Complaints

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  American Restoration Water & Fire, LLC

  3535 Princeton Dr NE Albuquerque, NM 87107-4213

  
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  American Restoration Water & Fire, LLC

  2 Half Track Ln Artesia, NM 88210-9117

  
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  American Restoration Water & Fire, LLC

  123 Black Forest Rd Ruidoso, NM 88345-9064

  

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/08/2025

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  American restoration claims we awe them 5000.00 for work done end of January this year. I and my wife never signed a contract, and they never quoted an amount before the work was done. they did provide equipment to remove water from our condo.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/09/2025

  Hello,

   

  We do have a work authorization form that allowed us to provide services to your home singed by William Faulker. Please see attached document.

  There was more than just extraction done at your home to help protect your property from secondary damages, in addition to extraction there was flooring that was removed as it was non salvageable. Your home also benefitted from dry out equipment that was set in your home day one. (See attached photos) We provided you with our estimates and were then asked to remove our equipment as you felt the billing was too high. We would be happy to send this to your insurance company as we bill to industry standards and most insurance companies and major restoration companies also use the billing standards that we use.  

   

  Thank you,

  American Restoration

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/16/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  American Restoration continues to repeat their responses and is unwilling to take responsibility or be accountable for the damages they have caused to my house, as well as continue to expect my insurance to pay for their mistakes.  Additionally according to CID, they have made code violations regarding getting a plumbing inspector without first getting a permit and had at least 2 attempts in getting the correct dwelling permit.  Lastly, they have been unprofessional and refused to supply adequate time lines and invoices as requested numerous times.  Money became an issue when I let them know that CID found them to be non compliant.  Currently, I have requested an invoice from their lawyer and am still waiting for it.  Keeping in mind, that I already gave them $75,000 about 25% of my budget and about 15% of the work has been completed.  Lastly, the invoice needs to match the estimated provided by ******** - I will not pay for anything that was not specified in the estimate.    
  
  
  Regards,
  
  ********** ****  
  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, the consumer must give a reason why they are rejecting the response. If the consumer does not provide a reason the complaint will be closed Answered]electricity were shut off after removing the walls and insulation, while we were experiencing freezing temperatures. A second water burst occurred shortly after that spraying water in another room and damaging the wood stove in addition to the pipes bursting in my well house twice. I turned off the breaker 2x to stop the well house from continued water damage. Currently, the Project Manager is refusing to get a Plumbing Permit to address the damage caused by the pipe breaks as well as giving direction on the venting that needs to be installed and HVAC.
  3. A portion of the roof was replaced, but the wrong color of singles were installed and the contractor refuses to fix the problem.
  4. Lastly, according to my Mortgage Inspector, 10% of the work has been completed and the contactor has used 25% of the budget. He also refuses to keep to a time schedule or submit invoices of work completed.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/17/2025

   "1. Work was done randomly, and a building permit had not been obtained. I spoke with the Project Manager's supervisor on February 9th, and that's when the Renovation Permit was requested and not a Fire Permit. Currently, there is no Structural Engineer Report, and it is unknown if the fire caused structural damage to my house, The Project Manager continues to refuse to get the correct permit."The building permit was issued 2/19/25, We applied for the building permit 2-12-25 and the permit application started 12-19-24. Customer wanted change orders such as sunken floor to being framed, open concept in kitchen which had to be drawn as well, and this was given to the customer on 1-9-25. Customer approved change order on 2-4-25. These drawing are now in the plans as requested. Demo started 12-13-24 for fire. Demo for fire completed 12-31-24. Permit does state on scope of work "alteration and repair fire & water damage."  Please see attached copy of it with stamp from CID. There is no structural damage to the property, we are not doing any trusses work or wall supporting framing. The structural engineer is going to be out to the property 3/18/2025, however, because *** **** got the State of New Mexico involved and they are the ones that are requesting a structural engineer.  "2. On 1-16-25, I met with the Project Manage to go over my kitchen layout and discovered 7 inches of water in 70% of my house. The water pipes burst in the master bathroom; the water was running in my house and had been sitting long enough to make water marks on the stucco outside. This was caused because the contractor did not ensure that the water and electricity were shut off after removing the walls and insulation, while we were experiencing freezing temperatures. A second water burst occurred shortly after that spraying water in another room and damaging the wood stove in addition to the pipes bursting in my well house twice. I turned off the breaker 2x to stop the well house from continued water damage. Currently, the Project Manager is refusing to get a Plumbing Permit to address the damage caused by the pipe breaks as well as giving direction on the venting that needs to be installed and HVAC."  Met with customer on 1-16-25, there was water damage to her home. We have a text Message from customer on 12-21-24 that states the following: "** ****, Im at my house and noticed that the water is off. Is there a reason it got turned off? Im leaving my dog here and need water. I turned on the water on the main but shut down all the end point in the house. You need to talk me regarding major changes like this before this happens. Keep me informed and I need to give the okay." American Restoration turned off water to the mine line to start demo on 12-13-24. Customer then turned water back on, causing her house to flood. - see attached text from clientWhen we completed the demo for the fire and opened up the ceilings in the house, there was a hole in one of the flashings on her roof which caused it to leak leading to damage on the wood stove. Damage to the wood stove was caused by a roof leak not related to the fire and only became obvious because we did demo on the drywall in the ceiling which caused the damage to the wood stove.  Roof supplement was submitted on 2-3-25 and approved on 3-5-25.Called plumber 3-14-25 to verify plumbing permit, plumber stated no permit is needed as this is a repair to her water lines not a replumb the full house. Texted **** ******, the General Building Inspector 3-17-25 "Hey **** this is **** over at American Restoration. I am following up in regards to * ***** ** in los Lunas. I had my plumber out there and asked for them to pull a permit so they reached out to CID and they advised him since this is to fix the plumbing lines, he does not need to pull a permit, but does need to pull a permit for the HVAC. I just want to verify this with you. Please let me know. The lines are also above the concrete that are broken and going to be repaired." **** did not have an answer for me and directed me to ****** ********** the Bureau Chief.  Bureau chief does not know if a permit needs to be pulled and directed me to ****** ******* (Chief Inspector)  who will be giving me call to discuss the loss. "3. A portion of the roof was replaced, but the wrong color of singles were installed and the contractor refuses to fix the problem."A sample of the roof shingle was taken to the roofing company (the distributer- Albuquerque equipment and roofing supply), and they said it was a driftwood color. We ordered the same style; the issue is of course the original roof was laid 10 years ago and there have been several changes to manufacturers since then.  The slight color variation is visible, but the exact color by name is not going to match.  We spoke with your adjustor, and he said because it is a roof repair, and shingles are hard to match exactly. He would not cover the rest of the roof without proof of wind or hail damage.  We have checked and we do not see signs of this.  Your adjustor is very good and has agreed originally to cover 13 squares and now has agreed to cover an additional 15 squares, leaving 10 squares not covered by insurance. Email sent to customer on 3-4-25.- see attached email " 4. Lastly, according to my Mortgage Inspector, 10% of the work has been completed and the contactor has used 25% of the budget. He also refuses to keep to a time schedule or submit invoices of work completed."A schedule has been given to customer 3-4-25 and on 1-10-25.- please see attached 

