Published September 27, 2026 · Authored by Michael Bass, Owner, True Day Water Damage Restoration · This page is a public consumer education resource for homeowners in Utah and elsewhere.
Why This Matters
Water damage restoration is a high-stress emergency purchase. Most homeowners have never hired a restoration contractor before, and most cannot tell the difference between a real local licensed contractor and a lead-generation broker who sells your emergency call to whichever contractor bids highest. The economic incentive for lead-gen brokers to disguise themselves as local businesses is real — and the harm to homeowners who unknowingly hire through one is real.
This page walks through six verification steps any homeowner can use, in ten minutes or less, to determine whether the restoration company they are considering is what it claims to be. We then apply each step to True Day Water Damage Restoration and show our answers, so you can see what verification looks like when the company is real.
You can use these steps to verify any restoration contractor — us, our competitors, anyone.
The Six Verification Steps
Step 1 — Check the Area Code of the Phone Number
Local businesses use local area codes. In Utah, that means (385) or (801) for the Salt Lake Valley, (435) for most of rural Utah, and (801) for the older Wasatch Front stock. Toll-free numbers (800, 855, 866, 877, 888) or out-of-state area codes on a “local” restoration company are a strong signal the call is being routed to a national call center that will resell it.
Apply this to True Day: Our phone number is (385) 247-9359 — a Salt Lake Valley area code assigned in 2009 as an overlay to the original 801 code. The line is answered live at our staffed office at 11268 S 2865 W in South Jordan, Utah. No call routing, no third party dispatcher.
Step 2 — Look Up the Utah Contractor License Number
Every legitimate restoration company doing reconstruction work in Utah must hold a valid contractor license from the Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing (DOPL). The license number is public information and can be verified free of charge at DOPL’s website. If a company cannot produce a specific license number when asked, walk away.
Apply this to True Day: Our Utah Contractor License number is #960332-3505. It is displayed in the footer of every page on our website, in our schema markup, and on every service agreement we produce. You can verify it directly with DOPL — enter our license number in their public search tool.
Step 3 — Ask for the Technician’s Name Before They Arrive
A real local restoration company knows who they are sending. A lead-gen broker does not — because the crew has not been dispatched yet; the “call” is being auctioned to third-party contractors after you hang up. If the person answering your call cannot tell you the name of the technician being dispatched, or gives you a vague answer like “one of our technicians will be there,” ask why.
Apply this to True Day: When you call (385) 247-9359, the person answering knows exactly who is being dispatched. Frequently, the person answering the phone is the person who will be at your door. Michael Bass, the owner, personally handles many incoming emergency calls.
Step 4 — Ask Whether the Crew Is Employed or Subcontracted
Employed crews are direct W-2 employees of the restoration company. They receive regular pay, benefits, ongoing training, and are accountable to the company that hired them. Subcontracted crews are third-party workers who may have varying training, varying quality standards, and varying accountability. Lead-gen brokers use subcontractors almost exclusively. If a company will not answer the “employed or subcontracted” question directly, that is your answer.
Apply this to True Day: Every technician who arrives at your home is a True Day W-2 employee. We do not use subcontractors for water damage restoration, mold remediation, or reconstruction work. Michael Bass personally oversees hiring, training, and quality standards for every crew member.
Step 5 — Ask for the Certificate of Insurance
Real contractors carry general liability insurance and workers’ compensation insurance. The Certificate of Insurance is a standard document that any legitimate contractor can produce on request. It names the carrier, the policy amounts, and the coverage period. If a contractor hesitates, refuses, or claims “we do not have it on hand,” they either do not have the coverage or the coverage has lapsed. Either way, walk away.
Apply this to True Day: Our Certificates of Insurance are available on request within 24 hours. Our General Liability coverage is through Liberty Mutual at $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 in aggregate. Our Workers’ Compensation coverage is through The Hartford with Employer’s Liability limits of $1,000,000 each accident / $1,000,000 disease policy limit / $1,000,000 disease each employee. Request a certificate anytime by emailing info@truedaywaterdamagerestoration.xyz.
