Provider profile
Rainbow Restoration of Deerwood FL
Provider snapshot
What this listing says
Jacksonville homeowners and landlords dealing with water damage or mold who want an owner-operated franchise with same-day response and direct insurance coordination.
Best for
- Jacksonville, St. Johns, and Clay County homeowners who need water damage dried and monitored before mold sets in.
- Landlords and property managers who want one company to handle water extraction, drying, and mold remediation across multiple rental units.
- Homeowners navigating insurance claims — Rick works directly with adjusters and uses documentation systems that match carrier expectations.
- Weekend and after-hours emergencies where you need someone on-site the same day, not three days later.
- Small commercial properties in Northeast Florida that need restoration work without disrupting business operations.
About this company
Rainbow Restoration of Deerwood operates out of Jacksonville's University Boulevard corridor and covers four Northeast Florida counties: Duval, St. Johns, Clay, and Nassau. Owner Rick Makanji runs the local franchise under the Neighborly network, a national restoration brand established in 1981. The operation handles water damage, fire and smoke cleanup, and mold remediation for both residential and commercial properties.
The mold work follows a five-step sequence: moisture detection with infrared cameras and meters, physical containment with HEPA filtration, removal using antimicrobial agents, air scrubbing, then structural repair. The website claims post-remediation clearance testing through a third-party, though it also offers its own mold inspection — a dual role worth questioning. For water damage, the team classifies the water category (clean, gray, or black), extracts with industrial pumps, then sets up commercial dehumidifiers and air movers with daily humidity monitoring. They hold IICRC credentials in water restoration, applied structural drying, applied microbial remediation, fire and smoke restoration, and odor control.
Rick appears to personally handle most inspections and customer communication. Multiple reviewers describe him showing up the same day — including weekends — and walking them through the damage assessment before any work starts. The operation also serves commercial clients; reviews mention a tax preparation office and rental property management companies.
A perfect 5.0 rating across 38 Google reviews is unusual for any service company. The volume is modest, but every single review is five stars, with many from Local Guides who have extensive review histories. That consistency points to a small operation where the owner controls quality directly.
Services
Service area
Headquartered on University Boulevard West in Jacksonville, FL. Covers four Northeast Florida counties: Duval, St. Johns, Clay, and Nassau. Named communities include Mandarin, Nocatee, Ponte Vedra, Neptune Beach, Atlantic Beach, and Jacksonville Beach. The four-county footprint is broad for a small team — confirm response times for locations outside central Jacksonville.
Review consensus
Rick Makanji dominates the reviews — at least 20 of 38 mention him by name. Reviewers consistently highlight three things: he shows up the same day (Kate got a Saturday afternoon visit, Scott Cates and Brad Berdon both describe immediate response), he does not pressure customers into unnecessary work (Jimmy McAllister says Rick "solved a situation for hundreds that others would have charged thousands"), and he communicates clearly throughout the process. Insurance coordination comes up repeatedly — Brandon Knight credits Rick with keeping him informed and connected to his insurer. Victor receives praise from Derek Jansen and Visionarie for water damage mitigation work, described as thorough and communicative about scheduling. Several reviewers are industry peers: Brad Berdon (water softener installer) and Sean M. Davis both describe referring clients to Rick, which signals trade-level trust.
0 found across 38 total reviews at 5.0★. None found. All 38 reviews are five stars. There are no one-star, two-star, or three-star reviews in the dataset.
The absence of any negative feedback across three years of reviews is worth noting on its own. Two possible explanations: the small team size means Rick personally manages nearly every job, which keeps quality consistent but also limits volume. Alternatively, the review count is low enough (38) that statistical absence of negatives does not rule out occasional dissatisfied customers who simply did not post. Several reviews also appear clustered around the same dates (three reviews on 2025-05-06 from zero-review accounts, multiple reviews on 2023-09-04 through 2023-09-07), which could reflect review solicitation campaigns — common and not inherently problematic, but worth noting.
Rick Makanji (owner/operator — positive across 20+ reviews, praised for honesty, same-day response, insurance help, and hands-on involvement). Victor (technician — positive in 2 reviews from Derek Jansen and Visionarie, praised for water damage mitigation and scheduling communication).
Rick Makanji runs a tight, small operation where the owner is on most jobs — that is the core value proposition. If you reach Rick directly, you will likely get fast, honest assessments. Ask about third-party mold testing to address the conflict of interest, and confirm response times if your property is outside central Jacksonville.
Keep in mind
- Rainbow offers both mold testing and mold remediation. A company that finds the mold and then gets paid to remove it has a financial incentive to find more. Ask whether they use an independent third-party inspector for pre-remediation testing, or request your own.
- This is a franchise under the Neighborly brand, not a fully independent local company. Franchise standards can be a strength (insurance documentation systems, training), but pricing and policies may follow corporate structure.
- The four-county service area (Duval, St. Johns, Clay, Nassau) is broad for what appears to be a small team. Response times to the outer edges — Nocatee, Ponte Vedra, Nassau County — may differ from central Jacksonville.
- With only 38 total reviews and zero negatives, there is limited data to assess how this company handles things when work goes wrong. A perfect record is encouraging but not the same as a tested track record at scale.