Both views on giving prices over the phone, ten word-for-word replies to restoration price questions and objections, Spanish versions of the three most common, and what never to say about coverage or deductibles.
Explain how pricing works instead of guessing a number: a technician inspects, measures what's wet and goes through the price before any work starts. Then offer something concrete: an inspection time, whether the visit costs anything and whether you bill the insurer. Never promise coverage. Botcadence's restoration answering service handles price questions this way.
Answer the price question by explaining how pricing works instead of guessing a number: the job is priced after a technician sees the damage, insurance jobs are priced line by line from what's measured on site, and you'll go through the price before any work starts. Then give the caller something concrete, such as an inspection time, whether you charge for the visit, and whether you bill the insurer directly. Never promise coverage, and never offer to waive a deductible.
That's the short version. The longer version is that restoration owners genuinely disagree about this, and both sides have a point. This guide sets out both views, then gives you a price shopper script: ten word-for-word replies to the price questions and objections callers actually raise, with Spanish versions of the three most common. We build Botcadence, an AI restoration answering service that is set up never to quote prices, so you know where we stand.
View 1: never give a number on the phone. Nobody can price water damage they haven't seen. The wet area behind the drywall is usually bigger than the wet area the caller can see, the water category changes what has to be removed, and an insurance job is priced from measurements and line items after the inspection. Any number you say becomes the number the customer remembers, and the real invoice turns into a dispute.
View 2: give a range or a reference point. A caller who asks the price three times and never gets an answer hears evasion and calls the next company. Some owners give a typical range for a small, clean-water job, or share what the inspection or first visit costs, so the caller has something to hold on to.
Where they agree:
The replies below follow that common ground. If your company gives ranges for certain jobs, put your own range in the brackets where it says so; if not, leave those lines out.
1. "How much will this cost?"
"That's the first thing everyone wants to know, and it's a fair question. The honest answer is that nobody can price water damage without seeing it, because the water usually goes further than you can see. Here's how it works: our technician inspects, measures what's wet, and goes through the price with you before any work starts. [If you charge for the visit: The inspection is [amount].] I can get someone out [time]. Does that work?"
2. "My insurance company has a preferred vendor."
"That's common, and you're welcome to use them. In many places you can also choose your own contractor; your insurance company can tell you how it works under your policy. If you'd like us to come out, we'll document everything for your claim and work with your adjuster."
Why this wording: insurers can suggest contractors, but in many states the choice is the homeowner's. The District of Columbia's insurance regulator, for example, says the homeowner may use a contractor the insurer suggests but isn't required to. Rules and policy wording vary, so point the caller to their insurer rather than giving legal advice.
3. "Can you just give me a ballpark?"
"I wish I could give you a number you could count on, but I'd be guessing, and a guess usually turns out wrong. What I can tell you is [your range for a small clean-water job, if you give one / that the technician prices it before starting]. The fastest way to a real number is the inspection. I have [time] or [time]."
4. "Another company quoted me less."
"That's worth comparing. When you do, ask whether their price is after an inspection, what it includes, like removing wet materials and drying equipment, and whether they'll document drying for your insurance. We'll give you our price after we've seen it, and you can compare like for like."
5. "Do you charge for the inspection?"
"[If free:] No, the inspection is free, and there's no obligation. [If charged:] Yes, it's [amount], and [it's credited toward the job if you go ahead]. Either way, the technician tells you the price before doing any work."
6. "Will you bill my insurance directly?"
"[If yes:] Yes, we bill your insurance company directly for the work they approve. You'd still pay your deductible, and anything your policy doesn't cover. [If no:] We bill you, and we give you everything your insurance company needs to reimburse you."
7. "I'm going to call around first."
"Of course. Can I get your number and address so I can hold an inspection time for you? If the water is still coming in, turning off the main shutoff now will limit the damage while you decide."
8. "Can you come tomorrow instead of tonight?"
