Drying fans on a wet tile floor in a Florida home with the lower walls cut open

Independent review

Updated 25 September 2026 · 21 sources · not paid by ServiceMaster Restore

ServiceMaster Restore review: who you are really hiring, what it costs, and what to check in Florida

A fair look at one of the oldest names in water damage restoration, for the day a pipe has let go and you are choosing who dries the house.

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Call ServiceMaster Restore if

Your insurer referred you to ServiceMaster Restore.
You need a drying crew today and the office near you answers 24/7.
You want one company for drying and the rebuild afterward.

Compare first if

The claim is large or the insurer is pushing a quick dry-out.
The local office has a thin or stale review record.
The contract mentions assigning your insurance benefits.

Compare with a licensed local company

Pick your area and see three local water damage restoration companies next to ServiceMaster Restore. None of them pay us to be here.

Your area

Our verdict. ServiceMaster Restore is a reasonable call after a water loss in most of Florida, because it lists about 30 locations in the state and its offices say they answer 24/7 and work with insurers. The brand is a franchise system owned by Roark Capital, so the office that comes out is either a local franchise or a company branch, and quality follows that office. It publishes no national prices, and the two price ranges its own franchises post ($300 to $7,000 and $1,400 to $7,500) are wide. Its public record is mixed and thin at the Florida level, so check the BBB file of the exact office before you sign. For a large or disputed claim, get a second written estimate from an independent IICRC-certified restorer.

At a glance

814Locations in its 2026 franchise filing

About 30Florida locations on its own locator

$300 to $7,500Ranges posted by two of its franchises

1 hourResponse time its Tampa page claims

Where it is strong

About 30 Florida locations on its own locator, from Pensacola and Tallahassee to Miami, so most of the state has an office within reach.
Offices say they answer 24/7, and the Tampa page claims a response time of one hour or less.
Its Tampa page says it offers free estimates and works directly with insurers.
Offers the full job, from water removal and mold work through reconstruction, so one company can take it from wet floor to finished wall.

Where to be careful

Every job is done by a local franchise or a company branch, and the website does not tell you which one you are calling.
No national price list. The only posted figures come from individual franchises in other states.
The Miami Gardens office (ServiceMaster DSI) shows 12 BBB complaints in three years and an average of 1 of 5 across 6 BBB reviews.
Its unit counts do not agree: 814 locations in one source, about 2,000 in its own press release, 2,044 in another.

How we reviewed ServiceMaster Restore: research only, nobody here has hired them, 21 public sources. Read the method

We have not hired ServiceMaster Restore, and nobody at BestHonestPro has. This review is research: the brand's own website, locator and franchise pages, its 2026 press release, Roark Capital's acquisition announcement, franchise industry data, Better Business Bureau files for three Florida offices, one consumer review site, two published cost guides and the Florida statutes on insurance and mold licensing. We read patterns across complaints rather than quoting single angry customers, and we left out anything we could not trace to a source.

We have not called ServiceMaster Restore for a test quote yet. When we do, what we asked and what they said will be added here with the date.

Last checked 25 September 2026. ServiceMaster Restore is not affiliated with BestHonestPro, has not paid us, and did not see this page before it went up. ServiceMaster Restore is a trademark of its owner and is used here only to name the company.

What ServiceMaster Restore is

ServiceMaster traces its roots to 1929. Roark Capital, a private equity firm, bought ServiceMaster Brands, the franchise business that includes ServiceMaster Restore, ServiceMaster Clean and Merry Maids, in a deal announced in September 2020 at $1.553 billion and closed on 1 October 2020.

The size of the brand depends on who is counting. Its own About page says more than 800 locations in the United States. A 2026 analysis of its franchise disclosure document counts 814 locations for 2025. Its own January 2026 press release says about 2,000 franchised and licensed locations worldwide, and Entrepreneur lists 2,044 units. The larger figures appear to count more than local offices, but the brand does not explain the difference.

