Provider profile
First Response Water and Mold Removal
Provider snapshot
What this listing says
Cape Coral and Fort Myers homeowners dealing with water emergencies who want an owner-operator with insurance adjusting experience to handle both the damage and the claims process.
Best for
- Cape Coral, Fort Myers, and Naples homeowners who need water damage or mold removal handled urgently, especially after-hours emergencies.
- Homeowners who want help navigating insurance claims from someone with adjusting experience, rather than hiring a separate public adjuster.
- Residents dealing with post-hurricane or storm-related water intrusion who need a single company to handle extraction, drying, and mold cleanup.
- Property owners who want an honest assessment before committing — multiple reviewers report Phelps told them they did not need services they expected to pay for.
About this company
First Response Water and Mold Removal is an owner-operated firm based in Cape Coral, Florida, run by Joshua Phelps. What sets them apart is Phelps's background: he is a lifelong Lee County resident with construction experience and a license as an insurance adjuster. That combination means he handles both the physical remediation and the insurance paperwork, which multiple reviewers specifically call out as a relief.
The company uses thermal imaging to locate hidden moisture behind walls and flooring before beginning work. Multiple reviewers mention this unprompted, which suggests it is standard practice rather than an upsell. They advertise a 30-minute emergency response time and 24/7 availability, and the review record backs this up — several customers describe middle-of-the-night pipe bursts where the crew showed up immediately. They hold IICRC, NORMI, RIA, and ISEI credentials.
Phelps grew up in Lee County and has spent over a decade in restoration work. Several reviewers describe him as someone who will tell you what you do not need rather than pushing unnecessary services. The company also operates as a preferred insurance vendor in Southwest Florida, which can simplify the claims process but is worth confirming with your specific carrier.
A perfect 5.0 rating across 68 Google reviews is unusual for any service company. Many of these reviewers are Local Guides with substantial review histories, which adds credibility. That said, 68 reviews is a moderate sample, and the absence of any negative feedback means there is no complaint data to learn from.
Services
Service area
Based in Cape Coral, Florida. Claims coverage from Marco Island north to Sarasota, spanning Lee, Collier, and Charlotte counties. Specific cities referenced in reviews include Cape Coral, Fort Myers, and Naples. The Marco Island to Sarasota range covers a large territory, so confirm response times for locations at the edges.
Review consensus
Josh Phelps is named in the vast majority of reviews. Customers repeatedly highlight three things: speed of response (multiple middle-of-the-night calls answered immediately), honest assessments (several reviewers say he told them they needed less work than expected), and clear communication throughout the process. Tiffani is praised for handling phone communication warmly and keeping customers informed. Ronnie Campbell is named for being caring and informative on-site. Jeremy and Bobby are noted for being hardworking during remediation. Multiple reviewers mention thermal imaging as a standout — the crew found hidden moisture they would not have discovered on their own. Insurance claim handling comes up repeatedly as a major stress reliever.
0 found across 68 total reviews at 5.0★. No negative reviews exist in the recent 18-month window. Across all 68 reviews, the company holds a perfect 5.0 rating with zero 1-star, 2-star, or 3-star reviews on record.
The review pattern suggests a small, owner-driven operation where Josh Phelps is personally involved in most jobs. This creates consistently strong experiences but raises a scaling question: as volume grows, whether the same personal attention holds is worth watching. Several reviews from Local Guides with high review counts (30-100+ reviews) give the same praise as newer accounts, which reduces the likelihood that the perfect score is artificially inflated.
Josh / Joshua Phelps (owner — consistently positive across nearly every review for responsiveness, honesty, and knowledge). Tiffani (office / communications — positive for being kind, helpful, and keeping customers informed). Ronnie Campbell (field team — positive for being caring, informative, and honest). Jeremy (field team — positive for being hardworking and explaining the process). Bobby (field team — positive for being hardworking).
Ask for Josh by name and confirm he will be involved in your project. If you want independent validation of a mold problem before committing to remediation, get a separate inspection first since First Response does both testing and removal. For water emergencies, the review record strongly supports their claim of fast after-hours response.
Keep in mind
- First Response does both mold inspection and mold remediation. This creates a conflict of interest: the same company diagnosing the problem also profits from fixing it. Ask whether they will accept a third-party inspection report or recommend an independent testing firm.
- Their claimed service area stretches from Marco Island to Sarasota, which covers roughly 150 miles of coastline. Response times may vary significantly at the edges of that range. Confirm travel charges and availability for your specific location.
- With 68 reviews and a 5.0 rating, there are no negative reviews to learn from. This is a positive signal, but it also means you cannot research what goes wrong when it does. Ask for references from jobs similar to yours.
- The company is owner-operated, which means Josh is personally involved. If your project overlaps with a busy season (hurricane aftermath, for example), ask whether Josh or another crew lead will be on-site for your job.