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/27/2025

  *** **** continues to bring up complaints regarding issues that have already been addressed and or responded to or documentation provided. There are no outstanding issues or concerns that American Restoration has not provided an answer or response to at this time. The responses that are being provided to the client are based off of her coverages and or responses from her insurance company- the client still remains unsatisfied.  This file has been turned over to our attorney- we have a meeting scheduled with our attorney, ***** *** *** ****. on June 5th 2025. Thank you,

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/25/2025

  Complaint: ********I am rejecting this response because:The information shared is incorrect.  I spoke with the first Project Manager when I signed the contract on 12-19-24 about making changes to the layout.  He left on 12-31-24 without any warning and without a project plan.  I was then assigned a new Project Manager, who came in cold without knowing what was happening on my project.  When he took over the fire renovation, I met with him and told him about the changes in the kitchen - I even showed him a picture of how I wanted to extend the cabinets, see attachment, and he then made plans to create a pantry, which I did not approve or sign off on.   This type of dismissive communication has been present since this contractor took over my home renovation.  He uses condescending remarks, raises his voice at me, implies sexiest and ageist connotations; has a difficult time being professional when I ask questions, need clarification, or don't agree with him.  Additionally, it was his responsibility to check the status of the home when he took over the project, and he did not ensure that the water was off in the home or the well house.  He claims that I turned on the water to the house, but I did not.  I only turned the water to the wellhouse and made sure the valves were all turned off to the house and only for a weekend.  I also let the contractor know that since my dog was going to be on the property. Not only did the house have 7 inches of water, it also damaged remaining walls, doors, and items that were being stored in the house - another claim had to be filed.  Once the water was shut off by the contractor when he and I discovered the flood, the electricity and water to the wellhouse remained turned on and I turned off the main breaker twice on my visits causing the wellhouse to flood - see attachment.  Additionally, there was a second water break, according to the plumber, in my house that damaged my wood stove - see attachment.A portion of the roof had to be replaced and the wrong shingle color was installed. According to the contractor, the shingles are the same color. Please see attachment, and notice that the existing shingles have a brown tint and the new ones have a black tint. They are clearly 2 different shingle colors.This is what I need to have a resolution.1. A contractor who will be professional; explain things clearly and honestly, be able to answer questions, and deal with disagreements in search of a solution.  I would like a new projector manager if the current one is unable to follow the requested level of communication.  I need to have someone to speak with when the contractor is unprofessional, the work is not progressing, or I'm having further questions.  I want to speak with someone at the corporate level - not the manager 2.I want the contractor to ensure that my house will not suffer any more unnecessary or preventable damage. 3. That the Permit for my house be updated to a fire mitigation permit - presently it is not.  The contractor claims that there is language on the scope of work, but it still states that it is a home remodel.  I also need permits to be pulled for electrical and Plumbing/HVAC. I also need to know that the information from the Structural Engineer will be implemented.  I want all the work to be completed to code.4. A working Timeline Schedule with dates, projects/work, and goal dates.  I would like a crew to be working every day and my renovations to be completed in 6 months or less.5. The roof have the same color of shingles, and the cost of the mistake will not come from my insurance.6. A Contractor Schedule of Values - see template attachment.  This information can be incorporated in the Timeline.  I need to know what % of work is being done and the cost per project to be able to anticipate draws7. Able to sign off on projects before they get started.  8. Friday meetings in person or via phone with the contractor to check in on weeks progress.Regards,********** ****

  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/31/2025

  Attached is the structural engineer report received on 3-26-25 and sent to ********** **** with a change order as there is no code coverage on her policy. -- On 1-7-25 **** went to the homeowner's house to meet with the client to discuss the new project manager transition. Customer had requested changes orders as discussed, that day and they were sent to her on 1-9-25. The change orders that were discussed that day were as follows " Good afternoon,Attached to this email is a copy of the change order estimate you have requested. In this estimate, it includes Sub floor in the den and office, framing of the upstairs wall, island in the kitchen with a brick veneer, the master bathroom rebuild, and the tile for the full house expect for the family room.  This estimate includes the funds that have already been paid by your insurance carrier and only the difference in materials and labor. Please call me if you have any questions. Thanks!" The email and estimate are attached please review. Since **** (the new PM) took over the job, the PM and Ms. **** have had weekly calls or emails to discuss the project in detail. Please see the attached. There has been constant communication with the customer and have also been having weekly meetings on Friday since 2/13 as requested by the customer. "The water was turned off as this is a common practice when demo has been started at the home which was done on 12-13-25.  Turning on the water to the wellhouse turns on the water to the property which includes your house, This has been discussed with the customer. There is no shut off for the exterior. If she turns the water on to the wellhouse it will feed the property. "Damage to woodstove was not caused by American Restoration, there was a hole in the homeowner's roof that caused a leak which was shown to her and was fixed when roof repairs were completed. In regards to the shingle color this has already been explained to customer."3. A portion of the roof was replaced, but the wrong color of singles were installed and the contractor refuses to fix the problem."A sample of the roof shingle was taken to the roofing company (the distributer- Albuquerque equipment and roofing supply), and they said it was a driftwood color. We ordered the same style; the issue is of course the original roof was laid 10 years ago and there have been several changes to manufacturers since then.  The slight color variation is visible, but the exact color by name is not going to match.  We spoke with your adjustor, and he said because it is a roof repair, and shingles are hard to match exactly. He would not cover the rest of the roof without proof of wind or hail damage.  We have checked and we do not see signs of this.  Your adjustor is very good and has agreed originally to cover 13 squares and now has agreed to cover an additional 15 squares, leaving 10 squares not covered by insurance. Email sent to customer on 3-4-25.- see attached email.**** is currently the only project manager here at American Restoration is able to take on the project for you. And will continue to be your project manager and make sure everything is running smooth. I believe our weekly meetings have allowed us to communicate in regard to your home and have opened communication.When it comes to permits, we are a general contractor, and we cannot apply for any trade permits. This means any plumbing, electrical or HVAC. Our sub-contractors who we use have to apply for a permit once we have our building permit which we do. . On our permit that has been approved by the state on 2-19-25 the scope of work does state "alteration and repair fire & water damage." I have attached a copy of it for your records. Electrical and building permit were attached to prior response and have been emailed to the client, pending HVAC/Plumbing. CID went out on 3/18/25 to access plumbing will give me a report on their findings. Schedule has been given to customer weekly with updates. Prior response had attached the most recent schedule given to customer on 3-25-25.We have given the customer a quote for a full roof replacement, which will be a change order.  Client continues to be updated weekly by **** and her adjuster regarding the status of her property.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/14/2025

