Provider profile
ServiceMaster Cleaning and Restoration by Cleaning Masters
Provider snapshot
What this listing says
Waterbury-area homeowners dealing with water damage or sewage backups who want a family-run ServiceMaster franchise where the owner, Jake Philibert, often shows up personally.
Best for
- Homeowners in Waterbury, Watertown, or Litchfield County who need water damage restored and want to work directly with the business owner.
- Insurance-driven claims where you want a company experienced at coordinating with adjusters and documenting damage for your carrier.
- Commercial property managers — schools, offices, retail — needing rapid-response flood or fire cleanup with minimal business disruption.
- Situations involving sewage backups or pipe failures where same-day response and demo work are critical.
- Homeowners who discover mold after water damage and want a single company to handle both the water mitigation and the mold remediation.
About this company
ServiceMaster Restore by Cleaning Masters is a family-owned ServiceMaster franchise based in Waterbury, Connecticut, run by Jacob and Terri Philibert. Jake handles operations; Terri manages marketing. Their address is in Watertown, and they cover a wide swath of western Connecticut from Danbury to Bristol to Torrington.
Mold is one of several services here, not their sole focus. They are primarily a water and fire damage restoration company that also handles mold inspection and remediation. Their website mentions working with nationally recognized testing facilities for mold inspection and lab analysis, and they hold IICRC certification in mold remediation. They list containment, negative air, and antimicrobial treatments as part of their mold process.
As a ServiceMaster franchise, they have access to the national brand's equipment, training programs, and insurance carrier relationships. The Philiberts appear to run a tight operation — reviews consistently mention the owner personally responding to calls, sometimes at night. One reviewer noted Jake arrived at 9pm and stayed until cleanup was done. The franchise model gives them scalable resources while the family ownership keeps it personal.
A 4.9-star rating across 75 Google reviews with zero recent negatives is unusually strong. Most of the reviews describe water damage and sewage situations rather than mold-specific work, which is worth noting if mold is your primary concern.
Services
Service area
Headquartered in Waterbury (office address in Watertown), Connecticut. They specifically name Bristol, Danbury, Torrington, Newtown, New Milford, Watertown, Milford, Naugatuck, Cheshire, and Wolcott as service areas. The website references Litchfield County broadly, and reviews confirm jobs across central and western Connecticut.
Review consensus
Jake Philibert draws the most praise across reviews, with dozens of customers naming him specifically for fast response, clear explanations of the restoration process, and a calm demeanor during stressful situations. Andrew is praised as a reliable project manager who communicates daily updates and leaves job sites clean. Kolbi (also spelled Colby) gets credit for responsive office communication and project coordination. Terri Philibert is mentioned for being accommodating and helping customers push back against insurance companies. Multiple reviewers describe the team arriving within an hour or two of the initial call, including evenings and weekends. Several note the company handled insurance documentation and adjuster communication directly.
0 found across 75 total reviews at 4.9★. No 1-star reviews found in the last 18 months. Across 75 total reviews at 4.9 stars, there are zero recent negatives to analyze. This is an unusually clean record for a restoration company.
The overwhelming majority of reviews describe water damage scenarios — basement floods, pipe bursts, sewage backups, water heater failures. Only a handful mention mold specifically, and even fewer mention fire or smoke work. This suggests the company's day-to-day volume skews heavily toward water mitigation. The family-run dynamic is a recurring theme: multiple reviewers compare the experience to having a family member help them, and one reviewer specifically praised it being a family-run business.
Jake Philibert (owner and operations manager — consistently praised across dozens of reviews for fast response, patience, clear communication, and hands-on involvement). Andrew (project manager — praised for daily updates, clean job sites, and attentive communication). Kolbi/Colby (office manager/project manager — praised for responsive scheduling and kind demeanor). Terri Philibert (owner and marketing manager — praised for accommodating customer needs and insurance advocacy). Dominique (team member — praised alongside Jake for service quality). Matthew T (crew member — praised for flood response work). Armando (team member — praised for empathy and kindness).
If you need water damage or sewage cleanup in the Waterbury area, this is a strong option — the owner shows up personally and the track record is nearly spotless. For mold-specific work, ask Jake directly about his mold remediation volume and get a separate testing opinion before committing to their remediation plan.
Keep in mind
- They do both mold testing and mold remediation. That is a conflict of interest — the company identifying the problem also profits from fixing it. Consider getting an independent mold assessment before they start remediation work.
- This is a restoration company, not a mold specialist. Most of their reviews describe water damage, fire cleanup, and sewage work. If you have a complex mold-only situation, ask specifically about their mold remediation experience and how many mold-specific jobs they handle per month.
- They claim to serve a broad area of Connecticut — Bristol, Danbury, Milford, Torrington, New Milford, and surrounding towns. If you are on the edge of that range, confirm response time expectations before booking.
- As a ServiceMaster franchise, local staff and quality can change over time even though the brand stays the same. The current reviews reflect the Philibert family's management.