The fact that matters most to you: the brand says its services are provided by independently owned and operated franchises or by a corporate owned branch. The office on your job sets the price, the crew and the paperwork.

Source: ServiceMaster Brands, Roark Capital acquires ServiceMaster Brands; ServiceMaster Global Holdings sale announcement (2 Sep 2020); ServiceMaster Restore, About us; 1851 Franchise, ServiceMaster Restore FDD deep dive (June 2026); PR Newswire, 22 Jan 2026; Entrepreneur Franchise 500, 2026.

What ServiceMaster Restore charges

ServiceMaster Restore publishes no national prices. Its corporate cost article lists the factors and tells you to call. Two of its franchises in other states have posted ranges, and the cost guides publish industry figures. None of these is a Florida quote.

A water damage job: published ranges

ServiceMaster by Cornerstone, 2022

$1,400 to $7,500

ServiceMaster of Kalamazoo, 2025

$300 to $7,000

HomeGuide, typical job, 2026

$2,000 to $6,000

Angi, most homeowners, 2026

$1,383 to $6,369

Franchise range, Mississippi and Tennessee	$1,400 to $7,500 (ServiceMaster by Cornerstone, Mar 2022)
Franchise range, Michigan	$300 to $7,000 and up, Michigan average $3,000 (ServiceMaster of Kalamazoo, May 2025)
Typical job, all companies	$2,000 to $6,000 (HomeGuide, Feb 2026)
National average, all companies	$3,868, most pay $1,383 to $6,369 (Angi, 2026)
Water extraction and drying	$4 to $12 per square foot (HomeGuide)

Source: ServiceMaster by Cornerstone, what is the cost to restore water damage (Mar 2022); ServiceMaster of Kalamazoo, how much does water damage restoration cost (May 2025); ServiceMaster Restore, factors that affect water damage restoration cost; HomeGuide, water damage restoration cost (6 Feb 2026); Angi, water damage repair cost.

How the quote works. The Tampa page says estimates are free and that the office works directly with insurers. We found no published trip fee, after-hours charge or deposit rule. Ask for all three on the phone, and get the estimate in writing before work goes past emergency drying.

Source: ServiceMaster Restore, ServiceMaster DSI Tampa.

ServiceMaster Restore in Florida

The brand's Florida locator lists about 30 locations, including Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Pompano Beach, Tampa, Wesley Chapel, Fort Myers, Sarasota, Orlando, Oviedo, Daytona Beach, Jacksonville, St. Augustine, Gainesville, Ocala, Tallahassee, Pensacola, Destin, Panama City Beach and Vero Beach. Four of them (Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa and Fort Myers) carry the ServiceMaster DSI name. The site does not say which Florida offices are franchises and which are company branches.

One listing does not match the BBB. The locator still shows ServiceMaster Fire and Water Recovery in Lakeland, while that business's BBB file says it is out of business. If Lakeland comes up for your address, call and confirm who will actually do the work.

Source: ServiceMaster Restore, Florida locations; ServiceMaster Restore, DSI Florida locations; BBB, ServiceMaster Fire and Water Recovery (Lakeland). Checked 25 Sep 2026.

ServiceMaster Restore, your insurer and the Florida AOB rule

ServiceMaster Restore says it set up a Quality Restoration Vendor network in 1991 and that its offices work directly with insurers. That can make the claim run smoothly. It also means the company may be used to working to the insurer's scope, so make sure the drying plan fits your house, not only the adjuster's budget.

The Florida rule to know before you sign. For any residential property policy issued on or after 1 January 2023, Florida law says you may not assign your post-loss insurance benefits to a contractor. On an older policy that still allows it, an emergency-services assignment is capped at the greater of $3,000 or 1% of your dwelling coverage, and you can cancel it within 14 days. Read the work authorization for any wording that assigns benefits or lets the company deal with your insurer in your place.

