Provider profile
American Response Team
Provider snapshot
What this listing says
San Diego County homeowners facing water damage from pipe leaks or appliance failures who want one company to handle mitigation, mold removal, and reconstruction without hiring separate trades.
Best for
- Vista and North San Diego County homeowners dealing with water damage from pipe leaks, water heater failures, or appliance floods who want mitigation through reconstruction handled by one company.
- Homeowners who need insurance claim support and want a company that uses Xactimate billing and works as a Contractor Connection preferred vendor.
- Property owners in older Vista homes near Downtown who may need asbestos or lead paint handling alongside water or mold remediation.
- Commercial property managers who need fast water damage response with minimal disruption to business operations, as confirmed by a reviewer whose bank had four separate water events handled by the same crew.
About this company
American Response Team is a water damage and mold restoration company based in Vista, CA, serving San Diego County and parts of Riverside County. Their Google category is water damage restoration, and that matches the bulk of their review activity: most customers call after pipe leaks, water heater failures, or appliance floods. Mold work is a secondary line, handled as part of the water damage chain rather than as a standalone service.
What stands out is the end-to-end model. They handle emergency water extraction, structural drying, mold remediation, and full reconstruction under one roof. The rebuild work runs through Monster Construction, their in-house reconstruction arm. Their website describes HEPA filtration, antimicrobial treatments, and air scrubbers for mold work, and EPA-approved methods. They hold IICRC certifications including WRT, AMRT, and FSRT. They also handle asbestos and lead paint abatement, which matters in Vista's older housing stock near Downtown.
The company is a franchise operation, with a separate franchise website at americanresponseteamfranchise.com. They are Contractor Connection approved and use Xactimate billing, which means they speak the same estimating language as insurance adjusters. Multiple reviewers confirm they handled insurance coordination directly. They hold a BBB A+ rating and HomeAdvisor Elite status.
A 5.0-star Google rating across 224 reviews is exceptional. That volume with a perfect score means zero public negatives outside of one disputed 1-star review. The positive reviews consistently name the same staff members and describe the same strengths: fast response, clear communication, and follow-through from first call to final paint.
Services
Service area
Based in Vista, CA (640 E Vista Way, Suite D) serving San Diego County. The website lists dedicated pages for Carlsbad, Coronado, Del Mar, El Cajon, Encinitas, Escondido, La Jolla, National City, Oceanside, Poway, San Diego, San Marcos, and Santee. At least one reviewer confirmed service in Riverside County. The website describes the company as serving Southern California broadly, but the review evidence is concentrated in San Diego County and North County cities.
Review consensus
Felipe Gayosso dominates the review record. Dozens of reviewers name him specifically for same-day or same-night arrivals, clear explanations of the drying process, daily check-ins on equipment, and coordination with plumbers and insurance adjusters. Katherine Steinberg noted Felipe found hidden moisture that two previous technicians missed. Bruce Meth said John and David evaluated his kitchen without pushing for unnecessary work. Christian Carmona is the second most-named staffer, praised by Jeanene Rippel for handling four separate water events at her bank with respect for business hours. Moises Cibrian and Jesus draw praise for reconstruction quality, with Rob Veuger crediting them for managing a rebuild through multiple insurance adjustments. Jimmy and Tony are named for honest inspections where they advised homeowners to handle minor issues themselves rather than hiring the company.
1 found across 224 total reviews at 5.0★. One reviewer, Jaxx Bennett, posted a 1-star review in January 2025 describing poor communication, being ignored, and getting vague answers throughout the process. The owner responded the same day stating they have no record of anyone with that name in their system, no complaints logged by their manager, and no response to their attempts to contact the reviewer through Google. The reviewer has only 2 total Google reviews and is not a Local Guide. The complaint received zero likes.
The review record is structurally unusual: 224 reviews at a perfect 5.0 with only one disputed negative. The praised staff names are consistent across time, with Felipe appearing in reviews spanning over a year. This suggests stable staffing with a small, consistent field team rather than high turnover. The one negative review's legitimacy is questionable given the owner's inability to identify the customer, but it cannot be dismissed entirely. Several reviewers are repeat customers (Sam Spiegel, Kelly Rohrbach, Kaushik Misra), which is a strong loyalty signal.
Felipe Gayosso (field lead / primary contact -- positive, named in 30+ reviews for fast response, clear communication, daily equipment checks, and finding hidden moisture). Christian Carmona (field lead -- positive, named for water mitigation, commercial work, and after-hours availability). Moises Cibrian (Operations Manager -- positive, named for coordinating repairs and reconstruction oversight). Jesus (reconstruction crew -- positive, named alongside Moises for rebuild quality and customer service). Jimmy (field technician -- positive, named for honest inspections and advising against unnecessary work). Tony (field technician -- positive, named alongside Jimmy for knowledgeable assessments). Julian (field technician -- positive, named for attention to detail). Jose (field technician -- positive, named for water damage mitigation). Arturo Meza (Project Coordinator -- positive, named by one reviewer for resolving insurance and communication issues). John (field technician -- positive, named for same-day evaluation without pressure). David (field technician -- positive, named alongside John for honest assessment).
Ask for Felipe if you need water damage response. He is the most consistently praised name in the review record and multiple customers describe him arriving the same day or evening. For reconstruction, Moises and Jesus handle the rebuild side. If your job involves insurance, confirm upfront that they will handle Xactimate documentation and adjuster communication directly. Get an independent mold test before agreeing to mold remediation since they do both testing and removal.
Keep in mind
- They do both mold inspection and mold remediation. The same company identifying your mold problem is the one billing to fix it. Get an independent mold test before committing to remediation work.
- The franchise model means your experience depends on this specific location's team. The franchise website suggests expansion plans, so staffing and management could shift over time.
- Nearly all review activity describes water damage work. Mold remediation as a standalone service gets very little independent review data. If you need mold-only work without a water damage trigger, you have less third-party evidence to evaluate.
- The service area extends into Riverside County. One reviewer confirmed Felipe drove out to Riverside County for a 9 PM call, but confirm response times for locations outside San Diego County before booking.
- Their website makes broad claims about response times and capabilities. The reviews back up the speed claims convincingly, but the site also uses heavy SEO-driven location pages for every city in the county.