It is no secret that most people prefer to work with and support local business vs a corporate giant. While every business has a place in our society, something about supporting a local company feels better. The question is why? Why would you not go to fast food franchise over a “ma and pop” burger shop? The answer is simple, community. The name, the brand, the people involved will aim their skills and their service out and around them because they are invested in the people around them. Investing in the community can be done in any line of work. You could be flipping burgers, selling office supplies, or preforming insurance restoration work. It’s the heart, the mindset, the character, and the values that the person brings to the table. That is the quality that people look for and craftsmen crave.
What distinguishes a local restoration company?
The difference in running a local restoration and a large corporation is the social proximity to the community the the value of a name. On one hand someone may know a brand because of their Super Bowl Ad. On the other hand, one may know us from painting your neighbors home as an act of community service. Physical location is not the difference. It is the difference between the business and acts of service, the shift in focus from “profit” to “people”. We focus our attention on our work so that we can improve and connect to the community around us. This allows us to do what we do best and expertly shape your project into your vision.
How Your Local Restoration team became Central Washington’s Premiere Restoration Contractor
Brice Baxter grew up in the construction industry with his Father. From day one he was learning how to frame walls, install roofing and everything in-between. After working for another local company, Brice decided to start his own handyman service. In June of 1995, Baxter Construction was born as a “One Man Handyman” Service. From there, the size of crew slowly grew from 1 to 10 people on staff. Alongside building additions and remodeling kitchens, the name Baxter had been gaining reputation for excellent work and genuine customer service.
Heath Sandal (General Manager) and Brice Baxter (President) holding the 2024 Chamber Business Award Nomination for Community Excellence
The addition of our Mitigation unit about 15 years ago was a game changer. Baxter Construction was not just “Remodeler of the Year”, we became the name that people throughout Central Washington called when the worst happened in their home. However, none of that could have happened without a highly trained and people oriented crew. We became the local restoration crew that did not just take care of your project, but a local restoration crew that treats you like our own family.
The Face of Local Restoration
Aim for perfection, accept excellence
Brice Baxter
Reputation and Standards
For almost 30 years, Baxter Construction has been a name associated with: Speed, Efficiency, Trustworthiness, Quality, Integrity, and Honesty. There is no way to buy that reputation. Rebuilding a home is easy, but it is much harder to rebuild a damaged reputation. The only way to keep that reputation is high standards and top tier customer service even when it is difficult to do. It takes time to find the right people to keep that consistent quality for Thirty years, but the results speak for themselves. Quality work can come from anyone, but it takes a special crew to provide the service and composure to allow you to feel secure in an intense and often terrifying situation.
Our crew is trained to put your needs and your safety first. We do that by showing you what we find in a fully transparent way. When we find something that may change the course of the project, we let you know so you can make fully informed decisions.
Communication
We had another company out here and they set equipment, but we have not heard from them in a week.
Our customer
Our emergency crew is IICRC certified. That means when we come to handle your potential insurance claim, we can expertly talk to your insurance provider and find the solutions that are best for you. When we isolate the issues, we are ready to act swiftly and stop the damage.
Most importantly, we do not “leave you in the dark” with the details and schedule of your project. You should be able to know everything about your home. As long as we are on your project, you can be sure to be receiving constant updates, scheduling details, and any other information related to your project as long as we are handling it.
Customer Service
There is a common belief that aligns words like: Dirty, uneducated, grimy, greedy with blue collar work. This thought goes towards all kinds of trades like: Plumbers, Electricians, Framers, Sanitation Engineers Restoration companies, and any other Trade. Unfortunately, some businesses in these fields prove those stereotypes true. Now the burden of proof is on us to prove this stigma wrong. How do we do this?
We care about your home. Whether a flood has soaked your old junk drawer, or a fire has scorched your grand piano, your property matters to us. We believe that you and your property deserves to be treated with respect. When we enter your home, or move your possessions, we treat them as our own, because that’s how we want to be treated. When you have questions ranging from scheduling to the smallest detail of the project, we do our best to keep you informed and keep you feeling respected while we do it.
One night at I got an emergency call. “Come quick, my ceiling is caving in.” I could hear the shake and panic in her voice and I responded, “I am on my way”. I was greeted at the door with someone who was scared and no clue on where to go.
There were streams of water soaking just about everything in her home office. Old newspapers, a computer, a rocking chair, about 300 puzzles on some bookshelves, and a small coffee table with a puzzle that was half finished. We got to work immediately.