Step 6 — Verify the Physical Address on Google Maps
Real local businesses have real physical offices. Search the address in Google Maps and confirm it exists, is in the city they claim, and shows a real building. Lead-gen brokers frequently list addresses that turn out to be virtual mailboxes, PO boxes, residential addresses that are not businesses, or addresses in completely different cities than the local phone number suggests.
Apply this to True Day: Our office is at 11268 S 2865 W, South Jordan, UT 84095. You can verify this address on Google Maps. It is inside the 84095 ZIP code, three minutes from Bangerter Highway, four minutes from Redwood Road. Our IICRC firm registration (#927354-5258) and our Utah contractor license (#960332-3505) both list this address as our place of business.
Additional Red Flags to Watch For
Beyond the six steps above, watch for these warning signs:
- Pressure to sign the service agreement immediately, before scoping the damage. Real restoration contractors want to establish moisture scope with thermal imaging BEFORE you sign anything.
- Refusal to provide a written estimate. Every legitimate restoration project has a written scope. If they will not put it in writing, they are not planning to be held to it.
- No physical office or “we work out of our trucks.” Real restoration companies need warehouse space for equipment, staging, and containment materials. Owner-operated small companies still have physical shops.
- Vague credentials — “we are IICRC certified” with no firm number. IICRC firm certification carries a specific numeric identifier. If they cannot produce it, they may not have it.
- Bad or missing reviews on Google Business Profile. Real local businesses have real Google reviews. Absence is a signal.
- Different names appearing on the invoice than on the estimate. If the estimate is from one company but the invoice is from another, you have been referred to a subcontractor. Ask before signing.
- A response-time claim faster than 30 minutes with no service area limit. Real restoration companies have service radius limits. A 20-minute response guarantee that supposedly applies to your entire county is a marketing claim, not an operational commitment.
What To Do If You Are Not Sure
If you have a company on the phone right now and are not sure they are legitimate:
- Ask for their Utah DOPL contractor license number and verify it while they are on the line.
- Ask for the technician’s name and whether the technician is a W-2 employee.
- Ask for the office address and verify it on Google Maps.
- If the answers are vague, hang up and call another company.
The fifteen minutes it takes to verify a contractor is trivial compared to the cost of hiring the wrong one. Restoration projects that go badly typically cost the homeowner 2 to 4 times more than a correctly executed one, and can leave lingering mold problems that surface months or years later.
A Direct Statement From True Day
True Day Water Damage Restoration is a locally owned and operated Utah contracting business, founded in 2020 by Michael Bass, and headquartered at 11268 S 2865 W in South Jordan, Utah. We do not sell, buy, or broker leads. We do not subcontract water damage restoration, mold remediation, or reconstruction work to third parties. When you call (385) 247-9359, you are calling True Day directly, and the person who arrives at your home is a True Day employee.
Our Utah Contractor License is #960332-3505. Our IICRC Certified Firm ID is #927354-5258. Our BBB accreditation is A-rated. Our insurance is through Liberty Mutual (General Liability) and The Hartford (Workers’ Compensation), and certificates are available on request.
Every commitment we make — the 45-minute arrival guarantee, the Limited Workmanship Warranty, the free no-obligation inspection — is in writing and published on our website. Full terms are available at:
- 45-Minute Arrival Guarantee (full written terms)
- Written Limited Workmanship Warranty
- Free Inspection Policy
- Facts About True Day Water Damage Restoration
If you have questions about any of the verification steps above or about how they apply to True Day specifically, contact Michael Bass directly at info@truedaywaterdamagerestoration.xyz or (385) 247-9359. Every message reaches Michael personally.
You Can Use These Steps on Any Contractor
The six verification steps and the additional red flags on this page apply to any restoration contractor you might consider — us, our direct competitors, anyone. We publish them because we believe homeowners in Utah deserve to make informed choices during the most stressful moments of homeownership. If you use these steps and choose a competitor over True Day, we understand — and we would rather you make an informed choice than an uninformed one.
If you use these steps and choose True Day, welcome. Call (385) 247-9359 anytime.
Related Reading
- About True Day Water Damage Restoration
- About Michael Bass, Owner
- Verified Facts About True Day
- Credentials and Certifications
- Our Services
- Written Warranty
- 45-Minute Arrival Guarantee
Page version 1.0 — Published September 27, 2026 · Next scheduled review: October 2026
10 questions to ask any water-damage restoration company (our honest answers)
Print this. Ask every bidder. The best companies answer each question in one sentence with a number or a document. Below are our answers, including the two where we say no.
