Unhappy With the Water Mitigation Crew Your Insurance Sent?
If you’re not happy with the crew your insurance sent to dry out your house, I work with teams that can get it done. I’m Benny Mancillas, an independent Xactimate estimator in Houston. I write the repair estimate. I’m not the mitigation contractor and I don’t do the drying or demo myself, but homeowners sometimes call me after the first crew left the house in worse shape than it should be. I can walk the house, tell you what I see, and if you want, connect you with a crew I work with. You would contract directly with that crew, and you can hire anyone you like.
When the first crew doesn’t get it right
After a pipe break, a leak or a flood, many insurance programs send a mitigation company to pull wet materials and set drying equipment. Plenty of those crews do solid work. Sometimes they don’t, and the homeowner is left with a house that still feels wet, equipment that disappeared, or a rebuild that’s about to start on top of damp framing. If that’s where you are, you’re not stuck guessing. Call or text me and we’ll start with a look at the house.
Signs the mitigation wasn’t done right
None of these proves anything by itself, but any one of them is a reason to ask questions:
- Drying equipment was pulled early, or taken out without anyone explaining why.
- No moisture readings were logged, or you were never shown any.
- The house smells musty or damp, or the air still feels humid days later.
- There are no photos of the affected rooms from before, during or after the work.
- Wet materials were left in place: soaked baseboards, insulation, drywall or flooring that should have been removed or opened up.
- Walls or floors still read wet when someone checks with a meter.
My field note on checking the mitigation before rebuilding shows how this gets caught with a meter and a camera.
Can I use a different crew?
Homeowners may have the right to choose their own contractor, but insurer program rules and coverage vary from policy to policy. I’m not an attorney and this isn’t legal advice. Check your policy and ask your carrier how your claim handles a change of contractor, and get the answer in writing if you can. I’d rather you ask before you switch than after.
What I do first
Every job starts with a walkthrough at the property. I go through each affected room with a moisture meter and a camera, take labeled photos, record what I find and capture a Matterport 3D scan. If the first company left a drying log or photos, bring them. Then I tell you plainly what I see, what looks finished and what doesn’t, and what the options are. Nothing is decided at the door.
Crews I work with
If the house needs more mitigation work, I can connect you with a crew I work with. These are separate companies, not my employees. Depending on the house, a crew may be able to remove wet materials that were left behind, set and monitor drying equipment, log moisture readings and photograph the work so there’s a record. If the drying turns out to be fine, I’ll say that too. Send the address and I’ll tell you straight whether one of the crews I work with serves your area.
Who does what
I’m an independent estimator. I’m not a public adjuster or insurance adjuster, I don’t negotiate with your insurance company, I don’t decide coverage, and I can’t promise what a claim will pay or whether your insurer will approve a change of crew. I write the estimate; I’m not the mitigation contractor and I don’t perform the work. The mitigation is done by the crew you hire. If you choose a crew I work with, you contract directly with that company, it sets its own terms with you and is responsible for its work, and I’ll tell you plainly which is which. You can hire any other contractor you’d rather use. See independent estimator vs. public adjuster vs. appraiser in Texas.
Questions from homeowners
Can I switch crews?
You may have the right to choose your own contractor, but insurer program rules and policy terms vary, and I can’t give legal advice. Read your policy and ask your carrier, preferably in writing, how switching works with your claim. If you’re unhappy with the work, you can also ask for a walkthrough with me first, so there’s documentation of what the house looks like today.
Will insurance still pay?
I can’t say. I’m not the adjuster and I don’t decide coverage. What the carrier pays depends on your policy, your claim and the insurer’s own rules, including any program the first crew came through. Ask your carrier before you change anything, and keep every invoice, photo and moisture reading.
What if drying already started?
That’s usually when people call. I’ll look at what’s been done and what’s still wet or open. Try not to let anyone pull more equipment or sign off the job until the house has been checked. Read anything the first company asks you to sign, such as a completion or satisfaction form, before you sign it.
How do I know drying was done wrong?
Look at the checklist on this page. Equipment gone before anyone gave you readings, no moisture log, a musty smell, humidity that won’t go down, no photos and wet materials still in place are all reasons to ask questions. A moisture meter and a camera tell you more than anyone’s opinion, so that’s what I use at the walkthrough.
What do you do first?
I come to the house and walk every affected room with a moisture meter and a camera. I photograph and log what I find, and I ask for whatever paperwork the first crew left. Then I tell you plainly what I see and what the options are, including whether a crew I work with could be the right fit. You decide what happens next.
Do you do the drying yourself?
No. I write the estimate. I’m not the mitigation contractor and I don’t perform the work. If you want help finding a crew, I can connect you with crews I work with. You would sign with the crew directly, and the crew, not me, is responsible for its work. You can also hire any other company you prefer.
Talk to Benny about the drying
Call or text Benny Mancillas with the property address, who the insurance sent and where things stand. You can also send an inquiry. Hours are Monday–Friday, 8 AM–5 PM Central. Spanish is available. Visits take place at your property.