“I Need to Call My Insurance First”: Handling the Top 5 Restoration Objections
TL;DR: Key Takeaways
| The Objection | The Core Strategy |
|---|---|
| “I need to call my insurance first.” | Reframe the conversation around their “Duty to Mitigate” damage, which their policy requires. |
| “Can you give me a price over the phone?” | Position an on-site inspection as a professional requirement for an honest and accurate estimate. |
| “I need to get more estimates.” | Acknowledge their prudence, but pivot to the high cost of waiting in an emergency situation. |
| “Can’t I just dry it myself?” | Educate them on the “science of drying” and the risks of secondary damage and mold that only professional equipment can prevent. |
| “The other company quoted a lower price.” | Avoid attacking the competitor; instead, build value in your comprehensive, certified process and question what the lower price leaves out. |
You’ve navigated the first five minutes of the call perfectly. The customer is on board, you’ve dispatched a tech, and you’ve arrived on site. Then, they hit you with it: the objection.
What you say next determines whether you book a profitable job or walk away empty-handed after wasting time and fuel.
This is your playbook for handling the most common objections restoration contractors face. It’s not about high-pressure sales; it’s about confidently educating a distressed homeowner and guiding them to the right decision. This is how you help home service businesses like yours turn a “maybe” into a signed contract.
Red Flag #1: High-Pressure “Sign Here Now” Tactics
A homeowner with a flooded basement is under immense stress. The last thing they want is a salesperson pushing them into a corner.
Phrases like “You have to sign this now before we can start” or “This price is only good for the next hour” are instant trust-killers. It frames you as an opportunist, not an expert helper.
The Green Flag: Replace pressure with professional guidance. “Here is our standard work authorization. It allows us to get started with the emergency water removal to protect your property. Please take a moment to review it while I set up my initial moisture readings.”
Red Flag #2: Vague Pricing & “Phone Quotes”
Giving a price without a thorough, on-site inspection is one of the biggest marks of an amateur. It tells the customer you don’t have a professional process.
It’s a trap that forces you to either underbid and lose money or surprise the customer with a higher final bill, leading to a bad review. This is a core part of the professionalism required for high-stakes jobs.
Red Flag #3: No Proof of Credentials
Every homeowner has heard horror stories of unlicensed contractors. When they ask, “Are you insured?” or “Are you certified?” you need an immediate and confident “Yes.”
Your technicians should be trained to proudly show their IICRC certification card or have proof of insurance readily available on a tablet. Fumbling for this information signals that you might have something to hide.
Red Flag #4: Unprofessional Appearance
The moment your van pulls up, the customer is judging you. A dirty, disorganized truck and a technician in a wrinkled, stained t-shirt do not inspire confidence.
A clean, branded vehicle and a professional, uniformed technician instantly communicate competence and respect for the customer’s property before a single word is spoken.
Make sure to check out our Decoding Your Water Damage Insurance Claim: A Step-by-Step Guide for HomeownersP.S. Building trust is the ultimate sales hack. By eliminating these red flags, your team will naturally close more jobs at higher margins because you’ll be the obvious, professional choice.
Frequently Asked Questions About Sales Objections
What is the most common objection in restoration sales?
The most common objection is “I need to call my insurance agent first.” The best way to handle this is to agree with them but educate them on their policy’s “Duty to Mitigate,” explaining that taking immediate action to stop further damage is required and will help, not hurt, their claim. Real Time Lead Gen focuses on leads so urgent that this conversation becomes easier.
How do you handle price objections in an emergency?
You handle price objections by shifting the focus from the repair cost to the cost of waiting. Explain that in a water damage emergency, delays lead to more extensive damage (like mold), which is far more expensive to fix. Reassure them that you use industry-standard pricing software that is accepted by insurance companies, and focus on getting the immediate problem solved.
What is the “Duty to Mitigate”?
The “Duty to Mitigate” is a provision in virtually every property insurance policy that requires the policyholder to take reasonable steps to prevent additional damage after a loss has occurred. For water damage, this means removing standing water and starting the drying process as soon as possible to prevent mold and structural issues.
Should I ever give a restoration price over the phone?
No, you should avoid giving a firm price or “guesstimate” over the phone for water mitigation. The true scope of damage is impossible to know without a professional on-site inspection using moisture meters. Providing a phone quote is unprofessional and often leads to disputes with the customer later when the actual cost is different.
150 E 10th St
Bloomsburg, PA 17815
(570) 634-5885
justin@realtimeleadgen.com
Justin Hess, Founder & Google Alchemist