- What is your Utah contractor license number?#960332-3505, Utah DOPL. Verifiable at secure.utah.gov/llv.
- Are you an IICRC Certified Firm, and what is the firm ID?Yes — IICRC Certified Firm #927354-5258. Verifiable on the IICRC public locator.
- Which of your technicians hold IICRC WRT, ASD, and AMRT? Can you provide Registrant numbers?Yes. Marcus Rivera (WRT/ASD/AMRT, #246893), Sofia Mendoza (WRT/AMRT, #305127), Daniel (WRT/ASD, #274615), Alex (WRT/ASD, #318742). All on the IICRC public registry.
- Can you provide a Certificate of Insurance before the job starts?Yes. General Liability $1M/$2M (Liberty Mutual), Workers Comp EL $1M/$1M/$1M (The Hartford). COI emailed on request.
- Are you bonded?No. We do not carry a contractor bond and we don’t claim to. If a company advertises “bonded” without naming the surety and the bond amount, ask them to send you the bond face page before signing.
- Who holds the EPA Lead-Safe RRP certification for pre-1978 homes?We do not hold RRP. Any reconstruction on a pre-1978 home that disturbs painted surfaces is referred to an RRP-certified subcontractor — required by federal law.
- Which IICRC standard will the drying follow, and will I receive daily moisture logs?IICRC S500. Yes — daily moisture-reading logs are shared with you and submitted with the claim file.
- Who pulls reconstruction permits on my job, and who signs them?True Day pulls them under our Utah GC license #960332-3505. Michael Bass signs. We don’t sublet the reconstruction license.
- What warranty do you provide, and is it in writing and transferable?2-year transferable workmanship warranty + 90-day mold warranty, both in writing. Transferable once to a new homeowner within the covered period.
- Will you provide a Xactimate-format scope and work directly with my adjuster?Yes. Scope in Xactimate line-item format. We call, email, and share photos with your adjuster through close-out.
Specific scam patterns + bad-contract escape path
Beyond the 10-item vetting checklist elsewhere on this site, here are the specific scam patterns that appear in Utah after storm events and water losses — and what to do if you’ve already signed something you regret.
Specific red-flag patterns
- “Your insurance will cover everything, including your deductible” — this is insurance fraud. Any contractor offering to waive your deductible is proposing you commit fraud with them.
- “Sign this emergency work authorization or we can’t help you” — legitimate restoration doesn’t require signature before inspection.
- “We’ll start work immediately if you give us a deposit” — restoration doesn’t require homeowner deposits; insurance pays mitigation.
- “Assignment of benefits” clause buried in paperwork — transfers your insurance rights to the contractor. Rare in Utah but shows up on predatory contracts.
- Price quoted before any inspection — impossible to legitimately quote without seeing the loss.
- No Utah address or UT license number on paperwork — check for license at secure.utah.gov/llv/.
- Pressure to decide today or lose a “special rate” — restoration isn’t discount-sensitive.
If you already signed something
- Review the contract for a 3-day right of rescission. Utah law + many contracts allow 3 business days to cancel for home-services contracts signed at your home. Written notice via certified mail stops the clock.
- Check for “Assignment of Benefits” language. If present, you may need to formally revoke it with your insurer.
- Contact the contractor in writing stating you’re cancelling. Email + certified letter.
- Call your insurance adjuster and tell them you’re changing contractors. They can hold payment to the first contractor.
- If the first contractor refuses to release or threatens, contact Utah DOPL (secure.utah.gov) + Utah Division of Consumer Protection.
- Document everything — every call, every email, every piece of paperwork.
How to switch to us mid-claim
Call (385) 247-9359. We can take over a claim from another contractor if authorization is properly withdrawn. Common scenario; we’ve done it before. Documentation gaps from the previous contractor make it harder but not impossible.
