Servpro

If you want to be taught a lifetime of hard lessons in home reconstruction, hire this company.

Back in May 2025, after a major sewer flood, my homeowners insurance referred me to this company for mitigation work. After discussing the repairs, I verbally agreed to a contract around June 2025.

Mitigation started immediately, and we were told repairs would follow right after demolition. Because 75% of our home was affected, my family of six (four people, two dogs) relocated to a motel for almost a month, trusting that the work would move quickly. After nearly a month, m a motel and spending over six thousand dollars on housing, nothing had been done at my house and we decided to move back.

From July through the end of August, our home was left with framed walls, concrete floors, one toilet, one sink, and unsafe electrical hazards. Myself and two of my children were repeatedly shocked by outlets, one of which randomly sparked, and despite repeated notifications to the company, nothing was done.

We lived like this while being told to be patient because other projects took priority.

Towards the beginning of September, I was told they were finally ready to move forward. On September 12th, I met with them, handed over 90% of my insurance payout as an advance payment, and officially signed a contract. After that, communication became nonexistent. I ended up calling my insurance company to see what was going on with the project because the company would not answer my calls.

In mid-October, the company showed up unannounced and moved my belongings into storage pods, including items that never needed cleaninglike metal barstools outside the flood area. I was sick that day, yet the company insisted on proceeding, leaving me unable to verify what was taken. I still cannot locate over $3,000 worth of snowboarding supplies and other items. After spending some time reading some other reviews this morning it appears that i'm not the only one who has items that are missing.

By the end of October, after several months, my home remained partially demoed, with 1 toilet, 1 sink, and no furniture, while my belongings were in storage.

The site supervisor finally met with me and:

*Refused to take responsibility for electrical hazards, calling them existing conditions.

*Claimed foundation work needed for flooring could only be done by a licensed contractor under their company, adding a 20% overhead.

*Said extra work verbally agreed upon months prior was no longer possible.

*Told me to continue being patient, as three other projects still took priority.

They then offered to rescind the contract and return my money if I signed a liability waiver and confidentiality clause. They demanded I sign the waiver before returning any portion of my advance payment, which would waive them from responsibility for electrical hazards and prevent me from ever speaking about my expwithheld. I explained over and over that without getting my advance payment back I could not hire an electrician to fix the hazards. Yet, they withheld my entire advance payment until Christmas Eve.

They also didn't produced invoices to justify the amount they ultimately witheld.

My family and I, including three teenagers, two dogs, and six cats, were forced to live in unsafe conditions, with ongoing electrical hazards, missing items, and no real progress on our home, while also being pressured into signing liability releases to get our own money back. This has been nothing short of a nightmare.

If there are any other families who have experienced the same abuses, I would love to talk to you.

Do not trust this company.

I reached out to them to ask them to come remediate some mold. I was given a very technical document and a quote.

I asked them to explain what it all meant. This started the process of them ignoring about 80% of my attempts to contact them. It took weeks for me to realize that their program called for ripping the walls out of my home, and to not replace them. I asked them if the mold problem was truly so serious because it didn't seem to be; again, literally no answer or explanation.

I finally was able to schedule a deep clean of the affected area, which they weren't able to get done in the 30 days I have to get it fixed by law. When the cleaners were here, I had to sign something on an iPad, and while I was going over it, I saw an alert. The guy at the office was texting his workers what an idiot I am. I have asked for a re-test, which they have ignored.

They've sent me an invoice which doesn't account for the $150 deposit I put down at the start they said would apply to the remediation. And they're also lying; they've marked my "contacted them" date as about 2 weeks after i actually did, so it looks like they did the job within 30 days.

Update: October 2024: Servpro are suing me for $17594 over the $5k I gave them for destroying my home an performing dangerous unprofessional work that had to be ripped out and redone.
Update: 9/4/2024: They asked for a list of damages, etc., but did not even look at it. They claim "no evidence." They will now take legal action.

Now they tell me my initial $5k payment which I thought was a deposit going for the original demolition stage (billed as *) was actually for "materials." I never received an estimate or invoice, much less receipts for this $5k materials bill.
receipts (Note 2nd contractor gave me the invoice and receipts for all material.)
They already include materials in the other invoices. I cant figure out what has not been billed under that category. They even charged for materials they never brought into my home ($50 for bubble wrap. Nope)
Keep in mind that I paid for the wall tile, floor tile, vanity, faucets, toilet, paint, and made attempts at small repairs.

