You don’t have to know everything when you work with Umpire.

If it’s sudden and accidental - like a burst pipe, an overflowing toilet, or a leak - typically yes.

But flooding from things like heavy rain, rivers, and sewer backups is normally not covered by standard homeowner policies - so it’s always a good idea to confirm coverage with your agent.

(Whether insurance is paying or not, our flat pricing is 34% less than competitors.)

No! If it’s an emergency (as standing in water tends to be), call us as soon as possible. We can start mitigating the damage before you have a claim number.

Once you have a claim number, we can send loss information and invoices directly to your insurance company. (Covered or not, we’re happy to give you a free quote at any time.)

An adjuster from your insurance provider will handle the claims process on their end.

If we are on the job, we take before and after pictures for you and send everything (with your approval), including the invoice, to your insurance company when the mitigation is complete. This keeps everything easy for you and for your insurance provider!

While Umpire will coordinate directly with your insurance company throughout the cleanup process, we cannot file a claim or verify coverage on your behalf.

But we have been doing this a long time - so if you have any questions, never hesitate to call us.

Our flat pricing for addressing water damage covers the following services:

• Before & after photo documentation
• Before & after moisture readings
• Moving contents as needed
• Extracting the water
• Saving or removing the carpet
• Removing padding, tackless, baseboard, drywall, and insulation under 100 square feet
• Hauling debris outside and away
• Cleaning the floor
• Applying anti-microbial to disinfect
• Placing and picking up fans and dehumidifiers
• And, of course, customer satisfaction!

Our team uses experience, thermal cameras, and moisture meters to find all hidden moisture.

If our team is allowed to do everything we recommend, it usually takes 1-3 days.

We can do as much or as little as you want!

If you have a contractor you love and just want us to dry the water damage, that's what we’ll do. If you’d like us to do the rebuild, we can help with that, too.

Yes! We do residential homes, commercial offices, and retail stores. If it's wet or smoked up, we’ll clean and restore it for you.

We can help you evaluate what contents can be saved. If your insurance company is involved, we strongly recommend you DO NOT dispose of any contents until you communicate with insurance and understand their replacement process and your policy coverage/limits.

Even if your insurance company agrees to replace damaged contents, their process may require an independent appraiser to value the item and may need to physically see item(s) BEFORE disposal.

First, check with the firemen to make sure it’s safe to reenter your home.

Next, call your insurance company to file a claim and get help with resources. 

When you’re ready, we’ll be here to answer all of your questions and help you get your home back.

Be wary of signing any contract with anyone that comes to your home uninvited claiming to “help” you! These "fire chasers" are usually not sincere and may cost you additional money.

If you’re ever not sure, call us: we recommend, and offer, free advice and estimates with no strings attached.

Maybe; it depends on what burned and your DIY skills.

We still recommend calling us for free advice before trying to clean yourself. Soot and smoke can be dangerous to inhale and you could miss damage to the structural integrity of your house.

Training, equipment, and the correct cleaning products are necessary to restore everything to their original condition. So, if you do try to clean yourself, sometimes you can make the damage worse. We’re happy to walk you through the process and answer any questions!

It may or may not be safe to remain in your home during the cleanup - it depends on the amount of fire damage, which utilities are still working, and other factors.

Some small fires might not pose a risk to your health, while larger fires can leave soot and smoke that is dangerous to inhale until it’s completely removed. We can advise you on whether or not we think your home is habitable so you can make an informed choice.

It depends on how extensive the damage is, the size of the home, and the insurance company’s processes. It also depends on whether or not your home has other forms of damage, like water and mold damage.

The average time to clean up after fire damage is one week.

Absolutely! There are affordable sensors and subscriptions that help prevent water and fire damage. They usually cost less than your deductible. Email us at help@umpiremitigation.com to find out how.

Mold can grow in as little as 2-3 days if it has oxygen, a food source (dirt, drywall, etc.), and moisture. So if you have mold growth, you have excess moisture coming from somewhere.

If you've had sudden water damage (pipe break, hot water heater leak, washer overflow, etc.) that took longer than 3 days to dry, that’s probably your culprit.

Absent sudden water damage, excess moisture can also be caused by improper air flow leading to condensation (too many contents in a room or against an exterior wall, HVAC issue, no exhaust fan in the bathroom, exhaust fan improperly venting into attic, etc.), soil sloping towards the home, clogged gutters, or a roof leak.

Sometimes, it's hydrostatic pressure causing moisture issues. A dehumidifier (don't overspend - size one for your space by square foot and self-draining!) can help in some cases, but in others, you need a foundation expert.

We can help find the source of the moisture using experience and moisture meters so you know what the issue is and what your options are to fix it.

There’s no yes-or-no answer to this. All mold growing indoors is "bad" mold - unhealthy and/or an irritant to occupants - regardless of the type.

That said, all types of mold are professionally removed with the same procedures, so from a removal standpoint, it doesn't matter what type of mold it is.

But if you need to know what type of mold is in your home for other reasons, air and surface testing should be done.

It depends on the job, but most of the time, if visible mold is present we can develop a plan to remove it without testing.

If mold is not visible, but you suspect it's in your home due to odor or certain events like water damage, testing is needed to tell if mold is present in the environment and at what level.

Yes, when needed, we help coordinate mold testing with independent experts and labs.

If you’ve already had mold testing done by another company and just want us to perform the mold remediation, we may be able to work off of their test results and save you some money.

The most important thing is to find and fix the moisture source - otherwise, mold will grow again.

Mold spores are present in most environments - it's normal - but they should be at low levels and not visible or growing indoors. If excess moisture is present indoors, mold will grow.

That’s why we always make sure the moisture source is identified and addressed in every mold remediation job we do.

Yes, for the one year in 2011 that Virginia licensed mold remediators, we were licensed.

But in 2012, after one year, Virginia stopped licensing mold remediators. So no company currently, including us, is licensed in Virginia for mold remediation.

Virginia did pass legislation that went into effect July 1, 2024, stating that all professional mold remediators must be certified with the IICRC. We are licensed to do business in Virginia and are an IICRC Certified Firm, meaning we meet or exceed all current requirements and industry training for mold remediation.

Most importantly, check our customer reviews: we take a professional and practical approach to effectively remove mold and make our customers happy.

We have effectively removed cigarette smoke odors from nicotine, cooking odors from burnt foods and spices, and skunk spray - just to name a few!

Yes, if allowed to remove the source.

Sometimes that can be done utilizing an airscrubber with UV-C, while other times it requires cleaning the walls, ceilings, and contents of the space.

Yes! We only use plant-based products and effective processes to clean and disinfect that are safe for people and pets.

We are happy to provide product sheets and safety data sheets on any product we use.

Yes. We have professionally cleaned and disinfected the Norovirus in hotels and daycare centers so guests and customers could safely return without getting sick.

Yes. The bats or birds do need to be relocated
before we can safely clean and disinfect (which
we can help coordinate if needed). Full PPE
must be worn by everyone doing the cleaning.

Yes. This requires deep cleaning of all ceilings, walls, and contents - normally a combination of HEPA vacuuming and washing everything with a neutralizing product to remove the residue. Full PPE must be worn by everyone doing the cleaning.

You can access and sign all customer work forms here.