Source: ServiceMaster Restore, About us; ServiceMaster DSI Tampa; Florida Statutes 627.7152.

More on claims in our Florida insurance guide.

The complaint record, read fairly

The Florida record is thin and mixed. The largest Florida office we found on the BBB, ServiceMaster DSI in Miami Gardens (in business since 1981), is graded A+ but is not accredited, and shows 12 complaints in three years and an average of 1 of 5 across 6 customer reviews. ServiceMaster of First Coast in Jacksonville is graded A+ and has been accredited since February 2024.

BBB, ServiceMaster DSI, Miami Gardens	A+, not accredited, 12 complaints in 3 years, 1 of 5 across 6 reviews
BBB, ServiceMaster of First Coast, Jacksonville	A+, accredited since 2024
BBB, ServiceMaster Fire and Water Recovery, Lakeland	Not rated, listed as out of business
ConsumerAffairs average	4.6 of 5 (1,325 reviews, newest shown from Aug 2021)

Source: BBB profiles for ServiceMaster DSI (Miami Gardens), ServiceMaster of First Coast and ServiceMaster Fire and Water Recovery; ConsumerAffairs, ServiceMaster Restore. Checked 25 Sep 2026.

The ConsumerAffairs average is far higher than most restoration brands score there, but the newest review it shows is from 2021, so it says little about the brand today. The repeated complaints across these files are bills higher than a phone estimate, repairs that were not finished well, belongings lost or damaged during pack-out, and slow replies. The repeated praise is quick first contact and same-day assessment.

Ownership and official record.

1929
ServiceMaster is founded. The restoration brand says it has more than 65 years in restoration.
2020
Roark Capital buys ServiceMaster Brands, including ServiceMaster Restore, for a price announced at $1.553 billion.
2026
No state Attorney General action against ServiceMaster Restore or a Florida location found as of this review.

Source: ServiceMaster Restore, About us; ServiceMaster Global Holdings sale announcement (2 Sep 2020); ServiceMaster Brands, Roark Capital acquires ServiceMaster Brands.

Who it suits, and who should compare

A good fit: a water loss where your insurer suggests ServiceMaster Restore, or where you need a crew today and want one company for drying and the rebuild. It also helps in parts of Florida with few restorers, such as the Panhandle, where the brand still lists several offices.

Get a second estimate: any large or disputed claim, any office with few reviews you can read, and any plan to leave wet flooring in place to save money. If there is mold, Florida requires a licensed mold assessor and a licensed remediator, and the same company may not do both on your house within 12 months. See mold after a leak.

Source: Florida DBPR, mold-related services FAQ.

What to ask before you say yes

Ask these on the phone, in this order, and ask the same questions of whoever you compare them with. The spread in the answers tells you more than the spread in the prices.

Is this office a franchise or a company-owned branch, and what is the legal name on the contract?
Does anything in this work authorization assign my insurance benefits? My policy was issued on (date).
Is there a trip fee, an after-hours charge or a deposit, and will I get a written estimate before work goes past emergency drying?
Will I get daily moisture readings, drying logs, photos and an equipment count?
Which technicians on my job hold IICRC water restoration certification?
If mold is involved, what is your Florida mold remediator licence number (it starts with MRSR)? Check it free on the DBPR site.
If my insurer pays less than your invoice, who owes the difference, and is there a written warranty on the repairs?

Local alternatives in Florida

We list local water damage restoration companies for eight Florida metros, each checked against the state licence register where a number was available. Get one written estimate from them alongside ServiceMaster Restore's and compare them line by line.

No company pays to be listed on those pages or to rank higher. Each listing links to its own licence check and sources.

Right of reply

ServiceMaster Restore, or the owner of any ServiceMaster Restore location, can correct a fact on this page. Email [email protected] with the fact and a source. We check it and publish the correction here with its date.

Where this comes from

Every figure above is published by the organisation named beside it. Nothing on this page is our own estimate, and where sources disagree we show both.

Show all 21 sources