I paid out of pocket over $1900 for everything listed above. The 2nd contractor charged under $9000 to rip out Servpro unacceptable and charged for his materials.
When I tried to re-send the document I find that they have blocked my email.
(*Demolition estimate/invoice: Estimate 1 $3664.77; Estimate/Invoice 2 $5438.99; Invoice 3: $5003.89)
Document update: 9/5/2024 Disputed charges:
UPDATE $5000 Materials No estimate. No invoice. No receipts (Note 2nd contractor gave me the invoice and receipts for all material.) on 9/5/2024 Servpro now claims that my initial $5k payment which I thought was a deposit going for the original demolition stage (billed as *) was actually for "materials." I never received an estimate or invoice, much less receipts for this $5k materials bill.

I saw the box with the bathtub and saw that that same tub costs around $200 at Home Depot.
Keep in mind that I paid for the wall tile, floor tile, vanity, faucets, toilet, paint, and made attempts at small repairs.
Update: on 8/22 they sent additional bills: $5k ("pain and suffering") 5k (submitting docs to Statefarm),1709 (look at my fixes or their plumber's leaking pipes), 154 (pick up their own property-they asked for it; claim they spent 2 hours; only took 10 min)
SERVPRO UPTOWN BUENA PARK
Mr. Sam Bidirel, Managing Member
7027 N Ravenswood Ave.
Chicago IL 60626
Office : 708-571-**** office@***.com
https://www.servpro.com/locations/il/servpro-of-uptown-buena-park
From 5/28-7/11: Servpro ruined my home and life. They are demanding $24716.65; but, since I had to spend all my money on a 2nd contractor to tear out and redo everything, I dont have the money; now they are coming after my home.
Everything that Servpro did had to be ripped out and redone including repurchasing incorrect materials or mismanaged materials. I had to call a real contractor to tear out and redo everything Servpro did.

Some damage is permanent since I couldnt afford a tear out and floor rebuild. I never received an estimate for the amount they want, never approved any amount and never approved the wonton destruction of my home. I had to spend all my money on the second contractor, leaving me at the mercy of the lawyer they called within minutes of my locking them out of my home. I couldnt fight back because I was incapacitated by the worst migraine for weeks.

I saw 4 or 5 doctors and took around 12 medications (not counting daily migraine medications) I cried with pain and just wanted my toilet back. $23716.65 Servpro billed without providing an estimate
$8558.93paid to the second contractor to fix Servpro disasters
$1955.85I paid out of pocket for supplies and replacement $34231.43total cost
-$9912.75 paid by State Farm
$24318.68My cost after reimbursement
Does not include the floor I couldnt afford to rebuild, painters to repair damages in 4 rooms, the medical supplies I had to repurchase because they hid everything in boxes, the money and 7 days lost work spent on the migraines caused by their filth and my lack of access to my home (which helps to avoid triggers.) The hotel allowed smoking at the only entrance, triggering an untreatable migraine. At 60, Im even less able to fight for myself. Servpro did not communicate, for example: I came home late one night to NO bathroom/no toilet/no sink/no shower/no floor/no walls.

I asked the day before: they said they would fix leak. If I had known I could have reserved a hotel instead of using a bucket. I begged for information daily but got no estimates, no invoices, no approval requests. They used gaslighting: they pretended to be angry at the unskilled workers they hired and implied that actual facts werent real.