"We can. If water is still coming in, or anything is sagging, tonight is better, because wet materials need drying quickly to help prevent mold. If it has stopped and nothing is sagging, I can book tomorrow at [time] or [time]."
9. "I'm a tenant. Who pays for this?"
"Usually the property owner and their insurance handle damage to the building, but I can't say for sure. Do you have your landlord or property manager's number? We'll need their OK before we start work, and we can call them with you if that helps."
10. "I just want someone to look at it."
"That's exactly what the inspection is. The technician checks how far the water went, tells you what they'd recommend and what it costs, and you decide. I have [time] or [time]."
Read these aloud with a fluent speaker on your team and adjust them to how your customers speak.
"¿Cuánto me va a costar?"
"Es lo primero que todos quieren saber, y es una buena pregunta. La verdad es que nadie puede dar un precio de daños por agua sin verlos, porque el agua casi siempre llega más lejos de lo que se ve. Así funciona: nuestro técnico inspecciona, mide lo que está mojado y le explica el precio antes de empezar cualquier trabajo. Puedo mandar a alguien [hora]. ¿Le queda bien?"
"Mi seguro tiene un contratista preferido."
"Es muy común, y lo puede usar si quiere. En muchos lugares también puede escoger a su propio contratista; su compañía de seguros le puede explicar cómo funciona con su póliza. Si quiere que vayamos nosotros, documentamos todo para su reclamo y trabajamos con su ajustador."
"¿Me puede dar un precio aproximado?"
"Me gustaría darle un número seguro, pero estaría adivinando, y casi siempre sale mal. La forma más rápida de tener un precio real es la inspección. Tengo [hora] o [hora]."
| Never say | Why | Say instead |
|---|---|---|
| "Your insurance will cover all of it." | Coverage depends on the policy and the cause, and only the insurer decides | "Your insurance company decides what's covered. We'll document everything." |
| "We'll take care of your deductible." | In Texas, a contractor who pays, waives or rebates a deductible without the insurer's consent commits a Class B misdemeanor. Check your own state's rules | "Your deductible is part of your policy, and we can't waive it." |
| "It'll be about [a number]." (for damage you haven't seen) | It becomes the number they remember | "The technician prices it before starting." |
| "Our price is always lower than [competitor]." | You can't know what they'll quote | "Compare what's included, like drying and documentation." |
| "You have to use us, not your insurer's vendor." | It's the homeowner's choice | "You're welcome to use either; here's what we'd do." |
Texas goes further than the phone call: under the same section of its Business and Commerce Code, a contract of $1,000 or more expected to be paid from a property insurance claim must carry a printed notice that the insured has to pay the deductible.
Practice price questions in role-play until the replies sound natural, not read. Our restoration CSR training guide has a role-play card for the price shopper and a scorecard that marks any price, coverage promise or arrival time as a missed point. The water damage intake call script has the full intake order, with a "Don't say" list that matches this one.
Botcadence's restoration answering service is set up the way this guide recommends:
See the AI receptionist for restoration page for the fields it captures, and the inbound voice agent page for how forwarding works.
Questions readers ask
Most shouldn't give a firm number, because the damage usually goes further than the caller can see and insurance jobs are priced from measurements after the inspection. But don't dodge either: explain how pricing works, say what the inspection costs, and offer a time.
Say they're welcome to use the insurer's vendor, and that in many places they can also choose their own contractor; their insurer can explain how it works under their policy. The DC insurance regulator, for example, says homeowners aren't required to use an insurer-suggested contractor.
Not without the insurer's consent in Texas, where paying, waiving or rebating a deductible is a Class B misdemeanor under Business and Commerce Code Section 27.02. Never offer it on the phone, and check your own state's rules.
Say you'd be guessing and a guess usually turns out wrong, give your typical range only if your company has a policy to share one, and offer the inspection as the fastest way to a real number, with two specific times.
Encourage the comparison, and suggest the caller ask whether the other price came after an inspection, what it includes, such as removing wet materials and drying equipment, and whether drying will be documented for insurance.
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