SF
Scott G Frederick
Oct 4, 2026
Peterson's responded quickly when we had significant water in our finished basement following a power outage, and I appreciate the emergency extraction and drying work they performed.
Early in the process, I explained to Tim Peterson Jr. that Allstate had let us down by providing only $5,000 of water-backup coverage. Tim told me they would go to bat for me with Allstate, which I don't feel really happened. When it was later determined that all of the affected flooring and baseboards needed to be removed, my understanding from our conversation was that Peterson's charges might go “a little beyond my $5,000 coverage.”
As such, I was very disappointed when the final mitigation bill came to more than $13,000. This was for the mitigation work alone and did not include rebuilding the basement.
When I requested an explanation, I was told that Peterson's uses Xactimate to determine its pricing and that is what the program says. My concern wasn't primarily with Xactimate's rates, however. It was whether all of the quantities and services entered into Xactimate accurately reflected the work actually performed.
One example particularly bothered me. The estimate included a $974 charge to “clean floor” for approximately 1,709 square feet. Significant portions of our basement were never cleared or moved to allow those floors to be cleaned. I questioned that charge directly.
I also questioned the substantial demolition charges. Another contractor performed much of the flooring tear-out and subsequently told me he did not intend to charge Peterson's for that work because I had hired him to perform the reconstruction. When I raised this with Tim, he told me Peterson's would charge me for the demolition work regardless and that what the other contractor chose to charge Peterson's was not the contractor's call.
After I challenged the invoice, Peterson's ultimately provided a $500 credit, which I appreciated. I have since paid the final invoice in full. However, I remain uncomfortable with the overall billing and the explanations I received about some of the charges, as well as the connection to the contractor that did my repair work (although I am mostly satisfied with that work).
The emergency mitigation itself was helpful, but based on my experience with the final invoice and billing process, I was not pleased with the transparency or final cost. I would recommend that homeowners facing a similar situation consider multiple providers when circumstances allow, ask for a detailed written scope and pricing as early as possible, and carefully review the final itemized bill.