Servpro threw out expensive things I need to re-use: $100 sink faucet, parts to a light fixture rendering it useless, etc. Servpro damaged: they did not protect anything at all- gouged out and scraped walls in 5 rooms (to work on the bathroom); jackhammered 100 year old Chicago mosaic that I wanted to keep, destroyed the floor and wall and never rebuilt a solid floor, damaged locks: (locks worked perfectly before they invaded my home and didnt worked or felt loose and broken inside after they roughly handled them) ; drove long screws into a closet leaving sharp ends that could not be removed; dumped lumber on uncovered hard wood floor; broke my window hinge and window lock, etc. Servpro did unprofessional, unsafe, unsightly, and shoddy work that would either violate building codes and/or cause further damage in the immediate future: did not build a solid level floor (permanent damage.); used the wrong drywall thickness; mismeasured and incorrectly cut everything, leaving giant gaps in the ceiling and every piece of sheetrock.; cut the tile short of a gap making it necessary to fix all the mismatched tile and adding tiny pieces to the edge; left giant gaps around plumbing; incorrectly installed the shower plumbing; tore out the base of the toilet and left no means of attaching the toilet; left plumbing leaking every time any plumber did any work (I had to have buckets ready and convince them that I was telling the truth); Servpro padded the bill with several days using two of the slowest people on this planet to pack up all my belongings in over 3 rooms of my home. They used 39 boxes and piles of paper.

Instead of hanging up plastic sheeting to keep construction filth off, they actually dragged items from 3 rooms away closer to the bathroom in order to pack it in as many boxes as possible. I found a tiny cat toy wrapped in paper in a giant box. They boxed up packages I received in the mail that I needed for the project, cleaning supplies, and medical supplies I needed for my disability.Padding the bill with fraudulent fees: after I locked them out of my home, Servpro and Sorin Leahu sent a letter demanding:
o$5000 for their emotional suffering.
oA retroactive charge of $5000 for submitting initial documents to State Farm (which State Farm requires for approval.)
oAccusing me of racism because I wrote in a review that Servpro hires unprofessional subcontractors who do inferior work. I dont see how I could be racist since I never actually saw any of their unskilled subcontractors: they only entered my home when I was at work.

There were a number or absurd lies as well.
Note: there are many estimates that they sent as bills and different versions of invoices without receipts or proof that many of the fabricated items ever existed in my home, much less, were purchased or performed by them. It turns out that the $5k I paid to cover the first bill was redefined as "materials" (which are also included in various estimates and invoices.)

Aug 25, 2025

I had a water leak problem in my bathroom and it soaked everything down. There was sewage water, etc..

My insurance company selected Servpro they came.

They measured and said theyd get back to me. In February, they asked me for $2600 so they could buy some of the stuff that I needed for my bathroom to be cleaned and to replace my bathroom floor, toilet shower etc. so I sent them the check every time I recall they were always giving me reasons why they had to come to do the job so I was getting a little tired of that and about six weeks ago, I hired a different contractor.

I would call Servpro and ask for them to send my $2600 back every time there was an excuse. This went on for six weeks and I just kept calling and telling them this needs to be done after six weeks.

I finally got my check from them. There was absolutely no service done.

They wouldnt call me back. They would say they would but they didnt ever call. dont use their service.

You will be stuck in limbo because they arent gonna do anything.

They wont even call you back. I was lucky after constantly calling them.

I finally got my money Back.

You dont want to be stuck in limbo. This has been driving me nuts to have a torn up bathroom since January.!!!

Reply

Servepro of Freehold, NJ

I had a large plumbing issue that their hired plumbers did resolve very well but left large cutouts in the sheetrock from the repairs (normal). The sheetrock repair people showed up and were repairing a ceiling and wall with pieces of sheetrock on the floor with nothing protecting it.

Three men were walking around grinding it into my 2-year-old floor. They continued to do this type of work through the other rooms. Totally non-professional! I did call Servepro's supervisor during and he promised that they are the best and I would be happy at the end.

Terrible work with lumpy spackling and terrible painting! I complained and they haven't responded with any resolve.

I work for the Servpro in Cambridge New York. I'm a 46 year old woman.

They have a manager there Harley, I think that's his name he never once introduced himself to me the whole time I worked there.

I called the office one day from my location because I noticed that somebody's boiler was leaking and about to fall through the floor. I had only been with the company at this time for about 4 weeks. Now mind you, I've never once used a tool in my life, except for my own projects at my house. I've never been trained professionally.

I called my manager, the only phone number I had, to let him know what happened.

I guess the job belongs to this other gentleman or it is ran under his name. He was in the same room as Carl the manager I knew. He proceeded to rip me apart for calling Carl about the problem when it wasn't Carl's job. Now mind you, I didn't have Harley's phone number.

