Free InspectionMoisture mapping, photos, scope notes
Owner Meets Your AdjusterAnsy Chevalier, on site
One Team Through RebuildMitigation to final coat of paint
IICRC Certified & BBB A+Cert #70268689, licensed in MA
The Studio 24 Standard: Four Steps From Emergency to Signoff
Every Studio 24 job follows the same restoration process: a free inspection that documents the loss, insurance support that files your claim with evidence, fast restoration from mitigation through rebuild, and a verified closeout. The order matters as much as the steps themselves. Because we inspect and document before anyone files, your adjuster works from a professional scope instead of a guess, and because one team carries the job from wet to rebuilt, nothing falls into the gap between contractors.
That gap is worth naming, since it is the single most common horror story we hear. A mitigation-only outfit dries the structure, collects from the carrier, and leaves the homeowner to find a builder for the torn-open walls. The rebuild bids come in above the claim, months pass, and the family lives with bare studs. Our process exists so that never happens: the people who remove materials are accountable to the people who must put them back.
Why inspect before you file: the adjuster scopes whatever is documented when they arrive. Moisture mapped and photographed first means hidden saturation makes it into the claim, not just the stain on the ceiling.
- Step 1: Free InspectionWe walk the property with moisture meters and thermal imaging, map how far the damage actually traveled, photograph everything, and write scope notes on site. It takes about an hour, costs nothing, and you owe nothing if you stop here. You leave the visit knowing what is wet, what is salvageable, and what the claim should include.
- Step 2: Insurance SupportWe build the estimate in Xactimate, the same platform your carrier uses, and submit it with the photo and meter documentation behind every line. Ansy Chevalier, our IICRC certified owner, meets your adjuster at the property to walk the scope in person. We bill the carrier directly, so covered work starts without a check from you.
- Step 3: Fast RestorationMitigation runs first: extraction, structural drying with daily logged readings, removal of unsalvageable materials, cleaning, and deodorization. Then the same team rebuilds what came out, drywall and plaster, flooring, trim, and paint. One schedule, one point of contact, no second contractor to find, vet, or referee.
- Step 4: You Rebuild & RelaxCloseout is verified, not assumed. Drying is confirmed against the S500 dry standard with meter logs your adjuster can audit, you walk the finished work with us and mark a punch list, and we clear it before final sign-off. Then we finish the claim paperwork with your carrier so the file closes cleanly.
The steps flex to the loss in front of us. An active flood at midnight enters through our 24/7 emergency restoration line and the inspection happens while the crew works, whereas a slow ceiling stain starts with a scheduled visit. The drying science behind step three lives on our water damage restoration in Boston page, and the build-back side, from patched plaster to full kitchens, is what our reconstruction team does all day.
What to Have Ready When You Call
Nothing on this list is required to start. We can begin with an address and a description of what happened, and most emergency calls begin with exactly that. However, if the situation is stable enough to gather a few things, these shorten the path from first call to approved claim.
One honest note on deductibles: know your number before the process starts. Massachusetts homeowner policies commonly carry a flat deductible between $500 and $2,500, and on covered work that figure is typically the only money that leaves your pocket. If your deductible is close to the size of the damage, we will tell you plainly that a claim may not be worth filing, because a process built on trust does not push claims that hurt you at renewal.
- Your carrier name and policy number, from the declarations page or the carrier app
- Photos of the damage, only if you can take them safely
- Your deductible amount, so the numbers conversation is honest from minute one
- The approximate age of your home, since pre-1978 Boston housing triggers EPA lead-safe work rules
Honest Timelines: What Restoration Really Takes in Greater Boston
Restoration timelines are set by physics and scope, not by optimism, so here are the honest ranges. Extraction and make-safe work happen the same day we arrive. Structural drying typically runs three to five days, because the ANSI/IICRC S500 standard requires materials to reach documented dry-standard readings, not merely feel dry. Rebuild depends entirely on scope: a patched ceiling is days, a gutted kitchen is weeks. Anyone quoting one number for every loss is guessing.
| Loss type | Day one | Typical drying or cleanup | Rebuild |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burst pipe or interior flood | Extraction and equipment set same day | 3 to 5 days of monitored drying | Scheduled by scope, days to weeks |
| Fire and smoke | Board-up and make-safe same day | 1 to 2 weeks of cleaning and deodorization | By scope, often the longest phase |
| Mold | Containment and negative air set day one | 3 to 7 days of remediation | After clearance verification |
| Sewage backup | Extraction and disinfection same day | 3 to 5 days of drying and verification | Affected materials replaced by scope |
Communication runs on a fixed cadence, because silence is where homeowner trust dies. During drying you get a daily update with the actual meter readings, so you can watch the numbers fall toward dry standard instead of wondering whether the humming equipment is doing anything. You have one point of contact for the entire job, and if the scope needs to change, you hear about it before the work happens, never on the invoice. That cadence holds whether we are drying a Dorchester triple-decker with balloon-framed walls that hide moisture or a Weymouth cape with a wet fieldstone basement, though the readings behave differently in each.
Before You Sign Anything, Ask These
Questions Homeowners Ask About Our Process
How long does the whole restoration process take, start to finish?
A contained water loss often finishes inside two to three weeks: same-day extraction, three to five days of drying, then a short rebuild. Larger fire or multi-room losses run one to three months, driven mostly by rebuild scope and carrier approvals. We give you a written timeline after the inspection and update it whenever the facts change.
Do I have to pay anything before work starts?
No. The inspection is free, and on covered claims we bill your insurance carrier directly, so your deductible is typically your only out-of-pocket cost. You see the payment terms in writing before any work begins, and we never ask you to sign over a claim check sight unseen.
Who deals with my insurance adjuster?
We do, and the owner does it personally. Ansy Chevalier walks the adjuster through the documented scope at your property, line by line in Xactimate, so hidden damage gets argued by someone certified to measure it. You are copied on what is submitted and approved, so you always know where the claim stands.
Can you start before the adjuster has seen the damage?
Yes, and on active losses you should not wait. Massachusetts homeowner policies require you to take reasonable steps to prevent further damage, and carriers expect mitigation to start promptly. We photograph, meter, and document everything before touching it, so the adjuster reviews a complete evidence file instead of a dried-out guess.
Step two is where most homeowners have the most questions, and it deserves more than one paragraph. Our insurance claims hub covers the whole territory: what Massachusetts policies actually cover, how deductibles work, what an Xactimate estimate contains, and what to do if a claim comes back denied or short. When you are ready for step one, request a free inspection online and we will call you back within 5 to 10 minutes, or reach us directly at (781) 390-9855 any hour. Last updated August 2026.
Step One Is Free. Start There.
An hour of moisture mapping, photos, and straight answers, with zero obligation to go further. Most homeowners tell us it was the first moment the disaster felt manageable.