Provider profile
Advanced Drying Systems LLC
Provider snapshot
What this listing says
Tampa-area homeowners dealing with insurance-routed water damage who want a non-franchise operation with 70-plus full-time employees and statewide Florida coverage.
Best for
- Homeowners in the Tampa Bay area whose insurance company is routing them to a water damage provider and who want a single company to handle mitigation through remediation.
- Commercial property managers in Florida needing a non-franchise operation with statewide reach and insurance vendor program integration.
- Louisiana property owners in the Baton Rouge-to-New Orleans corridor dealing with water damage and wanting a company that will drive from its Florida base.
- Buyers who want daily moisture monitoring and photo documentation they can share with their adjuster without having to manage the communication themselves.
About this company
Advanced Drying Systems is a Tampa-based restoration company that handles both water mitigation and mold remediation across Florida and Louisiana. They are not a franchise. All 70-plus technicians are full-time salaried employees, which means you get the same crew standards whether the job is in Tampa, Jacksonville, or Metairie.
Their insurance infrastructure is unusually built out. They use Xactimate and Symbility for invoicing, work through vendor programs like Sedgwick and Contractor Connection, and send 24-hour status reports to adjusters. Most of their jobs come through insurance referrals, and their process is designed around that pipeline: tech dispatched within an hour, daily moisture readings, photo documentation at every stage. For mold work, they bring in outside partners for post-remediation verification rather than self-clearing.
The company claims 16-plus years in the water damage space. Their IICRC-credentialed technicians handle everything from toilet overflows to slab leaks to full mold remediation with containment and antimicrobial treatment. They also offer sanitization services and emergency tarping.
A 4.9-star rating across 517 Google reviews is unusually strong for a company this size. Most restoration companies working at this volume through insurance channels carry more friction in their ratings. The consistency here points to a real operational system, not just a few good techs.
Services
Service area
Headquartered in Tampa, Florida at 12094 Anderson Road. ADS claims statewide coverage across Florida and Louisiana, with technicians dispatched from regional locations. Reviews confirm jobs in the Tampa Bay area, Holly Hill, Metairie (Louisiana), and Lafayette (Louisiana). Response times outside the Tampa metro may vary.
Review consensus
Diego appears in more reviews than any other tech, praised for clear communication, daily check-ins, and diligent remediation work. Juan is the most-mentioned water mitigation tech, with reviewers noting his willingness to explain moisture readings and reposition equipment as conditions change. Jacob draws praise for mold remediation and pre-job advisory. Armando is singled out for meticulous drywall removal and cleanup. Bill and Marcos are praised as a team for prompt, clean restoration work. George is noted for daily monitoring visits and clear explanations over multi-week jobs. Multiple reviewers mention same-day or next-day response, often on evenings and weekends. The pattern across positive reviews is consistent: techs explain the process, show up on time, and communicate proactively.
5 found across 517 total reviews at 4.9★. Janette Natal praised her tech Diego Carvajal but gave one star because the company collected insurance payment for work that remained unfinished four months later, with no communication about next steps. The owner response acknowledged the tech praise but did not address the unfinished work at all. Miss Holly Wood described a billing dispute where she was told ADS would bill insurance directly with nothing out of pocket, then received a $1,200 invoice for demo work she says was subcontracted and poorly executed, plus over $5,000 billed for machine placement. ADS later placed a lien on her property. The owner response was legalistic, describing the lien as standard procedure. Pj Sanzone reported that equipment generated extreme heat that damaged appliances, a crystal lamp was broken and only prorated, and cleanup was incomplete. The owner response directed her to email claims@adsdry.com without specifics. Adam Salum said the tech used only an infrared gun, declared walls dry, and dismissed visible water damage. No owner response. One additional one-star review had no text.
Three of the four detailed complaints involve the gap between what the field tech does and what the office or billing side delivers. Reviewers consistently praise individual technicians while criticizing the company's follow-through on billing, subcontractor quality, and post-job communication. This is a common pattern in insurance-routed restoration: the tech is the face of the company, but the disputes happen at the administrative layer the customer never chose. Owner response quality is inconsistent: one response ignored the core complaint entirely, one was detailed but legalistic, and one was a template redirect to email.
Diego (technician — praised repeatedly for communication, daily check-ins, and remediation quality). Diego Carvajal (technician — praised by name even in a one-star review for his personal service). Juan / Juan Valentin (technician — praised across many reviews for water mitigation, moisture monitoring, and explaining the process). Jacob / Jacob Varney (technician — praised for mold remediation, pre-job communication, and responsiveness). Armando / Armando Mirabal (technician — praised for meticulous drywall removal and cleanup). George (technician — praised for daily monitoring and clear explanations). Bill (technician — praised for prompt, personable restoration work). Marcos / Marco (technician — praised for clean restoration work and patience). Justin / Justin Steele (technician — praised for prompt response and respectful care). Nick / Nicholas Valliere (technician — praised for efficiency and professionalism). Taylor / Tayler (technician — praised for reliability and on-time arrival). Dustin (technician — praised for patience and going the extra mile). Josh (technician — praised for mold-related knowledge). Mark (technician — praised for water mitigation work). Angel (technician — praised for attentiveness). Andrew (technician — praised for knowledge and courtesy). Shaun (technician — praised for communication and positivity). Steve Sapienza (technician — praised for responsiveness and care). Dan (technician — praised for explaining the process). Jeff (technician — praised for courtesy). Cory (technician — praised for driving long distance and thoroughness). Dylan (technician — praised for responsiveness and clarity). Ian (technician — praised for professionalism). Chris (technician — praised for going above and beyond). Brandy Varney (office staff — praised for timely payment processing).
The field technicians are the strength here, and reviews make clear that asking for Diego, Juan, or Jacob by name is worth trying. The risk sits in the billing and administrative layer: confirm in writing what you owe, whether demo will be done by ADS employees or subcontractors, and what happens if insurance does not cover the full amount. If a dispute arises, push for written resolution rather than accepting a phone-call redirect.
Keep in mind
- ADS does both mold testing and mold remediation. That means the same company identifying the problem also gets paid to fix it. Ask whether they use an independent third party for pre- and post-remediation testing, or request your own.
- Most of their work comes through insurance referrals, and several negative reviews describe billing surprises where the homeowner expected zero out-of-pocket cost but later received invoices or even a lien. Clarify your financial responsibility before any demo or remediation work begins.
- At least one reviewer reported that ADS subcontracted demolition to an outside crew found on Angie's List, with poor results. Ask whether your specific job will be handled entirely by ADS employees or subcontractors.
- Owner responses to negative reviews vary: some address the complaint with specifics, others redirect to an email address without engaging. If you have a dispute, get resolution commitments in writing rather than relying on verbal follow-up.
- They claim statewide Florida and Louisiana coverage, but technicians are dispatched from regional locations. Confirm response time for your specific area before assuming the one-hour arrival window applies to you.