I figured since Carl had been with the company for 13 years and as being one of the head managers for the restoration department, he would know what to do or how to contact him (Harley).

Harley continued to talk to me like I was a four-year-old trying to steal his cookie. I then texted back and told them exactly how it made me feel. For which I was fired for insubordination. I felt belittled and treated horribly.

As one of only two women that work there and the only full-time woman they had, it was horrible. When I was in the office they were telling me about the insubordination and how I was going to be fired, this man told me he had to be strict. Last time I checked Servpro was not in ownership of a prison and he was not my father. And even my father would never talk to me like that.

If this is Servpro's management, why would anyone want to work there? They have issues holding on to staff maybe they need to look within. And I've already told everybody I know not to use Servpro because of the way they treat their employees. I can't find a way to get to anyone else and I'm hoping that you can spread this message to whoever it needs to go to.

As a second thought, my second week there they were handing me the iPad or the dry book and sending me to "run jobs."When I said I didn't appreciate being a supervisor when I don't really know what I'm doing I was told that wasn't a supervisor it was running a job.

Sounds like semantics. I wouldn't want somebody running a job at my house that had only been at the position for a week with no training, would you?

Serv pro got brought in on an emergency job (two kitchen and a bathroom) early May/24 owner either didn't know or didn't care about the scope of work hired to do and decided that they didn't need permits. In 6/24 while in the hospital the village gave a warning.

The owner Mike Grace decided to claim no permit was needed for the work . Village come shut it down . Instead of admitting what he did wrong and trying to fix the issue he lied to the village saying they did no electrical or plumbing only drywall (village aren't the smartest) and they let him leave after that even though there were plenty of photos texts etc .

The work that was completed also poorly done floors grout etc all already falling apart my sink pipes also weren't even connected correctly . Just a contractor nightmare

After inquiring about any information related to me that Servpro may have after my family members were getting sales calls, they continued to receive sales-related calls on their personal mobile devices related to selling services to my employer. I requested that any information related to me or my family cease to be used, sold, or shared and that all data related to me and personal information related to my family be deleted from Servpro's list(s) and system(s) or blocked from being used in a manner to promote business.

I asked them to contact me if there are any concerns related to the deletion or blocking of this data. They did not respond and continued to call my family members trying to sell services.

Never covered anything in my home to protect myself or my items debris was everywhere i was told my insurance would not cover for protection that was a lie I called my ajuster and yes whatever it took from not damaging anything else and then was told insurance would not cover more things that I would have to pay another lie each time I was told some things I always called ajuster for COMFORMATION I'm 79 a widow and have been abused and now they want more money they still owe me for broken items mattress and recliner I'm so over it hope this helps someone else there are good contractors but not these folks

ServPro of Chelmsford Ma is the worst company to deal with. My house has been in shambles for months.

They tore up flooring, dismantled my bathroom, had no running water for months downstairs with two young children. There was dust everywhere. They didn't do clean-ups after they left. They installed chipped, damaged cabinets and told me I have to accept it because they are white.

Ordered new ones from China, and they were chipped again. The owner told me to go find another contractor because I told him that it was unacceptable to expect customers to accept damaged cabinets, and he stormed off in a tantrum.

Read and Learn, and Pass it On.

On the evening of March 29, 2021, our fathers home sustained damage due to an electrical fire. He escaped uninjured but was forced to relocate.

This Cedar Rapids home is a pillar on First Avenues Northwest side and has been in our family since our grandmother purchased it on May 15, 1951.

March 31, 2021, was the day that our father signed the contract with ROBARB, LLC dba SERVPRO of Cedar Rapids, IA to complete the restoration of our family home. The owner, project manager, our father, as well as three family members, and our insurance claims representative, were present at this meeting. They assured our father that ROBARB, LLC dba SERVPRO of Cedar Rapids could take care of all cleaning, restoration, and storage of his personal property and that the timeline for completion would be 6-9 months.

At the time, it was reassuring to our father that a local company would be overseeing the entire process of restoration, reconstruction, storage, as well as cleaning. Little did we know that this journey would consume almost three years of our lives.

Nov. 29, 2023, marked 32 months to the day that our father signed the contract with ROBARB, LLC dba SERVPRO of Cedar Rapids.

