Who writes the restoration advice on this site?

Our restoration advice editor, Harriet Colvin, writes and updates the guides based on the questions homeowners ask us most. They are reviewed whenever our process or the cost data they cite changes.

Are the cost figures in the restoration guides your prices?

No. Cost figures come from published national cost data and are named in each guide. They are planning ranges, not a quote. A real number needs an on-site inspection.

Can these restoration guides replace calling a professional?

They help you act in the first hour and ask better questions. Category 3 water, fire residue, mold over a small patch and anything structural belong to a trained crew.

How often are the restoration guides updated?

Each guide shows the month it was last updated. We revise them when cost sources change or when we learn something useful from the calls that come in.

Restoration advice

Advice for the worst day in a Spokane house

What to do first, what not to touch and what it usually costs. Written for Inland Northwest homes and weather.

Call (509) 730-2039Answering 24/7 for Spokane, WA and North Idaho

Updated October 2026

Moisture meter and notes on a kitchen counter

Quick answer

These guides cover the first hour after a burst pipe, ice dams, wildfire smoke and ash, mold timelines, sewage backups, fire recovery, insurance documentation and what restoration costs, written for Spokane area homes. Each one ends with what you can safely do yourself and when it is time to call.

Why we write these down

Most of the damage we see happens in the first few hours, before anyone from a restoration company is in the house. Knowing where the main shutoff is, what to lift off the floor and what to leave alone for the adjuster changes how much of a home can be saved.

These articles are written by Harriet Colvin, our restoration advice editor, from the questions we hear on the phone most often. They describe the work in plain terms and send you to the right service page when the job is bigger than a homeowner should take on.