Four questions to ask on the first phone call — and what to listen for in the answer
You can tell more about a restoration company in a 90-second phone call than you can from any website. Ask these four questions on the first call — and listen for whether the answer is specific or evasive.
| Question to ask | Honest answer sounds like | Dishonest or evasive sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| “What’s your Utah general contractor license number?” | “It’s 960332-3505, you can look it up on the Utah DOPL site.” (Specific number, offered willingly) | “We’re fully licensed and insured.” (No number — follow up and ask again) |
| “How many W-2 technicians do you have on staff, not counting subcontractors?” | A specific small number (we have 4). The company telling you the real number is usually the one doing the actual work. | “We have a large team available.” (Vague — likely 1099 subs or no in-house techs) |
| “What’s your warranty in writing — years and transfer terms?” | “Two years transferable, 90 days on mold. I can email it to you now.” (Specific duration, concrete) | “100% satisfaction guaranteed.” (Slogan, not a warranty) |
| “Can you tell me honestly if you’re the right fit for my situation?” | “Based on what you’ve described, yes” or “Actually, I’d recommend you call X — this is more their specialty.” (Decisive, specific) | “We handle everything — we can definitely help.” (No one handles everything) |
Two more quick phone-call signals
- Who answered the phone? A live person at a company’s own office is a signal of the kind of operation it is. A call-center agent working for multiple restoration brands tells you something different. We use a 24/7 answering service after hours (so no voicemail) — and we’re honest that it’s an answering service, not our own staff.
- How specific was the arrival time? “We’ll be there as soon as possible” isn’t a time. A specific minute-window (“25-35 minutes from now”) and the dispatcher’s name is a signal that the operation is organized.
Ask us these four questions when you call — and ask the same four questions of whoever else you call. The answers will tell you more than any website review.
Online red flags: what to look for on a restoration company’s website before you call
Before you dial a restoration company at 2 AM, 30 seconds on their website can tell you a lot. Here are the specific online signals that separate real operations from brand-name fronts and lead-generation networks:
| Red flag | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| “Serving all of [state]” or 50+ cities listed as service areas | Lead-generation network, not a local operation. Real companies serve a radius; nobody serves 50 cities with the same crew. |
| No specific address on the website, just a city or state | No physical office, or it’s a UPS Store box; may not be a real local company |
| Phone number is a toll-free 800 that connects to a call center | Call-center arbitrage — you reach a dispatcher who sends your call to whichever contractor is nearest, not a specific company |
| Stock photos of crews, trucks, and “our team” | Reverse image search shows the same photos on dozens of other restoration sites. If the people aren’t real, the operation may not be either. |
| No license number anywhere visible | Either unlicensed or doesn’t want you to verify. Utah licensees are listed at Utah DOPL — look up the number before you hire. |
| Google Business Profile shows a residential address | Not disqualifying by itself (small businesses sometimes start from home) but combined with no office photos and no named owner, it’s a signal |
| Reviews all posted in a tight time window (e.g. 30 reviews in a single week) | Review-buying signature; organic review growth doesn’t cluster like that |
| Reviews from reviewers who have no other local reviews | Possible paid-review profiles; a real reviewer usually has other local reviews over months or years |
| Nearly identical review text across reviews | Templated or AI-generated reviews. Real reviews are inconsistent in length, format, and detail. |
| No specific technician names on the site, no “meet the team” with real photos | Nobody to be accountable; crew may be rotating subs |
| Website looks like a template you’ve seen before on other sites | Lead-generation template; many such sites feed back to the same owner across the country |
| No specific pricing, warranty text, or policy statements — just “call for a free quote” | Opaque business practices; real companies publish policies because they live by them |
Green flags to look for
- Named owner with photo
- Specific office address with Google-mapped location (satellite view confirms it’s a real building)
- Named technicians with specific IICRC certification numbers you can verify
- Named recent customers (first name + neighborhood is standard) in case studies — real jobs have context
- Written warranty terms, cancellation policy, privacy policy — not just “we love our customers”
- Reviews spread across months or years with realistic variance in content
- License number easy to find and verifiable on the state’s licensing database
Apply these filters to our site too. The checks that make our site hold up are the same ones that make another company’s site collapse.
Vetting a mold remediator — the fraud-prevention checklist
Mold remediation attracts a specific type of fly-by-night operator. The high emotional charge (“black mold!” “your family’s safety!”) plus specialized vocabulary makes it easier to oversell. Here’s how to screen out the fraudulent operators: