1-800-Water Damage Wins Franchise Times’ Zor Award

TACOMA, WA. — March 1, 2023 — 1-800 Water Damage, a franchise specializing in disaster restoration services such as water, fire, and storm cleanup, has been named the top franchise to buy in the Franchise Times’ Zor Awards. The franchise has shown a strong pace of growth, increasing from 97 to 154 locations between 2019 and 2021. The company’s Item 19 provides prospective owners with a solid look at financial performance, and its fees are comparable to those of other concepts. The backing of its parent company, Belfor Franchise Group, which owns several other home service concepts including Chem-Dry, Hoodz, and The Patch Boys, has contributed to the brand’s success.

Franchisee Joanne Sandberg operates 1-800 Water Damage in three Washington state markets and has experience in another Belfor brand, which she says is a major help. Similarly, franchisee Kevin Krull, who owns two locations and intends to purchase a third in the future, cites the support provided to owners as a significant advantage. He notes that the company’s connections to Belfor are tremendous and that they help and coach franchisees to run the company they want to run, with different paths to achieve personal and minimum goals.

Sandberg and her family have operated Chem-Dry carpet cleaning franchises for nearly 30 years and have expanded to include 1-800 Water Damage. She notes that the 1-800 Water Damage name alone is a significant advantage. Krull, who was previously a plumbing apprentice and owned a lawn care company and a junk removal business, says that joining the franchise streamlined many things for him and reduced trial and error.

Krull and Sandberg both cited the need for labor as a significant challenge in their operations. Despite this, they plan to continue with the brand for the long term due to the excellent support and training they receive, as well as the insurance carriers’ familiarity with the brand.