After some time, I had to inform the customer that not everything was going to be salvageable, but we were able to save the coffee table and the puzzle she was working on. What happened next surprised me. Her tears started welling up. I started to apologize but she stopped me. “My husband passed away last year, and that was the only puzzle he did not get to finish. Thank you.”
Serving the Community
Community Out Reach Experience
First C.O.R.E. project, 2021
Anyone can say that they “invest in the community”, but actions speak louder than words. Our Community Out Reach Experience or C.O.R.E. is a task force that is powered by Baxter Construction LLC, and it is designed to take the combined: skills, experience, time, and capital of our team and other volunteers around the Yakima Valley and complete a project that benefits the community. Our first C.O.R.E. project revolved around fixing the landscape, and repainting a home in Downtown Yakima. The home was openly voted on by the community, and one family was chosen by their neighbors to have this project done at no cost to the family.
Supporting Local Law Enforcement
Baxter Construction Mitigation Team Sanitizing the Yakima Fire Department Station and Fleet
Baxter construction has always believed in supporting law enforcement and first responders. We often work hand in hand with first responders, and the relationship that we share allows us to help projects that many local restoration companies would not be able to handle. The biggest example of serving is cleaning and sanitizing state patrol, sheriff, and police cruisers when needed. During the Covid pandemic, we sanitized the: vehicles, offices, Fire Stations and their equipment. The Baxter Construction family has no shortage of Veterans, Law Enforcement, and other first responder connections. The best “thank you” we can give is, a sanitary workspace in an environment that can be extremely unsanitary. We do our best to protect them, while they protect our community.
The Baxter First Response Invitational
Baxter Family with Yakima County Sheriff and the K9 Foundation holding the first ever Donation Check for the Baxter First Response Invitational
As your local restoration company, we promote safety and our EMS service, First Responders are highly respected and valued at Baxter Construction. Not only do they keep people in our community safe, they put all of our health and safety above their own. This decision can take a heavy toll and we do our best to lighten that load. The Baxter First Response Invitational is a fundraiser that brings in businesses from all over to participate, and all of the proceeds go to programs that benefit First Responders in our community. The proceeds from the first event were given to the K9 Foundation based in Yakima.
Choose Local Restoration when the worst happens
Local is not just a location. Anyone can have a “local restoration near you”, “local restoration around me” etc. To us local is a mindset, an attitude, and a motivation. We do our best to serve you, because we are your neighbor. We aim for Perfection, because we are proud of our name and our work. We accept Excellence, because in your home, you should except nothing less. When you have an issue with: Wind, Fire, Water, or Mold damage, choose Baxter Construction Restoration and Cleaning. From puzzles to homes, we want to restore what you have lost. We are Central Washington’s Premiere Local Restoration Service.
Home Insurance Claims can save your bacon, but they can also cost you! There are a lot of misconceptions when it comes to home/business owners, their choice to purchase an insurance policy, and more importantly when to use it. If you are like the majority of home owners, a shiny or more preferably, a dusty old insurance policy is like a “get out of jail free card” when it comes to a loss in your home. However, in most cases this could not be further from the truth!
I have been paying insurance for Fifteen years. Why shouldn’t I make an Insurance claim now?
Every homeowner ever
Why Do You Have a Policy?
City water mainline broke and flooded a residential crawlspace with over 75000 gallons of water!
There is a big misconception amongst homeowners with what insurance is and when it is appropriate to make an Insurance claim. Your policy is there to protect you and your investments when things do not go as planned. An example of this would be a sudden break in a pipe leading to a water loss in your home. Another example would be if you’re cooking dinner and a grease fire sets your kitchen ablaze. Now if you take a step back, you may think, “this is exactly what I thought my policy was for already.” The key factor with deciding if it is a good idea to make a claim is the magnitude of the loss.
“Policy holders jump the gun when they see a puddle of water in their basement. They are eager to cash in on the policy that they pay for and hurt financially in the end.” – Over 20 different Agentshave actually told us this!
Improper window installation leads to wet floor, sheetrock, and insulation. This loss will likely lead to mold growth if left alone.
Not every tool should be used for every job. If you see somebody fixing your refrigerator with a hammer, you may need to ask them a few questions. Having a policy is an amazing tool for any homeowner, but it is not a “one size fits all” tool. If you make an insurance claim too quickly, you may find yourself in a worse situation down the road! Even small Insurance claims can add future costs to your premiums and in the worst cases can make you ineligible for renewing your policy! Now you have to shop for new insurance AND your home is still damaged and needing repairs!
When Should You File an Insurance Claim?
Floods are not just in Florida. Large residential water losses are far more common than you would expect.