  I am rejecting this response because:The information that is shared by American Restoration is incorrect.  They continue to leave out details and don’t take responsibility or accountability for their actions or inactions.  1. The Dwelling Inspector stated that the permit needed to be updated because it was pulled as a remodel instead of a fire mitigation.  They still have not complied with that request.  When I asked about it, the contractor told me that it was amended and proceeded to show me the Scope of Work submitted by American Restoration - see attachments.2. The roof was replaced with the incorrect color of shingles.   The shingles are clearly 2 different colors as indicated in the photos I shared in the first complaint.  I did not approve the color of the shingles and the contractor was not present while the shingles were installed. 3.  As stated in the last complaint, American Restoration is responsible for the safety and well-being of the home when they signed the contract to be my contractor.  They claim that I turned on the water to the house, but I did not.  I only turned the water to the well-house as clearly indicated on the electrical panel, ensuring that all the water was shut off in the house at the specific values, and only for a week-end.  It was the new contractor's responsibility to ensure the water was off when he took over the project. According to the plumber, there was also a second pipe break that ruined my wood stove, see attached photo.  4. The well-house also flooded twice due to the contractor or subcontractor leaving the electricity on after the pipes burst in the house, see photo attached.  I turned off the wellhouse and main breaker twice.  Being that the wellhouse is not in operating condition, I’m unable to water my grass.  My grass is currently turning yellow and is dying.  5. It was the flood in my house, 7 inches of water, see photo of watermarks, that caused my house to be gutted 100% causing everything to be brought up to code - the fire only caused 50% damage.  The contractor is not taking responsibility for this and continues to harass me regarding code upgrades. They refuse to have their subcontractor plumber get a permit.  Instead they called a CID Plumbing Inspector to do an inspection.   According to the contractor, the plumbing inspector stated that the main concerns were the drains in the laundry room.  He said he spoke with the insurance adjuster who said he would credit plumbing in the laundry room and that there needs to be a discussion on the price difference to bring the drains up to code.   According to the inspector, the copper lines can be fixed and don't need a full replumb.  I requested a report from the Inspector and the contractor said that was not possible because technically,  this would be considered a correction notice, but since there is no permit and work has not been done yet, there is no way to send a report.  I have been asking for a plumbing and HVAC permit and this has been refused.  I called CID myself and this is what they said:American Restoration has made some code violations by not having their contracted plumber pull a plumbing permit and getting an plumbing inspector and a bureau chief involved.  As stated by CID, the process is to pull the plumbing and HVAC permit, do the work, make a request to have the inspector come out, have an inspection, the inspector will write a report, and ensure that changes are made to comply with code.  That has not been the process American Restoration followed or operates by. 6. When I visit my house, there have been many times that the security door is flown open, doors are unlocked, and the windows have not been covered, see photo attached.  Additionally, recently, I found beer cans onsite as well as cigarette buds in a barrel of fire kindling.  My concern is that the workers are working under the influence of alcohol and may have an accident in my home - this is not professional.  Also, they may start another fire by placing cigarette butts in a barrel that has fire starting material. 7. The mortgage inspector came out because the contractor was requesting more money and the inspector said that only 10% of the work had been accomplished and the contractor had received 25% of the budget.  I continue to ask the contractor for a summation of the percentage of work and amount of money spent,  an invoice, or a Contractor Schedule of Value as indicated in the first complaint.  He included a column in his timeline indicating % of the individual project completed, but did not include the amount of money spent per project.8. There have been many delays and I was told recently that I will be out of my home at least another 6 months.  I believe this could have been prevented if I had a competent Project Manager and a foreman to oversee the daily workThis is what I need to have a resolution:1. As previously requested, an updated dwelling permit that states fire mitigation as the reason for the permit.2. The roof to have the same color of shingles3. The wood stove to be replaced.4. A functioning well house so I can water my grass or money to compensate for the loss of my lawn.5. Plumbing permit and the contractor to pay for the plumbing updates due to their negligence in causing water damage in my house and my house to be demoed to 100%.6. Workers refrain from smoking and drinking at my house and treat my home with respect.7. Monthly invoice that states % of work completed and amount of money used or a Contractor of Values form completed monthly.8. A new and experienced project manager, a foreman to supervise daily work, and a crew that shows up daily - I want my home renovated in 6 months or less. Regards,********** ****

