Straight answers to the questions we hear most from homeowners and business owners across Quincy, Hannibal, Kirksville, Burlington, and the surrounding area. If you don’t see your question here, call us — 24/7, someone will pick up.
Our average response time is around 30 minutes from your call, with a crew on-site within one hour in most cases across our service area — Quincy, IL; Hannibal and Kirksville, MO; Burlington and Fort Madison, IA; and Macomb, IL.
Yes. Water and fire damage don’t wait for business hours, and neither do we. Owner Jeff Butler personally answers calls around the clock, including weekends and holidays.
No. Clean Restoration is 100% locally owned and operated. We’re not routing your call to a national dispatch center — the people who answer the phone are the same people who show up at your door.
Yes. We document damage thoroughly at the start of every job and coordinate directly with your adjuster throughout the claims process, which helps avoid delays and disputes over scope.
Cost depends on the source of the water, how much area is affected, how long the water sat before cleanup started, and whether the water was clean, gray, or contaminated (black water). A small, contained leak caught quickly might run a few hundred dollars; a flooded basement with standing water for days can run into the thousands. We provide a clear estimate after our initial assessment, before any work begins.
With professional drying equipment, most water-damaged areas take three to five days to fully dry, though this varies based on how much water was involved, what materials absorbed it, and humidity levels. Drywall, subfloor, and framing can hold moisture longer than surface-level materials like carpet.
Not safely. Standing water and trapped moisture create the right conditions for mold growth within 24 to 48 hours. Air-drying without commercial dehumidifiers and moisture detection often leaves hidden moisture behind walls or under flooring, which shows up as a mold problem weeks later.
It depends on the cause. Sudden and accidental water damage — a burst pipe, an appliance failure, a sudden storm — is typically covered. Damage from long-term neglect, like a slow leak that went unaddressed for months, often is not. Flood damage from rising water (as opposed to a pipe or appliance) usually requires separate flood insurance, not a standard homeowners policy.
Most homeowners and commercial policies cover fire and smoke damage restoration, though coverage details vary by carrier. We document damage thoroughly and work directly with your adjuster to help the claims process move accurately and quickly.
Spray deodorizers and air fresheners only mask smoke odor temporarily because they don’t address the soot particles embedded in porous materials. Lasting odor removal requires professional deodorization and air purification, along with cleaning or replacing severely affected materials — which is why we handle odor removal as part of the full restoration process rather than as a standalone fix.
Yes. Smoke travels through HVAC systems, wall cavities, and open doorways well beyond the fire’s point of origin. It’s common for rooms on a different floor, or even the opposite end of the house, to need smoke and soot treatment even though the fire itself was contained to one room.
A contained fire with limited smoke spread might take one to two weeks to clean and restore. Larger fires requiring structural rebuild can take several weeks to a few months, depending on the extent of damage and how quickly insurance approves the scope of work.
Mold can begin growing within 24 to 48 hours in the right conditions — warm, damp, and dark. This is the main reason we push for fast water extraction and drying rather than waiting to “see how it dries out.”
Some mold species can cause respiratory irritation, allergic reactions, and other health effects, particularly for people with asthma, allergies, or compromised immune systems. Not all mold is toxic, but any mold growth should be professionally assessed and removed rather than painted over or ignored.
Small surface mold on a hard, non-porous surface can sometimes be cleaned by a homeowner with appropriate precautions. Mold growing inside walls, under flooring, or covering a significant area should be handled by a professional remediation team, since disturbing it without proper containment can spread spores throughout the home.
Standard homeowners policies often exclude sewage backup unless you’ve added a specific sewer/drain backup endorsement. It’s worth checking your policy or asking your agent directly, since this is one of the more commonly misunderstood coverage gaps.
Sewage contains bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens that pose real health risks without proper protective equipment and disinfection procedures. Materials that absorb contaminated water — carpet, drywall, insulation — often need to be removed and replaced rather than cleaned, which is a judgment call best made by someone trained to assess contamination level.
