Restoration Questions — Real Answers from Three Generations

Yes — a real person answers the emergency line at (602) 944-2645 every hour, every day, including holidays and overnight. We've operated this way since 1967 because property emergencies don't wait for business hours. There is no answering service and no voicemail queue on the emergency line.

Most Phoenix-metro emergencies receive a crew on site within an hour of dispatch. We stage trucks and equipment from our Phoenix headquarters at 2219 W. Melinda Lane to reach Scottsdale, Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, Glendale, Avondale, Litchfield Park, and Sun City quickly.

If safe: shut off water at the main valve, move people and pets away from the affected area, cut power if there's standing water, and document damage with photos before moving anything. Call us before contacting your insurance — we'll guide what to document.

Yes. We serve the entire Phoenix metro 24/7/365 and dispatch statewide for larger commercial and multi-family projects. We also serve metro Tucson and Northern Arizona — call our main line and dispatch will route to the right team. The Service Areas page lists the cities we cover in each region.

Both. Our 1-800-BOARDUP partnership means we can deploy alongside fire and police for immediate stabilization, board-up, and shoring — including helping first responders return to service faster. Kowalski owns the Phoenix 1-800-BOARDUP franchise, so the board-up crew and the restoration crew are the same company. Call (602) 944-2645 as soon as it is safe.

Yes. Kowalski coordinates directly with your insurance carrier on scope, pricing, and billing throughout the restoration. You get one point of contact through the entire project — we handle the paperwork. What a policy covers is your carrier's decision, but you will not have to manage the scope or the billing paperwork yourself.

Call us first. We'll do a no-obligation damage assessment and can help you understand what to document for the claim before you call your carrier. We don't pressure you to file — that's your decision. Take photos of everything before it is moved or cleaned, because that record is what an adjuster works from later.

Standard practice across the restoration industry: the homeowner pays their deductible. We can discuss timing and arrangements during the project — and we never inflate scope to pay your deductible (which is illegal in most states, including Arizona). Your deductible is set by your policy, and your carrier pays the rest of the approved scope.

We can't speak for your carrier — every policy is different. Some claim types affect premiums more than others. Talk to your insurance agent before deciding to file. Our job is to restore the property; the claim decision is yours.

Yes. Kowalski coordinates draws, inspections, and lien waivers with mortgage companies as part of every restoration that requires it. Three generations of doing this work means we know the process inside and out. Ask your lender early how its loss-draft process works, because each lender has its own forms and inspection schedule.

Every job includes photo documentation, IICRC-certified moisture readings and equipment logs (for water work), Xactimate-formatted scopes, before/during/after photos, 3D imaging when necessary, and code-compliance certifications. Adjusters know us because the documentation holds up. Good documentation keeps a claim from stalling, because the adjuster can see exactly what was damaged and why each repair was needed.

Within hours. Water wicks into drywall, sub-floors, insulation, and framing fast. Within 24–48 hours, mold spores germinate. Within 72 hours, structural materials may become unsalvageable. Every hour you wait, the cost goes up. Start by stopping the water source and calling (602) 944-2645; the crew brings the extraction and drying equipment that limits the damage.

It depends on the water category (clean, gray, or black) and how long it's been wet. Category 1 (clean) carpet and drywall can often be dried in place. Category 2–3 (gray or sewage) materials usually need to be removed and replaced for safety reasons.

Yes. Mold spores are everywhere; they only need moisture and a food source to grow. Within 24–48 hours of water damage, mold colonies start. That's why our IICRC-certified structural drying matters — it stops mold before it starts. If you can already see or smell mold, keep the room closed and do not run fans in it until the crew arrives.

Typical residential water loss: 3–5 days of drying. Larger commercial losses can run 1–2 weeks. We monitor moisture daily and document readings — drying is done when measurements hit IICRC standards, not on a guess. Slab floors, wet insulation inside walls and heavy contents all add time.

Yes. Sewage is Category 3 black water — requires full hazmat protocol with the right PPE, containment, and disposal. Our crews are trained and equipped. Don't attempt to clean sewage yourself; it's a health hazard. Porous materials it touched, such as carpet, pad and the lower part of drywall, normally have to be removed rather than cleaned.

Strongly recommend you don't. Different smoke types (protein, complex, natural, etc.) require different cleaning methods. Improper cleaning often sets the smoke into surfaces and makes professional restoration harder and more expensive. Call before you scrub. Wiping soot with a wet cloth, for example, can smear it deeper into paint and fabric.

Often yes. Kowalski performs pack-out, photo inventory, professional cleaning and deodorization, and climate-controlled storage of contents — bringing them back as the rooms are completed. Specialty textiles, documents, photos, and electronics all have specific restoration protocols. Ask before you throw anything away, because many items that look ruined can be restored.