  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/18/2025

  1. The Dwelling Inspector stated that the permit needed to be updated because it was pulled as a remodel instead of a fire mitigation.  They still have not complied with that request.  When I asked about it, the contractor told me that it was amended and proceeded to show me the Scope of Work submitted by American Restoration - see attachments. American Restoration response: This has been done, permit updated to read accordingly. See attached2. Regarding the roof shingle color, as previously stated in our prior responses to you: An exact match is not possible due to age of shingles on the home, the exact match isn’t available. The adjuster is aware and replaced the entire front half of the roof. American Restoration is not responsible for replacing your entire roof because the age of your existing shingles not matching the new shingles as the old shingles will have faded in color over time. 3. As stated in the last complaint, American Restoration is responsible for the safety and well-being of the home when they signed the contract to be my contractor.  They claim that I turned on the water to the house, but I did not.  I only turned the water to the well-house as clearly indicated on the electrical panel, ensuring that all the water was shut off in the house at the specific values, and only for a week-end.  It was the new contractor's responsibility to ensure the water was off when he took over the project. According to the plumber, there was also a second pipe break that ruined my wood stove, see attached photo.  Our response to this is as follows: The breaker turns the water on to the entire property, there is no way to isolate the house from the yard the way it is plumbed. Turning the water off at specific valves does not turn the water off to the house or specific broken line.- regarding your stove as mentioned in our previous response to you, your adjuster has agreed to repair NOT replace your stove and American is not responsible for the damages to your stove (also indicated by your adjuster)4. We can rewire pump house to fix interior water lines from the freeze and the fire. Adjuster would be paying for this. The owner policy that you have does not offer code upgrade coverage. There are several identified areas in the bathroom and laundry room that insurance will not cover and owner responsibility. Once she agrees to pay for this work if the inspector makes **** fix these pipes we can move forward and get water to the yard.5. Regarding the subcontractor getting a permit: we can pull proper permits once identified dispute is resolved and owner agrees to pay for work not covered under code. Regarding the drains in the laundry room, they are not to code in the laundry room and the master bath. Ms. **** requested structure engineer by paid by the insurance. The insurance denied this as it is code upgrades and not part of the fire. There is NO code upgrades on your insurance policy. Once owner approves paying for the code upgrades, we can mov forward. *** ******** will pull permit for the HVAC/ plumbing before work starts and once the dispute is resolved. Regarding the HVAC/plumbing permits, American Restoration will pull proper permits once code upgrade dispute is resolved. Regarding the concerns that workers were under the influence, *** ******* ******* who is a subcontractor for **** was fired due to these allegations.6. *** ******* ******* who is a subcontractor for **** has been fired due to the allegations 7. **** has no problem providing documentation showing we have $80,000 in cost vs $75,000 money received to date 8. Even with the stop age, we are 2 weeks ahead of schedule. 28 February, we gave her a timeline to be complete Sept 6.Your requested resolution responses from American Restoration:1 Done, see attached permit2. This was denied by your insurance, but your insurance did agree to pay for the entire visible front facing slope (shingles don't match back facing slope due to color change over the years, by wear and tear and manufacturing chaning the background color of the exact shingle that they currently offer will not match what you have on your roof, existing shingle)3. Regarding the damage to the stove, this is between you and your insurance company. They have already denied replacement and will only repair. 4. We can agree in good faith to repair the plumbing and run the electrical to pump house and pull proper permits since this will be paid by the insurance, however, with a clause stating any work not covered by insurance will be covered at owners expense. 5. Wasn’t proven **** caused this damage and insurance agreed to pay for this except for any code upgrade which she has no coverage for (drains in laundry rooms and bathroom) owner will pay for this change order (and all code upgrades not approved by the insurance) to pass plumbing inspection once we pull the permit.6. We agree that smoking and drinking is not permitted or tolerated at any jobsite.7. We can agree to a monthly invoice that states % of work completed, and the amount of money used or a contractor values form to be completed monthly.8. Insurance has paid 2 hours a week supervisory hours, we can certainly see if we can get more approved by the insurance. **** has fulfilled this amount of supervisory time and more.    

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/21/2025

  Here's my 3rd rebuttal:4-21-25Complaint: ********I am rejecting this response because:I continue to voice my concerns and American Restoration minimizes their negligence and  side steps their responsibility for their actions regarding my home renovations causing continuous delays.1. I signed a contract with American Restoration on December 19, 2024, and fought with 2 project managers to get a building permit.  It wasn’t until February 19, 2025 after speaking with the project manager’s supervisor, and having a flood in my house that the permit was requested.  However, as stated by the CID inspector,  the incorrect permit was requested and it took a Better Business Bureau complaint and 2 rebuttals to get the correct permit on April, 9, 2025.  At this time, I’m unsure if this is the correct permit needed, because the inspector stated it needs to be a fire mitigation not a remodel permit.  This is an illustration of American Restoration’s unprofessional way of doing business, their inability to comply with state mandates, and the slow inefficient manner in which this company operates.2. As stated in my initial complaint, see photos, the shingles are two different colors and no amount of fading, time, or sunlight is going to fix the fact that American Restoration allowed a subcontractor to place the wrong shingles on my roof.  The insurance company was trying to help by giving them money to ensure that at least one half of the roof is the same color.  It’s American Restoration’s responsibility to ensure that the entire roof is the same color and they need to pay to fix their error by replacing the brown shingles with the black ones so that the entire roof is the same color.  3. The fact remains that American Restoration was contracted to renovate my house after the fire and they did not protect my house from pipes bursting while under their care.  They gutted most of my house, stripped everything inside down to the studs and neglected to turn off the electricity and the water while doing their work.  They removed all insulation and created a structural skeleton in the middle of the New Mexico winter and didn’t bother checking the status of water and electric lines. That is truly unacceptable and reckless.  Additionally, I visited my house on Saturday, April 18th, and found that the main electric breaker was on as indicated in the photo, see attachment.  The  lack of white residue, the fire retardant material sprayed in my house, illustrates that the main circuit breaker has remained on continuously.  In regards to the replacement of the wood stove, according to the plumber, the second pipe break happened when the water was turned back on.  I know it was not due to a leak on the seal of the wood stove pipes, because I had it sealed the previous summer and there is no leakage on the stove pipes.  American Restoration caused the pipes to burst a second time and they need to pay to replace my wood stove - it was their negligence. 4. I discovered that my house flooded on January 15, 2025 and the wellhouse on January 25th and January 29, 2025.  I turned off the electricity myself both times on the main and wellhouse breaker to stop the flooding.  The wellhouse damage could have been prevented if the contractor had turned off the water and electricity after the house flooded.  Because of the negligence practiced continuously by the contractor, I’m unable to water my grass and will more than likely lose the lawn in my backyard. 5. A licensed plumber should be working on my home - I’m not sure that that is happening at this time.  According to the CID website, it is unlawful for any person to perform any installation, alterations, or any type of plumbing without first obtaining a permit.  As stated in my last rebuttal, the fire caused my home to be gutted to 50%, and it was the flooding that caused it to be gutted 100%. Because my house is gutted to 50% or more, now everything has to be brought up to code.  American Restoration’s negligence, recklessness, and lack of expertise put my home in danger and allowed further damage.  It is the contractor who is responsible to bring in a licensed plumber, request a plumbing/hvac permit, do the work, and have the inspector inspect the work.  American Restoration is responsible for the water damage and needs to pay for plumbing code upgrades.   American Restoration gave me false information stating that the plumbing inspector was required before getting a permit.  According to CID, the plumbing inspector did not follow protocol and was not assigned to come do an inspection at my house.  As stated in my last rebuttal,  I called CID myself and this is what they said:American Restoration has made some code violations by not having their contracted plumber pull a plumbing permit and getting a plumbing inspector and a bureau chief involved.  As stated by CID, the process is to pull the plumbing and HVAC permit, do the work, make a request to have the inspector come out, have an inspection, the inspector will write a report, and ensure that changes are made to comply with code. 6. It is my understanding that a general contractor is uniquely responsible for the safety and progress of the entire build including hiring qualified subcontractors.  The subcontractors have left mountains of trash in my house for weeks, see photo, left windows and doors open allowing birds to come into my house, and most recently have moved my kindling barrel to the backyard where they were placing their cigarette butts as well as leaving empty beer cans in my yard.  It’s also the contractor's job to have a project management plan that ensures that the projects are completed on time, within budget, and to the expected quality of work.  Currently, the contractor’s timeline is vague and does not include all the projects. Work that could be done in a week is pushed to 3 to 4 weeks.  The subcontractors show up randomly, sometimes as late as 11:00, take a lunch break, and leave at 2:30.  The contractor should also be responsible by having a foreman on site ensuring that the workers are doing their jobs, being safe and not under the influence of substances, or attempting to burn my house down. 7. I have requested American Restoration using a budget tracking tool.  I suggested using A Schedule of Values, see attachment sent in first rebuttal, to document what the contractor is doing, using money per project, and tracking it percentage wise. It providesa breakdown of the total contract sum allocated to different portions of the contractor’s work and tracks money in real time. 8. As I stated in my last rebuttal, there have been many delays and I was told recently that I will be out of my home at least another 6 months.  I believe this could have been prevented if I had a competent Project Manager and a foreman to oversee the daily work.This is what I need to have a resolution:1. As previously requested, an updated dwelling permit that states fire mitigation as the reason for the permit, not home remodeling due to fire and water damage.  Check with the CID Inspector.2. The roof has the same color of shingles throughout the entire roof - American Restoration needs to stop asking my insurance to pay for their mistakes. American Restoration needs to pay to have the entire roof be the same color.3. The electricity and water should be turned off while the renovation is happening until the insulation is placed back in the house.  The wood stove is to be replaced and paid by American Restoration.4. A functioning well house and the ability to water my grass.  If the grass dies, American Restoration should compensate me for the loss of my lawn. 5. A licensed plumber working on my house who requests a plumbing/HVAC permit, does the work, and requests an inspection through CID.  American Restoration needs to pay for the code upgrades due to their negligence in causing water damage in my house and my house to be demoed to 100%.6. Professional and licensed subcontractors, who refrain from smoking and drinking at my house and treat my home with respect.  As well as a project management plan that has a timeline per project/category and subcategories, i.e. electricity - wiring, installing outlets, and installing light fixtures, with realistic timelines taking into account a crew being present and working daily.  7. American Restoration uses the Contractor of Values form. It should be submitted monthly, so that I can give out draws as work is completed.  At this time, the expenses need to be backtracked prior to the next draw - draws will only be given for completed work.  8. Another project manager, one who is experienced and knows how to navigate working with subcontractors as well as communicate professionally with me.  I want a foreman to supervise daily work, and a crew that shows up daily and works a full day - I want my home renovated in 6 months or less. Regards,********** ****

