Choosing a Restoration Company in New Hampshire: What to Ask

Choosing a restoration company

New Hampshire doesn't license restoration companies or general contractors, so the license check you might expect isn't there. Check what you can. Ask for proof of insurance and a written scope. Read every form before you sign it.

Updated October 29, 2026 · Sources listed at the end

What New Hampshire licenses, and what it doesn't

Plumbers and electricians are licensed through the state Office of Professional Licensure and Certification. Restoration companies and general contractors are not, a gap the state's own consumer protection lawyers have pointed to. Building permits still come from the city or town.

Questions that sort companies

Can I see your certificate of insurance? Liability and workers' compensation.
How do you measure moisture, and will I get the readings? Start and finish, room by room.
What is in the scope? Square feet removed, and what is cleaned versus thrown out.
Do you rebuild? If not, ask who does.
What am I signing? A work authorization, or an assignment of my insurance benefits?
Who does the plumbing or electrical work? Get that tradesperson's license number.

A written scope and price before work starts. What gets removed, what gets dried, and for how long.
Moisture readings and photos. Taken at the start and the end, so any adjuster can see the house was dried.
No pressure to sign on the spot. You can read anything before you sign it, including any form that mentions your insurance.
The cause named, not only the symptom. A frozen pipe, an ice dam or a sump that failed will do it again unless someone deals with it.

National franchise or local shop?

A national franchise is a locally owned business using a shared brand, and quality depends on the owner. A local independent company can be just as equipped. Neither label tells you much. The written scope and the moisture readings do.

After a big storm

The FTC warns about contractors who show up unasked, or push for an immediate decision. Cash only, most of the money up front, or a request that you pull the permits are the other signs. If you signed at home and change your mind, New Hampshire's home solicitation law lets you cancel a sale of $150 or more before midnight of the third business day (RSA 361-B:2).

Questions Manchester homeowners ask

Does New Hampshire license restoration companies?

New Hampshire has no state license for general contractors or for restoration and mold companies, which the state's own consumer protection lawyers have pointed out. Plumbers and electricians are licensed through the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification. So ask for proof of insurance, a written scope and price, and check whether the city needs a building permit for the repair.

Are national restoration franchises better than local companies?

Not necessarily. A national franchise is a locally owned business using a shared brand, and quality varies by owner. A local independent company can be just as equipped. What matters more is a written scope, moisture readings you can see, and proof of insurance. Don't sign insurance forms on the spot.

What does a restoration company fix, and what is left for a contractor?

A restoration company stops the damage. It dries the house and removes wet or burned material, then cleans the smoke and soot. Some also rebuild; others hand that off to a general contractor. Ask which they do before you sign, so the job doesn't stall halfway.