Yes, the exorbitant bill has been paid but there is much left to be said. This is a forewarning to anyone who may ever need assistance after a disaster when decision-making is driven by emotions, distress, and uncertainty. Please read through our experience so that you will be better prepared than we were when our father signed his agreement with ROBARB, LLC dba SERVPRO of Cedar Rapids in 2021.

Our father passed away on Oct.

1, 2021, and was never able to return to his beloved home. Throughout the reconstruction, we were continually given multiple completion dates by both the project manager and the owner of the company beginning in July 2022. The delays required our family to obtain two claim extensions from our insurance company, as this work was not completed within their 2-year underwriting limit for the claim to be finalized and closed.

Also, because of multiple delays, family members who eventually purchased the home were forced to reapply for mortgages due to the expiration of rate locks they had secured with their financial institution. By the time they could close on the transaction, their interest rates had increased by over 2%.

Because the project manager was rarely on-site, many unnecessary setbacks occurred.

On May 8, 2023, the ROBARB, LLC dba SERVPRO of Cedar Rapids project manager admitted to his failures in a meeting that was prompted by our family and several Cedar Rapids Building Inspectors. He assured us that he would Make it right. When the General Manager was asked about this, his response was, The comment made by _____ to "make it right" was never meant as a financial commitment to the _____ family on behalf of Servpro. If not a financial commitment, how else could Servpro make things right for their admitted negligence?

Here are just a few of the adversities that occurred over the course of 32 months:

- Multiple subcontractors were used during the reconstruction, including out-of-state subcontractors.

Their availability was limited and sporadic. When one subcontractor failed to complete a job, another had to pick up where the first one left off.

- The errant disposal of original wood trim that had not been damaged in the fire. We happened to be at the house one day when a ROBARB, LLC dba SERVPRO of Cedar Rapids employee was removing a pile of debris that included some of the original dining room trim. We rescued those few pieces, but some had already been discarded.

New wood base and case moldings had to be milled - and our family was charged for this work.

- Family heirlooms were lost at the ROBARB, LLC dba SERVPRO of Cedar Rapids storage facility including all the curved wood shelving for a cherished antique china cabinet and the hardware for our grandmother's century-old, custom-made dining room table. The project manager was made aware of these missing items, and we had no resolution or reimbursement. Also lost or misplaced was our mothers antique cheval bedroom mirror. We were reimbursed for this item, but this family heirloom is now gone.

- Over $4,300 in damages to personal property were incurred during the move-out with White Glove Movers, as well as during the cleaning process at Servpros facility in Hiawatha, Iowa Although the damages were paid, this further supports our opinion that their sub-contractors and employees lacked the expertise required in dealing with vintage and antique personal property - see photos attached.

- A water leak in the kitchen ceiling damaged newly installed drywall due to a sub-contractor failing to properly install a water line (photo attached.)

-The side entrance to the home was secured by a pole affixed to the base of the door for 2.5 years before a new door was finally installed.

(photo attached).

We received the final invoice on Nov. 15, 2023, from the General Manager, although no final inspections had yet been completed by the City of Cedar Rapids Building Department. This was quickly brought to his attention, and it was made clear that no payment would be remitted until there was proof of passed inspections. As one would expect, the inspections happened quickly since payment was being withheld.

Interestingly, this was our first communication with the companys General Manager over the course of 32 months and it was made blatantly clear that interest would accrue if the bill was not paid within 30 days.

How unfortunate that this same sense of urgency was nonexistent throughout the restoration process.

One would have to question the 56% increase in costs from the initial dwelling claim estimate to the actual invoice. It is quite astounding that the final invoice was 18% more than the actual assessed value of the home. We find it ironic that in the community we live in multiple homes have been built from the ground up in much less time than it took ROBARB, LLC dba SERVPRO of Cedar Rapids to complete the restoration of our home.

To ensure that other consumers are not burdened with the experience that we endured, we suggest that you consider the following:

1. Take the time to read the ROBARB, LLC dba SERVPRO of Cedar Rapids contract thoroughly.

If you dont understand the language, have an attorney review it for you. It will be money well spent. If you or your attorney have any hesitation at all, take your business elsewhere.