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/14/2025

  1. I signed a contract with American Restoration on December 19, 2024, and fought with 2 project managers to get a building permit.  It wasn’t until February 19, 2025 after speaking with the project manager’s supervisor, and having a flood in my house that the permit was requested.  However, as stated by the CID inspector,  the incorrect permit was requested and it took a Better Business Bureau complaint and 2 rebuttals to get the correct permit on April, 9, 2025.  At this time, I’m unsure if this is the correct permit needed, because the inspector stated it needs to be a fire mitigation not a remodel permit.  This is an illustration of American Restoration’s unprofessional way of doing business, their inability to comply with state mandates, and the slow inefficient manner in which this company operates.-- This has already been addressed in our previous responses.2. As stated in my initial complaint, see photos, the shingles are two different colors and no amount of fading, time, or sunlight is going to fix the fact that American Restoration allowed a subcontractor to place the wrong shingles on my roof.  The insurance company was trying to help by giving them money to ensure that at least one half of the roof is the same color.  It’s American Restoration’s responsibility to ensure that the entire roof is the same color and they need to pay to fix their error by replacing the brown shingles with the black ones so that the entire roof is the same color. - This has already been addressed in our previous responses.3. The fact remains that American Restoration was contracted to renovate my house after the fire and they did not protect my house from pipes bursting while under their care.  They gutted most of my house, stripped everything inside down to the studs and neglected to turn off the electricity and the water while doing their work.  They removed all insulation and created a structural skeleton in the middle of the New Mexico winter and didn’t bother checking the status of water and electric lines. That is truly unacceptable and reckless.  --This has already been addressed in our previous responses.Additionally, I visited my house on Saturday, April 18th, and found that the main electric breaker was on as indicated in the photo, see attachment.  The  lack of white residue, the fire retardant material sprayed in my house, illustrates that the main circuit breaker has remained on continuously.  --This has already been addressed in our previous responses.In regards to the replacement of the wood stove, according to the plumber, the second pipe break happened when the water was turned back on.  I know it was not due to a leak on the seal of the wood stove pipes, because I had it sealed the previous summer and there is no leakage on the stove pipes.  American Restoration caused the pipes to burst a second time and they need to pay to replace my wood stove - it was their negligence. --This has already been addressed in our previous responses.4. I discovered that my house flooded on January 15, 2025 and the wellhouse on January 25th and January 29, 2025.  I turned off the electricity myself both times on the main and wellhouse breaker to stop the flooding.  The wellhouse damage could have been prevented if the contractor had turned off the water and electricity after the house flooded.  Because of the negligence practiced continuously by the contractor, I’m unable to water my grass and will more than likely lose the lawn in my backyard. --This has already been addressed in our previous responses.5. A licensed plumber should be working on my home - I’m not sure that that is happening at this time.  According to the CID website, it is unlawful for any person to perform any installation, alterations, or any type of plumbing without first obtaining a permit.  --This has already been addressed in our previous responsesAs stated in my last rebuttal, the fire caused my home to be gutted to 50%, and it was the flooding that caused it to be gutted 100%. Because my house is gutted to 50% or more, now everything has to be brought up to code.  American Restoration’s negligence, recklessness, and lack of expertise put my home in danger and allowed further damage.  It is the contractor who is responsible to bring in a licensed plumber, request a plumbing/hvac permit, do the work, and have the inspector inspect the work.  American Restoration is responsible for the water damage and needs to pay for plumbing code upgrades.   American Restoration gave me false information stating that the plumbing inspector was required before getting a permit.  According to CID, the plumbing inspector did not follow protocol and was not assigned to come do an inspection at my house.  As stated in my last rebuttal,  I called CID myself and this is what they said:American Restoration has made some code violations by not having their contracted plumber pull a plumbing permit and getting a plumbing inspector and a bureau chief involved.  As stated by CID, the process is to pull the plumbing and HVAC permit, do the work, make a request to have the inspector come out, have an inspection, the inspector will write a report, and ensure that changes are made to comply with code. 6. It is my understanding that a general contractor is uniquely responsible for the safety and progress of the entire build including hiring qualified subcontractors.  The subcontractors have left mountains of trash in my house for weeks, see photo, left windows and doors open allowing birds to come into my house, and most recently have moved my kindling barrel to the backyard where they were placing their cigarette butts as well as leaving empty beer cans in my yard.  --This has already been addressed in our previous responses.It’s also the contractor's job to have a project management plan that ensures that the projects are completed on time, within budget, and to the expected quality of work.  Currently, the contractor’s timeline is vague and does not include all the projects. Work that could be done in a week is pushed to 3 to 4 weeks.  The subcontractors show up randomly, sometimes as late as 11:00, take a lunch break, and leave at 2:30.  The contractor should also be responsible by having a foreman on site ensuring that the workers are doing their jobs, being safe and not under the influence of substances, or attempting to burn my house down. 7. I have requested American Restoration using a budget tracking tool.  I suggested using A Schedule of Values, see attachment sent in first rebuttal, to document what the contractor is doing, using money per project, and tracking it percentage wise. It providesa breakdown of the total contract sum allocated to different portions of the contractor’s work and tracks money in real time. --This has already been addressed in our previous responses.8. As I stated in my last rebuttal, there have been many delays and I was told recently that I will be out of my home at least another 6 months.  I believe this could have been prevented if I had a competent Project Manager and a foreman to oversee the daily work.--This has already been addressed in our previous responses.This is what I need to have a resolution:1. As previously requested, an updated dwelling permit that states fire mitigation as the reason for the permit, not home remodeling due to fire and water damage.  Check with the CID Inspector.--This has already been addressed in our previous responses.2. The roof has the same color of shingles throughout the entire roof - American Restoration needs to stop asking my insurance to pay for their mistakes. American Restoration needs to pay to have the entire roof be the same color.--This has already been addressed in our previous responses.3. The electricity and water should be turned off while the renovation is happening until the insulation is placed back in the house.  The wood stove is to be replaced and paid by American Restoration.--This has already been addressed in our previous responses.4. A functioning well house and the ability to water my grass.  If the grass dies, American Restoration should compensate me for the loss of my lawn. --This has already been addressed in our previous responses.5. A licensed plumber working on my house who requests a plumbing/HVAC permit, does the work, and requests an inspection through CID.  American Restoration needs to pay for the code upgrades due to their negligence in causing water damage in my house and my house to be demoed to 100%.--American Restoration will not be paying for code upgrades. The negligence on the customer turning on the water after demo was not American Restorations fault as this has been addressed. Her insurance policy does not cover any code upgrades which will have to be paid out of pocket as discussed with her previouslyand her adjuster has notified her and sent her a denial letter.6. Professional and licensed subcontractors, who refrain from smoking and drinking at my house and treat my home with respect.  As well as a project management plan that has a timeline per project/category and subcategories, i.e. electricity - wiring, installing outlets, and installing light fixtures, with realistic timelines taking into account a crew being present and working daily.  --This has already been addressed in our previous responses.7. American Restoration uses the Contractor of Values form. It should be submitted monthly, so that I can give out draws as work is completed.  At this time, the expenses need to be backtracked prior to the next draw - draws will only be given for completed work.  --This has already been addressed in our previous responses.8. Another project manager, one who is experienced and knows how to navigate working with subcontractors as well as communicate professionally with me.  I want a foreman to supervise daily work, and a crew that shows up daily and works a full day - I want my home renovated in 6 months or less. --This has already been addressed in our previous responses.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/12/2025

