Provider profile
Big Wave Restoration
Provider snapshot
What this listing says
Tampa Bay homeowners dealing with water damage or mold after a leak or storm who want a family-owned crew that handles insurance coordination and shows up within the hour.
Best for
- Tampa Bay homeowners who need same-day emergency water extraction after a pipe burst, appliance failure, or storm flooding.
- Property owners who want one company to handle the full cycle from water mitigation through mold remediation to reconstruction, without coordinating multiple contractors.
- Homeowners unfamiliar with the insurance claims process who need a restoration company that will communicate directly with their adjuster.
- Condo owners dealing with water damage from neighboring units, where multiple insurance companies are involved.
- Commercial property owners in the greater Tampa area who need after-hours emergency response.
About this company
Big Wave Restoration is a family-owned restoration company in Tampa, Florida, founded in 2019 by Paul Pfleiderer and Adam Brown. Both spent nearly a decade at another restoration company before starting their own. They handle water damage, fire and smoke damage, mold remediation, storm damage, biohazard cleanup, and full reconstruction. They hold Florida licenses CBC1264624, MRSR3722, and MRSA3562.
What stands out is the owner involvement. Paul personally answers calls at 2am, shows up on-site, and walks homeowners through insurance claims. Multiple reviewers describe him guiding them through the adjuster process and fighting for coverage on their behalf. The company also does its own mold testing and air quality sampling, sending samples to a lab for analysis. They claim on-site arrival within 60 minutes for emergencies and offer 24/7 service.
The company has grown from its founding to a third office location in under five years, adding ten employees plus subcontractor crews. They serve both residential and commercial properties across the Tampa Bay region, including Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Manatee, Sarasota, and Polk counties.
A perfect 5.0 rating across 362 Google reviews is unusual for any restoration company, let alone one handling hundreds of emergency jobs. The volume and consistency suggest the service matches the rating. Reviews span water heater failures, burst pipes, hurricane aftermath, kitchen fires, and mold discovery, and the praise is consistent across all of them.
Services
Service area
Headquartered in Tampa, Florida at 6702 Benjamin Rd Suite 300. Serves the greater Tampa Bay area including Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Manatee, Sarasota, and Polk counties. Specific cities listed include Tampa, Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Plant City, Brandon, Riverview, Land O'Lakes, Wesley Chapel, New Port Richey, Largo, Dunedin, and about 40 other communities across the region.
Review consensus
Paul Pfleiderer, the co-owner, is named in the majority of reviews. Customers consistently praise his personal involvement: answering calls at all hours, arriving on-site quickly, explaining the damage assessment, and handling insurance communication directly. Mike Thompson gets specific praise for mold work, with one reviewer noting he documented every step and communicated findings clearly. Jim is recognized as a project manager who walks clients through the restoration timeline. Trip, Felipe, Nick, Beth, Craig, and Rob each receive individual mentions for friendliness and daily check-ins during drying periods. Several reviewers describe the company arriving within 20-60 minutes of the first call, including weekends and holidays. Insurance coordination is the second most common praise theme after speed.
0 found across 362 total reviews at 5.0★. No 1-star reviews found in the last 18 months. With 362 total reviews at 5.0 stars, there are no recent complaint patterns to analyze.
The absence of any recent negative reviews across 362 total is itself notable. The review base is diverse: a mix of Local Guides and first-time reviewers, spanning water damage, fire, mold, and storm jobs over multiple years. The consistency suggests genuine operational quality rather than review management, though no company serving hundreds of emergency customers is complaint-free forever.
Paul Pfleiderer (co-owner/founder — positive, named in majority of reviews for personal involvement, after-hours response, and insurance guidance). Adam Brown (co-owner/founder — positive, praised for hands-on work and professionalism). Mike Thompson (mold/water damage — positive, praised for detailed documentation and clear communication). Jim (project manager — positive, praised for daily oversight and walking clients through the process). Trip/Tripp (field technician — positive, praised for friendliness and explaining water damage). Felipe (field technician — positive, praised for friendliness and responsiveness). Nick (field technician — positive, praised for daily check-ins and professionalism). Beth (team member — positive, praised for making the process easy). Craig (field technician — positive, praised for daily floor checks). Rob (field technician — positive, praised for quality service in Davenport area). Chip (team member — positive, mentioned alongside Jim for attention to detail). Kim (team member — positive, mentioned for hurricane restoration work). Marcio (team member — positive, mentioned for quality restoration work).
Ask for Paul or Mike by name when you call. Paul handles the insurance side and will likely be your first point of contact; Mike is the go-to for mold-specific concerns. Get an independent mold test if Big Wave recommends remediation after their own testing, since they do both and that is a structural conflict of interest.
Keep in mind
- They do both mold testing and mold remediation. That creates a financial incentive to find mold and then sell the remediation. Consider getting an independent mold test before committing to their remediation services.
- Their service area covers six counties across the Tampa Bay region. If you are on the outer edges (Polk, Sarasota, Manatee), confirm their 60-minute response time applies to your location.
- The company uses subcontractor crews alongside their own employees. Ask whether your job will be handled by in-house staff or subs, and whether the same crew will be on-site throughout.
- A perfect 5.0 across 362 reviews with no recent negatives is rare. It could reflect genuinely excellent service, but also consider that some dissatisfied customers may not leave reviews. Ask for references from jobs similar to yours.