The key differences
Mitigation stops the damage. Reconstruction fixes it permanently.
Many people who arrive here have been working primarily with a mitigation company and are now realizing that the rebuild requires something different. These are not interchangeable services and not interchangeable vendors.
Mitigation
Emergency stabilization and personal property management.
Mitigation companies typically handle water removal, debris and smoke cleanup, mold remediation, contents manipulation, inventory, storage, and short-term stabilization. Their work is immediate and urgent — and important. But it is not reconstruction.
Reconstruction
Scope development, engineering, permits, and full rebuild.
Reconstruction involves structural repair or rebuild, engineering and plans, permitting, inspections, and full construction. It requires a general contractor's license, a different set of skills, and a different approach to the insurance process.
| Phase | What it involves | Who does it | When it happens |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mitigation | Board-up, water extraction, drying, smoke cleanup, contents inventory, packout, storage, deodorization, surface cleaning, air filtration. | Mitigation companies — licensed for remediation and temporary services. Most are not licensed for full structural reconstruction. | Immediately after the loss. Often before the insurance adjuster has visited. |
| Reconstruction | Scope development, engineering, plans, permits, inspections, framing, roofing, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, drywall, finishes, completion. | Licensed general contractors. Separate license, separate scope, separate contract from the mitigation company. | After mitigation is complete and the scope has been developed. Often weeks or months after the loss. |
Where confusion happens
Many mitigation companies claim to offer reconstruction. Most do not.
Many mitigation companies claim to offer both services but in fact only focus on very narrow repairs — such as drywall patching to close up walls that they open to do structural drying. That does not mean reconstruction is their primary focus.
Reconstruction requires different planning, different coordination, and a different level of project control. It also requires a different relationship with the insurance company — one focused on scope development and supplementing the initial estimate, not just completing the work that was originally authorized.
What a mitigation company actually does →Why contents handling matters
The packout process and what it means for your project.
Proper handling of the contents of your house is an important early step. You will want help to accurately inventory your contents to ensure that your claim for them is as complete as possible. Your contractor will expect to be handed an empty house prior to beginning work — often months after the loss, once the building permit is granted.
Mitigation companies usually offer to inventory your contents into documents that your insurer will accept. They perform a packout — removing all salvageable items to a warehouse for cleaning and storage. Once the house is rebuilt, they bring everything back. This is a legitimate and useful service. The key is to be present and involved in the inventory process, and to understand what your policy covers for contents before signing any contract.
Be present and involved in inventorying every item. Don't throw anything away without documenting it. The initial contents inventory is one of the most important documents in your claim, and it is very difficult to correct after the fact. Contents inventory performed inaccurately is one of the biggest potential shortfalls in the entire claims process. People underestimate how important it is to interview aggressively for this service before hiring anyone to perform it.