  The Complaint was not resolved but escalated by their lawyer and I now currently have a lawyer attempting to rectify the situation.  American Restoration Water and Fire displayed questionable practices and refused to take accountability for damages they caused in my home.  I have not responded because I've been busy dealing with the consequences of their actions. I had to find legal counsel and prepare for mediation with them.  My lack of response was due to me being overwhelmed by the situation and losing insurance coverage in the meantime while trying to show up to work and keep up with family responsibilities, as well as a medical condition that recently came to the surface..  Also, I didn't think there was a timeline for a response, being that American Restoration took over 10 days to respond and you still acknowledged them.  I'm hoping that you'll acknowledge my response as well.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/28/2025

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  There was a fire next door to my home in which caused my home to have property damage. I called American Restoration Water and Fire LLC. They came out that night and took on the job. However, they were sending there people to the Ruidoso so I had different people doing different things. I asked there manager to come see the work they had done since it wasn’t completed properly and they had refused unless I had my insurance man come out. I arranged my insurance if they could come out and ****** *** **** from American Restoration Water and Fire LLC agreed that there was lots of work unfinished and I was told that the line items would be adjusted. At the time of discussion **** there manager said he needed some sort of payment so I gave him an $8,000 check that I wrote on the bottom of the balance owed before inspection. I then seen when the check was cashed it was altered to say contents on the top. I inquired with accounting ******* who stated she had to put that on top and I explained to her that wasn’t the discussion at my home between **** *** *******I have now sent 23 calls numerous emails and text messages for **** to explain that the inspector is saying only 50% of what the mortgage company evaluation was done and they could only pay on that.They also charged for rooms that they didn’t do, fans cleaned in rooms that I don’t have, along w/windows in bathrooms that don’t exist and so much more. So if they did a full inspection it would be 20% complete but they are only basing it off of what **** sent. So then **** the manager because I sent the inspection to them he upped the price instead of lowering it and changed the items around. My mortgage company will not accept that one. I have continued to reach them to only get ******* who can’t do anything besides threaten me to have a lien on my property and collections. If no one will speak with me and my mortgage company who is holding the funds I cannot do anything. This is so unprofessional and not right.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/17/2025

  We have had multiple conversations with this client regarding work completed. We have even gone out to the property several times to address issues that the customer has brought up and have even done work multiple times in an effort to satisfy her. Client has been paid from her insurance company for work that we completed, and she is refusing to pay American Restoration for work done and has continued to add additional items to this list- this includes a supplement sent to insurance for power washing stucco (client is stating that we never did this work.) We have photo documentation that it was in fact done, we also met with her adjuster on site, and he agreed that it was completed. In an additional effort to satisfy client we have revised our estimates for things she is saying we did not do, client continues to add items to this list (even though we have photo documentation of work being billed for was completed)- she is also stating that the mortgage company will not release additional funds because the work is not completed to a certain percentage based on their inspector's report after visiting her property several months after our cleaning. Client also states that work was not completed for certain things that we did not in fact bill for but she is wanting cleaned (outside HVAC unit.)- At this point we are willing to come to a final resolution with the client so we can close this out and be paid for work completed. We have provided her a revised estimate (again) for the work that we did complete and can verify that we completed. Attached is the revised estimate that was provided to her- After this was sent to her in 2/14/25- she came back with additional items that she is stating were not done. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/02/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Complaint: ********
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  
  
