The rain stops and the knockers start. They have a pump in the truck and a story about your block being next. They already ‘know your insurance.’
Houston has a long memory of this. Harvey-era crews who took deposits and vanished are not folklore.
You can be polite and still shut the door. A real company will survive you calling them back in an hour.
Do this now
- Do not sign anything at the door. Take a card and go inside.
- Refuse cash-only deposits and gift-card holds.
- Look up the company name, local address, and reviews from before this storm.
- Call 911 if someone will not leave the porch or already climbed on the roof.
The script they use
‘We were already next door.’ ‘The adjuster will deny you if you wait.’ ‘This price is only if you sign now.’ ‘We take 50 percent cash to hold the crew.’
Those lines work because you are tired and the house smells. That is the point.
Ask for a written estimate you can keep without signing. If they cannot produce one, they are not ready to work.
How to hire anyway, on your terms
You pick two companies from a source you trust: a neighbor who already used them last year, your agent, a civic club list. You call them.
Meet in daylight. Check the name on the truck against the contract. Check the Texas license they claim.
If a knocker already extracted water without a signature, document what they did, do not pay a mystery invoice, and call your carrier. You can still hire someone else to finish the dry-out.
Written scope or it did not happen
Houston restoration threads after Harvey kept landing on the same ask: written scope, moisture readings, and who pays if the adjuster cuts the line item. Street water is contaminated. Porous materials usually leave. Do not sign an assignment of benefits on the porch so a stranger can run your claim.