Provider profile
Florida Fire & Flood
Provider snapshot
What this listing says
Lake County and greater Orlando homeowners dealing with water damage or mold after a plumbing failure or hurricane, who want one company to handle mitigation through reconstruction.
Best for
- Lake County, Orlando, and The Villages homeowners who need water damage or mold remediation and want one company from dryout through reconstruction
- Hurricane damage situations where you need 24/7 emergency response and temporary weatherproofing with tarps and boards
- Insurance claim projects where you want the restoration company to handle carrier communication and Xactimate-based documentation
- Commercial property managers across Central Florida who need a single point of contact for multi-phase restoration
- Homeowners who discovered mold after a slow leak and need both remediation and the resulting drywall, flooring, or cabinet rebuild
About this company
Florida Fire & Flood is a family-owned restoration company headquartered in Tavares, FL, operating across Lake, Orange, Sumter, and Marion counties. They also operate under the name Time Machine Florida Fire Flood and run an Orlando branch office managed by DeeDee Burnette. Their primary identity is full-service restoration: they handle water damage, fire damage, mold remediation, storm cleanup, and reconstruction under one roof. They hold IICRC certifications in water damage restoration (WRT), mold remediation (AMRT), fire and smoke restoration (FSRT), and odor control (OCT). They carry a Florida contractor license (CBC1264426), which means they can do their own rebuild work rather than subcontracting it.
What stands out is the single-company pipeline. They take a job from emergency mitigation through dryout, remediation, and full reconstruction. Multiple reviewers confirm this: Sebastian and Bobby handled mold remediation, then Brian and Hunter came back for the rebuild. They use moisture meters and thermal imaging for water damage assessment and employ truck-mounted extraction equipment. They also handle duct cleaning, roofing, and sewage cleanup. They donate a portion of every job to Florida Wildlife causes.
The team claims 45-plus years of combined industry experience, though the company itself has been operating for roughly three years. They run 24/7 emergency response and work directly with insurance carriers, using Xactimate estimating software for pricing. Their service area page lists locations from Tampa to Daytona Beach and Palm Coast, a geographic span that stretches well beyond their Lake County home base.
4.8 stars across 116 Google reviews is a strong rating for a restoration company, especially one handling the volume of post-hurricane work that Central Florida generates. The positive reviews are spread across many different staff members, suggesting consistent quality across crews rather than dependence on one person.
Services
Service area
Headquartered in Tavares, FL, with a second office in Orlando managed by DeeDee Burnette. Core coverage spans Lake, Orange, Sumter, and Marion counties, including Clermont, Leesburg, Eustis, Mt. Dora, Apopka, Winter Park, Orlando, Maitland, Wildwood, Ocala, and The Villages. Their website also claims service to Tampa, St. Petersburg, Lakeland, Davenport, Kissimmee, Sanford, Daytona Beach, New Smyrna Beach, and Palm Coast, though that range extends well beyond their two office locations.
Review consensus
Jake draws the most mentions across reviews, praised for responsiveness, knowledge, and follow-through on water damage and mold jobs. Sebastian gets repeat praise for mold remediation work, with a third-party contractor in one review noting his work quality exceeded what they typically see. Tyler Hansen is named as a project manager who communicates well and stays on budget with insurance carriers. The reconstruction pair of Brian and Hunter appears in multiple reviews for rebuild quality. Miracle is named as a helpful first point of contact who connects callers to techs quickly. Tim Machuca provided a free mold consultation with moisture readings for one reviewer whose property management company had failed to act. Mike drew praise for going "way beyond" on a hurricane Milton project involving roof, door, ductwork, and tree removal. Multiple reviewers highlight same-day response and insurance coordination as operational strengths.
5 found across 116 total reviews at 4.8★. Pricing disputes anchor the complaints. Frank LaTorre called emergency mitigation "extremely overpriced" and alleged scare tactics around asbestos and mold; the owner responded with a detailed rebuttal citing Xactimate pricing and legally required safety disclosures, framing the complaint as retaliation after a discount request was denied. Mike Lubinski gave 3 stars for good tech work but called the price "ridiculously high" for one hour of biohazard cleanup. Angel Munoz described Jake as unresponsive to questions during an estimate visit, and said he did not assist when the reviewer's wife fell; the owner responded that the company declined the job because the customer refused required testing and safety procedures. Carolyn Sullivan accused a crew member named William of stealing materials, smoking on site, and leaving the job unfinished with blotchy paint and improper grout; the owner gave a template response without addressing specifics. John Peacock left a two-word review ("Unprofessional and rude") from a single-review account; the owner could not locate him in their records. Bianca Gabriel left a 1-star rating with no text from an account with zero other reviews.
The owner responses split into two distinct categories. For pricing and scope disputes (LaTorre, Munoz), DeeDee Burnette writes detailed, specific rebuttals citing industry standards, safety regulations, and Xactimate pricing. For workmanship complaints (Sullivan, Gabriel), the responses are identical templates directing the reviewer to call the office. That inconsistency suggests the company engages more carefully when it can defend on technical grounds and defaults to reputation management when the complaint is harder to counter.
Jake (estimator/project lead — strongly positive across many reviews, one negative from Angel Munoz citing unresponsiveness). Sebastian (remediation tech — consistently positive, praised for detail and willingness to return). Tyler Hansen (project manager — positive, praised for communication and insurance coordination). Brian (reconstruction — positive, paired with Hunter on rebuilds). Hunter (reconstruction — positive, multiple mentions). Mike (project lead — positive, praised for hurricane Milton work). Bobby (remediation tech — positive). Tim Machuca (tech/estimator — positive, provided free consultation). Miracle (office/intake — positive, fast response). Chris Reed (sales/management — positive). Dalton (estimator — positive, quick communication). Brent (project manager — positive). DeeDee Burnette (Orlando office manager — responds to reviews). William (reconstruction — one strongly negative review from Sullivan alleging theft and smoking; positive mention from separate reviewer). Douglas/Doug (reconstruction — positive). Rafael (reconstruction — positive). Frank (crew — positive, praised for detail). Brandon (reconstruction — positive). Steve (reconstruction — positive). Jose (reconstruction — positive, praised for communication and neatness). Adam (restoration — positive). Kelly (supervisor — positive). Erick (restoration — positive). TJ (restoration — positive). Bella (videographer — positive). Christian (tech — positive).
Most reviewers describe a responsive team that communicates well and delivers quality restoration and reconstruction work. Ask for a line-item Xactimate estimate before authorizing any work, since pricing is the recurring sore spot. If you are working with Jake or Sebastian on the mitigation side, reviews consistently back their work quality and attentiveness.
Keep in mind
- They do both mold testing and mold remediation, which creates a conflict of interest. The company that finds the mold also profits from removing it. Consider getting an independent mold assessment before committing to their remediation scope.
- Pricing is the most common complaint in negative reviews. One reviewer called emergency mitigation costs excessive; another said biohazard cleanup was "ridiculously high for one hour's work." The company uses Xactimate estimating software, so ask to see the line-item estimate before work begins.
- Their service area page claims coverage from Tampa to Daytona Beach to Palm Coast. That is a massive geographic footprint from a Tavares headquarters. If you are on the edges of that range, confirm response times and whether your job would be handled by the Tavares or Orlando office.
- One reconstruction project drew serious complaints about unfinished work, material quality, and crew conduct. The owner response was a template rather than a specific rebuttal, which does not clarify what happened.
- The company has been operating for roughly three years, despite citing 45-plus years of combined team experience. The track record is the company's, not just the individuals'.