  Subject: Alert - Lack of Transparency and Deceptive Practices by American Restoration
  I am writing to express serious concerns and alert our community to the lack of transparency and deceptive business practices observed during our engagement with American Restoration. It is crucial that we bring attention to the following issues for the benefit of other potential customers.
  Key Observations:
  Undisclosed Line Items:
  Emergency Call Charge ($160.10): An emergency call charge was levied despite the team arriving one day after the call, raising questions about the justification for this fee.
  Labor Minimum ($109.93): A new, previously undisclosed charge for labor minimum surfaced, adding to the lack of transparency in their billing practices.
  Unexplained Charges:
  Several charges, amounting to almost $1,000, were attributed to the provider's discretion without clear explanations or prior disclosure. This lack of transparency is concerning and raises doubts about the fairness of the invoiced amounts.
  Contradictions in Demo Charges:
  Despite claims of not billing for demo, the submitted document contradicts this assertion. It is essential to address these discrepancies and ensure accurate representation of the services provided.
  Misrepresentation of Communication:
  American Restoration asserted multiple calls and emergencies without acknowledging that certain calls were canceled, supposedly due to emergencies and busyness. Proof of the misrepresentation was evident when a Zoom call initiated by us revealed a lack of multiple attempts to communicate.
  Purpose of Complaint: The purpose of this complaint is to alert potential customers about the lack of transparency and deceptive business practices we encountered during our engagement with American Restoration. These practices include undisclosed fees, unexplained charges, and misrepresentation of communication.
  Conclusion: Fortunately, we terminated our engagement with American Restoration before additional work commenced. This memo serves as a warning to others to exercise caution and scrutinize the practices of American Restoration before considering their services.
  Should you require further details about our experience, please feel free to contact me directly.
  Sincerely, 
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ***** ********** 

   

  
  

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, the consumer must give a reason why they are rejecting the response. If the consumer does not provide a reason the complaint will be closed Answered]

  alifornia, where costs are typically higher due to stricter regulations.
  
  I have attached invoices from American Restoration Water & Fire LLC (EXHIBIT A) and ***** ***** *********** (EXHIBIT B), a California-based service provider, for your review and to see the contrast between the two. The California service included a more comprehensive range of services, such as demolition, tile floor removal, debris removal, sheetrock and rebuilding, repairing and repainting, removal of fixed cabinets, etc. both properties (C.A. & N.M.) damages area comparable in size. Despite the higher costs associated with California services, the work was reasonable, the invoice was clear, the personnel were courteous in explaining every detail of the transaction, and the outcome was significantly more satisfactory.
  
  In contrast, my attempts to seek clarification on the charges from American Restoration Water & Fire LLC, particularly from Amanda James, have been met with frustration. Ms. James committed to explaining the charges and scheduled four calls to discuss the matter. Regrettably, she failed to honor these commitments, offering excuses and failing to return my phone calls.
  
  (Exhibit C) consist of emails where Amanda cancels meeting because of an emergency and two days later cancels because of illness.
  
  The invoice from American Restoration shows General Demolition where there was no demolition, the square footage is wrong not by a little, and by the time they got there was no water to extract; I removed carpet from the room, floor plan shows a shower measuring 10' by 12'10," and it is 2' by 3' (Pg. 8. of invoice enclosed). The whole area that was worked on was 40 linear feet. Her response is that they use an estimator tool that include demo even if not being provided, which translates to overcharging the customer or insurance company.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/02/2024

  American Restoration has had several lengthy conversations with this client in an attempt to go over billing concerns, via email, zoom and phone conversation. Billing adjustments were made to try and satisfy the clients concerns regarind the cost (we gave a discount for the number of days that equipment was on site) We only billed for 3 days when equipment was on site for 5 total. This client signed a work authorization and provided information to us that this was going through insurance, the claim was denied by the insurance company, which is not something that we can control and ultimately the client was left responsible for the billing. We also went over in detail every line item that was charged and Mr ********** agreed that there was nothing on the actual estimate that was not done, and there were no discrepancies with the actual work billed he just did not like the pricing. We did explain that we use a xactimate estimating and billing system that is used across the industry as industry standard pricing, we do not make up these charges or change the way we bill based on certain clients or jobs. The client has paid this bill in full at this time. 

  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/01/2024

  Mr. ***********

   

  The line items that you were charged for were as follows:

  1. Emergency service call- $160.10

  2. Equipment setup, take down and monitoring (hourly charge) You were billed for 6 hours total, 2 hours per day for 3 days- $346.36

  3. Help filter for negative air fan- $222.77

  4. Haul debris- per pickup truck load- $167.55

  5. Containment- $32.07

  6. Zipper for containment- $17.81

  7. Negative air fan (3 days)- $235.11

  8. Dehumidifier (3 days)- $236.94

  9. Labor minimum- $109.93 

  Total billing: $1528.64

  We did not bill you for any demo as you have stated and as we have discussed multiple times.  If there is a line item above that you state was not done or completed, please let me know which. When we discussed these line items over the phone and on zoom there was not one line item that you stated was billed in error or that we did not do. You simply stated that you did not agree with our pricing system. We do not modify our prices in our system as the pricing is created by an estimating system that is used throughout the industry. I have also attached the work authorization form that was signed to allow us to do work at the property.

   

  Thank you. ARWF

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/19/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Complaint: ********
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  
  I did not "reject" my refund. I rejected your invoice, which includes $330 of "labor fees" you cannot substantiate. I reject the idea that you should only refund part of my deposit when you failed to provide the service for which you were paid. Your announcement on this forum, rather than reaching out to me directly, that you will not be refunding me speaks volumes about the failures of your company to communicate with your customers. This is laughably bad service.

  You did not complete the asbestos testing satisfactorily. You failed to communicate a POSITIVE FOR ASBESTOS RESULT, which you held ransom FOR WEEKS, even after I ASKED DIRECTLY MORE THAN ONCE for you to provide it. Your negligence put my home and family IN DANGER, and you have shown ZERO REMORSE OR ACCOUNTABILITY. 

  You have repeatedly failed to address that you did not provide the asbestos results in a timely manner, even though the lab results show they were reported to you within 24 hours. You insist instead that 'you pulled the sample and did the test.' This reductive reframing of your awful service is transparent, and your expectation that we should accept this argument from you is an insult to our intelligence and integrity.

  You have now declared that your final position is that you will continue to hold money for a service you failed to provide as promised, after demonstrating dangerously negligent behavior, and that you simply do not care about anything other than not losing money for your own failures as a service provider. If this is the case, I am happy to make this way more expensive for you in small claims court. 

  The invitation to contact you directly is a joke since, as stated here, your supervisor **** likes to hang up on me rather than do anything productive.

