos exposure can cause respiratory illnesses, even exacerbate existing conditions such as asthma.

Water remediation and restoration technicians must wear protective clothing to protect their health and safety. Contaminants, chemicals and debris can splash into eyes or damage hands.

“We conduct a thorough assessment of the extent and type of mold or hazardous material present,” Black notes. “Then we follow a detailed plan for removal, including containment measures and safety protocols we have in place. Technicians wear appropriate personal protection equipment such as respirators (N95 or higher for mold spores, and possibly more advanced for hazardous materials), gloves, goggles and coveralls to protect against chemical and biological exposure.”

Rossi adds: “We prioritize the health and safety of our technicians by having them fit-tested annually and holding weekly safety meetings. The topics of these meetings vary, ranging from how to safely enter a crawlspace to climbing and navigating roofs to properly tarp them.” 

He also explains the importance of ensuring “a clean and sanitary environment when working in customers' homes or businesses." Both men say that identifying the water source(s)—a leaking pipe or fixture, drain pipe blockage, flood waters, etc.—and ensuring water can no longer damage the building is critical. Otherwise, the process starts again, adding unnecessary expense for owners.

“Thoroughly inspecting affected areas is crucial,” Rossi notes. “For this reason, we set up critical containment barriers to separate damaged parts of the property.”

DRYmedic technicians use state-of-the-art equipment and remediation protocols to clean, disinfect and repair any damage. The five steps to water restoration are:

1. Damage assessment

2. Water removal and extraction

3. Water damage cleanup and sanitizing

4. Dehumidifying and drying

5. Cleanup and approval

Adding Water Restoration Services 

However, if you don’t have industry experience, Black notes that “going the franchise route is an easier way to get into the business as the franchise offers established processes/procedures, guidance and coaching to help in your success. It’s harder to start from scratch on your own. The hardest part for our team was getting used to the different software that is required: Dash, Xactimate and QuickBooks. It has been continual training.”

DRYmedic Restoration Services has a menu of services that franchisees can add to their businesses: water and flood damage, fire and smoke damage, mold remediation, storm damage, construction, residential restoration services, commercial restoration services, asbestos removal, disaster planning, sewer water backup, contents cleaning, disinfection, attic stain removal, emergency services and biohazard.

The Institute of Inspections Cleaning and Restoration Certification offers many required certifications for plumbing contractors who enter the business, including for water damage restoration technicians . “These standards serve to develop common, industry-accepted language and terminology that enables us to discuss concepts and procedures more universally regarding cleaning, inspections and restoration,” Black explains.

As part of Authority Brands, both franchises offer ongoing post-onboarding training sessions through the online training platform, Success Academy. Equipment manufacturers also provide training on their equipment to ensure proper use. 

Contractors can rent equipment when they start their new water remediation/restoration venture, but Black and Rossi recommend buying the basic equipment and renting more equipment for larger jobs.

“Compared to independent contractors, many franchise owners can benefit from greater purchasing power due to the strong relationships franchisors maintain with suppliers,” Rossi adds.

Independent plumbing contractors interested in more detailed information on the water remediation/restoration industry can attend Flow Expo, the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show, PHCC and Service World Expo. Contractors who want to learn more about franchise options should look at the International Franchise Expo, the Multi-Unit Franchise Conference and the Leadership & Development Conference.

“Being part of a franchise can connect you with a large network of like-minded individuals,” Rossi says. “Whether you share a passion for the restoration or plumbing industries, have a background in entrepreneurship, or desire to help others in times of need, entrepreneurs within the network can offer advice, share experiences, answer questions and provide support as your business grows.”

Kelly Faloon is a contributing writer to CONTRACTOR magazine and principal of Faloon Editorial Services. The former editor of Plumbing & Mechanical magazine, she has more than 35 years of experience in B2B publishing, with 26 of those years writing about the plumbing, heating, cooling and piping industry. Faloon is a journalism graduate of Michigan State University. You can reach her at [email protected] .

Kelly L. Faloon | Freelance Writer/Editor

Kelly L. Faloon  is a contributing editor and writer to Contractor ,  Contracting Business  magazine and  HPAC Engineering  and principal of Faloon Editorial Services. The former editor of  Plumbing & Mechanical magazine, Faloon has more than 26 years of experience in the plumbing and heating industry and more than 35 years in B2B publishing. She started a freelance writing and editing business in 2017, where she has a varied clientele.

Faloon spent 3 1/2 years at Supply House Times before joining the  Plumbing & Mechanical staff in 2001. Previously, she spent nearly 10 years at CCH/Wolters Kluwer, a publishing firm specializing in business and tax law, where she wore many hats — proofreader, writer/editor for a daily tax publication, and Internal Revenue Code editor.

A native of Michigan’s northern Lower Peninsula, Faloon is a journalism graduate of Michigan State University. You can reach her at  [email protected] .

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