Smoke molecules embed in porous materials — drywall, carpet padding, insulation, fabrics, even concrete. Surface cleaning alone won't remove the odor. Kowalski uses professional odor-neutralization techniques (HEPA scrubbing, thermal fogging, sealants) certified by IICRC. The HVAC system is often the overlooked source, because it carries smoke through the whole building.

Depends on the scope. A small contained fire might be 2–4 weeks; a full-house rebuild after major fire damage runs 3–6 months. We give realistic timelines after the initial scope — updates are typically more frequent, but written updates are provided weekly. For long-duration projects, we provide a written schedule.

Some types of mold are. Most household mold causes respiratory irritation, allergies, and asthma triggers. Toxic black mold (Stachybotrys) and others can cause serious health problems. Either way — once you can see mold, the colony is bigger than what's visible, and remediation should be done correctly.

Sometimes. If the source is obvious (visible water damage), testing isn't always necessary. If the cause is unclear or if occupants are experiencing health issues or concerns, an independent lab test is wise. Kowalski coordinates with independent testing labs when needed.

A small bathroom mold job might take 1–3 days. A larger commercial or multi-room remediation can take 1–2 weeks including containment setup, removal, treatment, drying, and clearance. The timeline depends on how far the growth has spread, whether walls have to be opened, and whether clearance testing is required before the rebuild can start.

Not if the moisture source is fixed. Kowalski's process always includes finding and addressing the source — leak repair, drainage, ventilation — so the mold doesn't return. We don't just remove what's visible. If the moisture stays, the mold returns and the remediation has to be paid for twice.

1) Live emergency call answered → crew dispatched. 2) Mitigation (extraction, drying, board-up). 3) Documentation and insurance scope. 4) Demolition of unsalvageable materials. 5) Reconstruction (framing, drywall, finishes). 6) Final walk-through. We manage all of it under a dedicated project management team.

Sometimes — depends on the scope. We work in occupied homes whenever possible. Our 165-room hotel project was restored while the hotel stayed open — individual rooms were taken offline as needed. For homes with major fire/water damage in the main living areas, temporary relocation may be necessary; we'll be straight with you about what's possible.

Mitigation (water removal, drying, board-up): days. Demolition and reconstruction: weeks to months depending on scope. We give you a realistic timeline after the initial scope — updates are typically more frequent, but written updates are provided weekly so you always know where things stand. For long-duration projects, we provide a written schedule.

Emergency response follows standard industry billing practices. Not-to-exceed amounts or ballpark estimates are available upon request. For non-emergency restoration work, we provide detailed Xactimate-formatted scopes before work begins. The final cost depends on the size of the loss, the materials affected and how long drying takes, so any price quoted before someone has seen the damage is a guess.

Wildly variable. A small residential water loss might be $3,000–$8,000. A house fire rebuild can run $50,000–$300,000+. A large commercial loss can exceed $1M. The 165-room hotel project we restored ran $976,209. Insurance typically covers most of it; we're transparent about every line item.

No. Kowalski operates transparently with line-item Xactimate scopes that match what insurance carriers expect. If scope changes mid-project (which is common as hidden damage gets uncovered), we document it and discuss before the work happens. Nothing is added to the scope without your knowledge.

Since 1967 — almost 60 years. Family owned and operated through three generations of the Kowalski family, all from Phoenix. The company has restored homes, apartment communities, hotels, hospitals and commercial buildings across Arizona. It holds three Arizona Registrar of Contractors licenses and is an IICRC Certified Firm.

Kowalski Construction itself is family owned, not a franchise. We do own the Phoenix franchise of 1-800-BOARDUP — a national emergency response network primarily recognized by fire departments and municipal customers — but that's a separate operation under Kowalski's ownership.

Yes. Three Arizona ROC licenses: Commercial #075573, Residential #057542, Electrical #271601. IICRC Certified Firm. A+ BBB Accredited. Fully insured and bonded. Verify any of our licenses at roc.az.gov. Check any contractor's license before work begins; the Registrar's website also shows complaint history.

IICRC certifications including AMRT (mold), FRST (fire & smoke), WTR (water), ASD (applied structural drying), and Odor Control. Plus EPA RRP lead, AHERA asbestos, OSHA-30, and Xactimate. The full list is on our Recognition page. These certifications matter because insurers and adjusters expect restoration work to be done to IICRC standards.

We're family owned, Phoenix-based, and have been in business locally for almost 60 years. National franchises rotate ownership and crews; we have project managers and craftspeople who've been with us for decades. Three generations of the same family run the company.

Yes. For customers and families navigating major property loss, Kowalski offers Chaplain Services for emotional and spiritual support during the restoration process. Confidential, non-denominational, available on request. Losing a home or business to fire or flood is traumatic, and this support is offered alongside the restoration work, not instead of it. Ask your project manager or call the main line to arrange it.