2. If it is an insurance claim-related repair and your insurance provider insists this company be used to perform the work, we strongly advise you to create a service agreement addendum that outlines dates for completion and monetary penalties for failure to meet those deadlines.

If ROBARB, LLC dba SERVPRO of Cedar Rapids refuses to sign your service agreement addendum, take your business elsewhere. If you must - before you engage in a contract with this company, request the names, addresses, and phone numbers of all subcontractors that will be involved in your project. Confirm with them their availability and work history with ROBARB, LLC dba SERVPRO of Cedar Rapids. If they cannot provide this information, take your business elsewhere.

3.

Demand the construction/remodel restoration credentials for all ROBARB, LLC dba SERVPRO of Cedar Rapids employees assigned to your project, as well as references from clients for work they have completed. If they cannot or will not provide these credentials and references, take your business elsewhere.

4. If your insurance provider insists that you use ROBARB, LLC dba SERVPRO of Cedar Rapids, remind them that YOU are the customer and then take your business elsewhere.

5. In our experience, the spoken and written words of our project manager as well as the owner of ROBARB, LLC dba SERVPRO of Cedar Rapids proved to be consistently unreliable, if not outright lies.

In hindsight, we should have taken our business elsewhere.

6. A formal complaint was filed with SERVPROS corporate headquarters in Gallatin, TN, only to be deferred back to the local franchisee, ROBARB, LLC dba SERVPRO of Cedar Rapids. Be aware that SERVPRO INDUSTRIES, INC. prioritizes supporting their local franchisee rather than their paying customer.

Take your business elsewhere.

We have documented communications with ROBARB, LLC dba SERVPRO of Cedar Rapids, including emails, photos, and videos of the multiple challenges our family has faced since March 31, 2021, but anticipate that this business will have contradictory responses to our testimonial. However, the facts remain. It took this company 32 months to complete a project that they committed to our father would take 6-9 months.

We say all of this to create awareness for consumers. If a natural disaster or any unexpected catastrophic event impacts your family, take the time to thoroughly consider all your options.

ROBARB, LLC dba SERVPRO of Cedar Rapids may tout themselves as trusted leaders in the restoration industry with promises to return your property to like it never even happened condition but be prepared for a journey that will leave you questioning the capabilities of this business, as well as their ethics.

In our opinion, this company is a high-dollar carpet cleaning business, at best. They lack the competency, expertise, and organizational skills required to perform restoration and remodeling services. Their slick advertising proclaiming their ability to provide these services is blatantly misleading.

We are steadfast in our mission to honor our fathers legacy. He was a lifelong Cedar Rapidian and proud WWII Veteran who entrusted and believed that ROBARB, LLC dba SERVPRO of Cedar Rapids had the utmost concern for our situation and would complete the repairs of his home in a timely manner.

He came from a generation that entrusted people to follow through with what they said they would do.

If our parents and grandparents were alive today, they would be demoralized by what has transpired over the past three years.

Through it all, this 115-year-old stately home remains in our family, and for that we are grateful.

Lastly, we hope that this account of our experience has enlightened consumers as to the pitfalls of signing a contract with ROBARB, LLC dba SERVPRO of Cedar Rapids. If you are an insurance company or insurance claim representative reading this post, please support your customers by never referring them to this company.

Feel free to message us with any questions and share this review with those who may benefit from it in some way.

Greg & Amy (Hanson) Stewart

Fairfax, IA

#consumerprotection #likeitneverevenhappened #cleanup #firerestoration #servpro #cedarrapids #disasterrecovery #mitigation #iowabusiness #insuranceclaim #servprolife #whiteglovemovers

After no work on our house other than packing out a few items to b clean, I call yesterday and requested my items b returned. I also cancelled there work to b done on our house.it has been over 4 months they took the job to rebuild our house after a fire.

I placed serval calls to the office here in Ky and nobody would return my calls. I had to call and run people down to contact about work. On the advice of my insurance adjuster, we r finding another company to do the work. Servpro did nothing at all of what they promised.i take it they have abandoned the project...I will b filling a complaint with BBB also.

The fire happen nov.3. like I said, Servpro has done nothing towards repairing our house.