  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ******* *******

   

  
  

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, the consumer must give a reason why they are rejecting the response. If the consumer does not provide a reason the complaint will be closed Answered]

  y would go through our insurance company.
  They came the next day on 10/4/23 to take the insulation sample and told us it would be overnighted to a lab, and that we would know results the next day on 10/5/23.
  On 10/7/23, they took the full $1500 deposit.
  As of today, 10/19/23, we still have not seen the asbestos test results. We only have an email from them claiming it is positive. We have asked to see the official results and they have refused to share them.
  We also still have not received a full estimate for the work. When we asked for the estimate, we were told that we had to sign a full authorization with them first. This was after they had already taken the deposit.
  They also did not go through our insurance company for the testing. They assured us that 'insurance will pay for everything,' but the insurance company has said they are not going to pay for the test.
  We requested a refund on 10/13/23. They have been uncooperative, and miss their own deadlines to communicate with us.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/06/2023

  This was the response we sent to *** ********

   

  We are sorry for the overall experience. I want to assure you the deposit collected was not intended to be used as a way to bully you into hiring us to complete your project. The $1500 will go towards your asbestos testing that you hired us to complete. We don’t always know what your insurance will or will not cover so we do ask for the policy deductible upfront. The results of the test will be given to you upon full payment. Please call our accounting department for your final invoice and test results. If you have any other concerns or problems, I am happy to be of assistance. You can reach me directly. My name is ****** ****** I’ve been with the company for seven years and I am the Business Support Manager. 

   

  We then sent and email explaining a portion of his payment will be used to pay for the asbestos testing. He said in his email that he wants a full refund not a partial. We explained that the asbestos testing and results are due as a part of his collected money. He said he does not want a partial refund that he wants a full refund and will wait for that .. assuming from his insurance company. 

  Our accounting will be billing him for the work completed and sending him the difference. It is up to *** ******* what he chooses to do with that check.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/11/2023

  Sir,

  you were offered a refund and rejected it saying that you wanted to wait for the full amount of the deposit paid. Assumedly from your insurance company as part of your claim. Despite your rejection, our office has moved forward with the final invoice and a final check cut to you for the remainder of the overage linked to the deposit/ deductible you paid. 

  You will not receive the full amount of your deposit from ARWF . We billed you properly for the asbestos testing. We took material with your approval and had an asbestos test completed.

  You will be billed  appropriately for the work that was done and will receive a check for the remainder.

  You will not be refunded for the work that was completed. It is a third-party lab.

  This will be my last response on this forum. If you wish to talk to me directly, you can reach out to  me via email or telephone. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/26/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  see attached
  Fire damage four apartments Insurance co ********* game $139,000 gave America Resoration cashier check of $85,000 ins will pay in full once job complete it has been 10/2022. No work has been started apts boarded up Homeless have damaged inside

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/26/2023

  Dear ****** ********** 
  Thank you for the opportunity to respond to your concern. We
  are sorry for the inconvenience that you have experienced due to the Fire at **** *** ** *********** **. We are doing everything we can to get the
  units completed. **** ****** is your Project Manager. I am showing that he has
  been in contact with ****** and *******, and **** (Attorney)
  Email  on the
  following dates, 8/23/22, 12/30/23, 2/23/23, 3/3/23, 3/17/23, 3/24/23, 4/14/23,
  4/28/23, 5/18/23, 6/1/23. Calls on other dates.
  We have had several instances of which it has stalled the
  work due to Theft. In May we set for electrical inspections and When the City
  of Alb went to the property, they cancelled the inspection due to theft. We
  have communicated this and are working to take further action to get back on
  track.
  At any time, you can reach out on where we are in the
  process. I have talked to **** and he did advise me that he spoke to you today
  on 7/26/2023.
  Please reach out to me (**** ***** Regional Operations
  Manager ************) if you have any additional questions. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/07/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I had a flood in my home American Restoration was recommend by my homeowners insurance. The first part of it went fine. But when a different team was supposed to finish the job, that’s when all the problems started. **** ****** was assigned the job. The worker would show up randomly, never on a schedule. I was told that they would be assigned a job when they came in the morning. So they never knew where they were going to be for the day. I was taking off work, and nobody would show up. I would call **** ****** and he would assure me that someone would be their that day, if not the next. Next day would come and nobody would show up. This went on for 3 long months. I reached out to Mr. *********** (******* ******** and he reassured that he would make sure the work got done. I had to leave town for a week and my neighbor volunteered to let the worker in. But my *********** assured me that he would put a lock box on my door. Said he didn’t want to inconvenience my neighbor. When I got back, the work still wasn’t done. And the worker said no lock box was ever brought by Mr. ***********. When I asked Mr. *********** why he hadn’t put the lock box that he promised. His reply ‘I didn’t feel that it was necessary.’I had to hire someone to finish the work that they didn’t, and fix the work that was done sloppily. About 3 weeks after the last worker left, I noticed some of my personal items were missing. They were the only ones to have access to my house, and nobody but myself has a key to my home. And I’m sure my jewelry is long gone by now. This is the most unprofessional company I have ever dealt with. They have no respect for the customer. And absolutely no pride in their work. This caused me so much stress and undo anxiety, plus my jewelry has sentimental value, that can never be replaced. To add insult to injury they are threatening to put a lien on my home. I have lost 3 family members in the last 3 months, hence the timing of this complaint.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/20/2023

  Good afternoon Ms. ******. 

  Some of the complaints stated above (missing jewelry) are new to American Restoration and were not mentioned on our client services calls at any time prior to this. Please understand that our team does take pride in their work, are hardworking and ethical. These types of complaints are not normally received by our company and are important for us to address right away. Please reach out to us so we can attempt to rectify any outstanding issues that you have with this project, ************* You can ask for ******. Our deepest sympathies regarding your lost family members. - American Restoration Water and Fire

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/19/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  A technician from American Restoration came to my house to mitigate a mold problem that developed from a leaky hot water heater. After the problem was solved, I was not sent a bill or a mold report to say the mold is gone.
  I received a call from **** *****(1/10) regarding payment and I stated I have not received any kind of payment but offered to pay some until I received a check from the adjuster. I asked for a bill and recieved a invoice with the amount due. No specifics on what was done when. I then received a email from ****** (1/11)who stated I was being sent to collections and wants full payment with a different amount that was on ***** email. I told them I have not received a check and would want a bill with a mold report.
  I have since received a check and it has cleared my bank. I contacted my adjuster office who has says they have not received anything.
  I want to pay and have the issue resolved but I would like to get a detailed bill and the mold report to verify the mold is dealt with, to pay the correct amount, and to have information for any possible questions from further insurance or mortgage inquiries.
  I hope to resolve this issue quickly

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/21/2023

  Mr *****.

   

  I would be happy to send you the line breakdown from the estimate that your adjuster approved and paid off of, I apologize if you have not received this prior to today. I did have an email in your file that they were sent to you and received by you from **** on 1/12 per your request.  Please give our office a call ************ so we can bring this file to a resolution, I do see that the bill has been paid in full, so I want to make sure that nothing is left unresolved. We appreciate your time.