Free Water Damage Inspection in Minnesota

You cleaned up the leak yourself. Towels, a fan, maybe a shop vac. It looks fine now.

The real question is whether it is fine behind the wall. That is what a water damage inspection answers, and at Kiser Construction ours is free. You get the readings, a written scope, and a straight answer, whether or not you hire us.

What a water damage inspection includes

Moisture readings, not guesses

Surfaces dry first and hide what is underneath. A moisture meter reads what is inside the material, not what is on top of it. We take readings across the wet area and well past it, so we know whether the water traveled six inches or six feet.

Finding water you cannot see

Water follows framing, pipes, and gravity. It ends up in places that look nothing like where the leak started. We check wall cavities, subfloor, insulation, the room below, and the room next door.

Measured photos of every room

Our DocuSketch camera takes 360 degree images of each damaged area and builds measurements and a floor plan from them. Your file has measured dimensions instead of numbers written from memory.

A written scope you keep

You get a written scope that lists every affected room, what would come out, and what equipment would go in. It is yours to keep, whether you hire us or not.

Ask to see the readings

Here is the complaint that comes up again and again about restoration companies. A homeowner gets a big bill, never saw a moisture reading, and cannot tell why half the wall came out. Some only see the invoice after their insurance company already paid it.

You should never have to take a contractor’s word for it. Ask to see the readings before anything gets cut. Ask why each section is coming out. A good tech will show you on the meter, and the numbers go in your file.

The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry gives homeowners a short list of red flags in its consumer guide to hiring a contractor. Two of them: a contractor who refuses to give a written estimate or contract, and one who offers to pay your insurance deductible. Walk away from either one.

When to schedule an inspection

• After a leak you already cleaned up. Dishwasher, ice maker, water heater, toilet. If water soaked into flooring, baseboard, or the wall behind a cabinet, surface drying rarely finished the job.
• When you can smell it but cannot see it. A musty smell in a basement or closet usually means moisture with nowhere to go.
• Before you call your insurance company. Knowing what you are dealing with gives you real information when you talk to your agent.
• When another company said it was dry and it does not feel dry. A second set of readings settles it.

Minnesota adds its own timing. A pipe that froze in January, an ice dam that leaked during a February thaw, or spring melt that seeped into a finished basement can all leave water where nobody looks. If something changed after one of those, it is worth a meter.

What happens after the inspection

If it is dry, we tell you

Sometimes the answer is that your house is dry. We would rather say so and be the company you call next time. Nobody gets sent out to find a reason to start work.

If it is not, you get a plan

You get the written scope, the plan, and the expected sequence. The source of the water decides a lot. Clean water from a supply line is handled differently than water that came up through a floor drain. Our guide to water damage categories explains why.

Drying ends when the readings say the materials are dry, not on a set day. Our guide on how long water damage restoration takes walks through each stage.

One company from drying through rebuild

We are a licensed Minnesota contractor, not a drying-only company. The same team that dries the structure puts the drywall, flooring, and trim back. If mold turns up, mold remediation is handled in house. See our water damage restoration page for the full process.

Working with your insurance

If insurance is involved, we document the loss with photos, readings, and the written scope, and we share it with your adjuster. We do not interpret your policy or adjust your claim. Coverage questions belong with your adjuster and your agent. Our insurance claim assistance page explains where our part starts and stops.

How payment works

The inspection is free. If you hire us, we work on 50/50 payment terms: half before the project begins and the balance on completion. Every job carries a one-year warranty from the completion date. You get the terms in writing, in the same document as the scope, before anyone picks up a tool.

Common questions

Is the water damage inspection really free?

Yes. There is no charge and no obligation to hire us afterward.

Do I keep the written scope if I do not hire you?

Yes. It is yours either way. If we find nothing, we will say so.

How do you find water behind a wall?

Moisture meters read inside the material rather than on the surface. We map readings across and beyond the affected area to trace how far the water went.

Can I see the moisture readings?

Yes. Ask, and we will show you on the meter. The readings go in your file.

Can you inspect before I file an insurance claim?

Yes. That way you know what you are dealing with before you call your agent.

What if the water is still coming in?

Then skip the inspection and call our emergency line at (612) 518-8852. It answers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including holidays.

Schedule your free inspection

If you are wondering whether that leak is finished causing problems, find out before you find out the expensive way.

Call our office at (763) 633-2010 or request an inspection through our contact page. For active water, call (612) 518-8852 any hour. Kiser Construction has been in business in Elk River since 2003, is IICRC certified, and is licensed in Minnesota under BC416441.