There is no “cookie cutter” answer for when you should make a claim. However, most Insurance Agents will tell you, “not to make an insurance claim if the loss not at least 3-4 times the cost of your deductible.” Obviously, everyone has a different deductible cost as well as their unique financial situation, so sometimes that number could be hard to imagine. The safest bet would be to talk to your agent before making a decision to open a claim, they are the experts after all.
How Do You Decide if Your Loss is Worthy of an Insurance Claim?
Poorly insulated wires can cause major damage and can be a risk to your safety, especially in older homes.
Aside from your entire septic system filling your 3 story home, or being able to see your back yard through the charred remains of your living room, it can be hard to navigate between feelings and rational thought in the moment. How do wake up at 3am see your toilet overflowing and decide, “yeah, this is 3 times my deductible”? The answer is, most people can’t. Damages on the surface are normally just the beggining of the problems. The best way for you as a Policy Holder is to have a someone experienced and proficient in the field of emergency mitigation conduct a meticulous and thorough inspection.
Where Do You Find a Mitigation Expert?
Brice Baxter (Founder, CEO and IICRC Certified Master Water, Fire and Smoke Restorer) leading the weekly safety meeting
Finding a professional in the area can be challenging in a time of crisis. Not because due to a Lack of companies willing to do the work, but due to having to weed through all of your options, and picking the company that has your best interest in mind as well as being someone you trust. When you are looking for a company to work with you need to be looking for a few key aspects.
1. Response Time
When your home suffers a loss that requires mitigation work, time is your biggest enemy. With water damage, even a couple of hours can be the difference of multiple hundreds or even thousands of dollars. This means, finding someone that is willing and ready to get to you even when it is inconvenient.
2. Certification and Standards
Certification and Standards- The IICRC is the nationally recognized standard for mitigation training and they set the rule book for what your insurance adjuster is going to follow when it comes to handling your insurance claim. It is Imperative that who ever is working in your home is familiar with these: rules, guidlines, and standards covered in these certification courses. Without the proper training and Documentation, restoration costs can go up tremendously, and in most cases at the cost of the customer.
3. Customer Service-
When you are dealing with any size of loss in your own home, the last thing you need to worry about is Company XYZ coming into your home, tearing a wall down, leaving a mess, say goodbye, and send you a bill with no explanation. On top of that, you need to talk to your insurance, then try to explain to them what happened because Company XYZ did not bother to document the project. It is important for you to find the Mitigation team that will take care of you in your time of need. That means:
Taking extra steps to make sure that your home is clean and safe for you and your family.
Keeping clear channels of communication between Mitigation Techs and Homeowners.
Contacting the Adjuster in charge of your Insurance Claim, so that you can focus on the more important details of your fast paced life.
Giving the level of service and knowledge where you can trust the people working in your home.
4. Quality and Integrity-
When it comes to your home, safety, sanity and money, you do not want any second thoughts. No matter what size of project you have, you should never have any doubts about the people in your home, how they are going to treat your personal contents, wonder if it will be safe for you to be there, or have to question the final product. From the very first day, effective communication needs to be established. You should be greeted by a knowledgeable team that can efficiently walk you through the process, and answer any questions that you have. The final product should be satisfactory to You, the Team, and all other parties involved.
5. A Working Network of the Trades-
Believe it or not, not everyone will think of this when looking for a restoration company to help them. While Mitigation teams may be able to cover a wide variety tasks, at least one time in the project, they will probably need to look for help for problems outside of the scope of their skills or certifications. A quality business needs to have a network of trusted companies that will bring the same level of quality to your home that they themselves offer. This network would include, but is not limited to: Electricians, Plumbers, Abatement Companies, and Landscapers.
Where Do I Go From Here?
There are always options in your area when it comes to picking a Mitigation team. Generally insurance companies will give you a few options to choose from. The choice then is yours. When you are thinking of opening an Insurance claim, please consider all of the key factors! When you are waste deep in Water, Minutes can feel like hours and hours can feel like days. Pick the business that you feel most comfortable with, but always get an Inspection before opening a claim. Baxter Construction will inspect anywhere in Yakima County at no cost. Call and schedule today. You may save yourself thousands of dollars and keep your premiums from raising!
Prepared 24/7 to respond within minutes of your call.
Mitigate
We mitigate damage with industry-leading tools and experience.
Restore
Our certified professionals are skilled in restoring and protecting your property.
Testimonials
Kudos to all members of your crew that repaired the damage to my residence due to a break-in in May. Everyone obviously took pride in their work and did an excellent job all around. And they were all extremely pleasant to work with. I will not hesitate to recommend Baxter Construction in the future.
