Guide
After the fans leave
Quick answer
Mitigation equipment coming out is not the same as the house being finished. Rebuild, contents, and lingering moisture are separate steps.
Mitigation is not rebuild
Air movers and dehumidifiers are there to stop the damage from spreading. When that equipment leaves, the job often still includes cabinets, drywall, flooring, and sometimes insulation. Ask the crew, in writing, what they dried and what they did not open.
Walk the house before you sign a completion note
Look at baseboards, the back of toe-kicks, and the first closet or hallway past the obvious wet room. Soft drywall, a musty closet, or a cupping floorboard is a reason to pause — not a reason to argue in the driveway. Photograph the rooms the same way you did on day one.
Contents and storage
Bags of wet clothes, boxes from a closet, and furniture that sat on wet pad are easy to forget once the fans are gone. Keep the inventory you started. Insurers often ask what was discarded versus cleaned.
Who decides the rebuild
Your insurer, a preferred vendor program, and an independent contractor can all be in the mix. This site does not assign a contractor or approve a scope. Use the rebuild guide on this site for the questions to ask, then confirm every number with licensed people who have seen the property.