Provider profile
Axel Works
Provider snapshot
What this listing says
Winter Park and Oviedo homeowners dealing with water damage or mold after plumbing failures or hurricane damage, especially those filing insurance claims.
Best for
- Winter Park, Oviedo, and Orlando homeowners who need water extraction and drying after a pipe burst, appliance failure, or storm flooding.
- Homeowners filing insurance claims — they bill carriers directly, write estimates, and coordinate with adjusters through the rebuild.
- Property owners who need mold remediation tied to an active water damage event, where having one company handle both speeds up the timeline.
- Hurricane damage situations where you need roof tarping, board-up, water extraction, and reconstruction from a single local company.
About this company
Axel Works is a family-owned restoration company based in Oviedo, serving Winter Park, Orlando, and the broader Central Florida area. Brothers Chris Hayne and Rich Hayne run the operation, and their primary identity is water damage restoration — mold remediation, fire damage, tree removal, and roof tarping round out the offering. They handle both residential and commercial work.
What stands out is the end-to-end model. They handle water extraction, drying, mold remediation, and the rebuild under one roof, including remodeling and cabinet installation through their Fabuwood partnership. They claim a two-hour response window for emergencies and operate 24/7/365. They hold IICRC certification for water restoration and a HAAG certification for roofing. Their website notes they are a preferred vendor for insurance companies, and multiple reviewers confirm they coordinate directly with adjusters.
Chris Hayne has 17 years in the insurance and construction industry; Rich Hayne has over 15. Both went to school locally — Rich graduated from Oviedo High School and Florida Gulf Coast University. The company is locally rooted, not a franchise.
Their 4.3-star rating across 38 Google reviews is below the threshold where a restoration company stands out on reputation alone. The positives are strong — particularly around emergency response and Rich's personal involvement — but the negatives raise real concerns about workmanship consistency and communication on longer projects.
Services
Service area
Headquartered in Oviedo, FL (550 Kane Ct., Unit 200). Google listing address is Winter Park. They serve Orlando and Central Florida, with specific city pages for Winter Park, Oviedo, Winter Springs, and Winter Garden. Their website also references Altamonte Springs, Apopka, Lakeland, Palm Bay, and Daytona, though the outer edges of that range are 60-90+ miles from their office.
Review consensus
Rich Hayne is the most frequently named person in positive reviews. Reviewers describe him as personally involved — he took responsibility for a roof leak years after installation (Tom Kalter), guided a hurricane-damaged homeowner through the full rebuild (Beverly D. Burgess, Dave Banks), and was the direct point of contact on flood restorations (Rafael Tapanes, salvatore ruggero, Ryan Dunagan). Gabriel earned praise for finishing touches on a mold remediation bathroom job (Karen Hicks), and Eileen was recognized for reliable office communication (Karen Hicks). Chris Hayne is mentioned alongside Rich by Cathy Tonti for tracking down a hard-to-find bathroom leak. Multiple reviewers highlight fast emergency response and insurance coordination as operational strengths.
3 found across 38 total reviews at 4.3★. Nicole Tilyard (Local Guide, 47 reviews) hired Axel Works for bathroom repair and mold remediation. She says the company purchased a jet tub without her signed approval and attempted to charge thousands of dollars for it, escalating to a lien attempt that required an attorney to resolve. She also reports mold returning to the same bathroom years later, raising questions about the original remediation quality. Junior Louis describes drywall finishing problems — visible tape seams, air pockets, and uneven joins — along with the owner ignoring text messages for days unless the insurance adjuster intervened. He also reports a bathroom water leak that started growing mold after the project. Mike drury (single-review account) calls the workmanship poor and says the project ran months behind schedule.
Two of the three negative reviews describe workmanship defects (drywall finishing, mold recurrence) and communication failures on longer reconstruction projects, while the positives cluster around emergency response and the initial water extraction phase. This suggests a possible split between strong first-response capability and inconsistent quality on the extended rebuild side of the business. The 0% owner response rate on negative reviews is notable for a company with only 38 reviews — at this volume, each unanswered complaint is visible to prospective customers.
Rich Hayne (managing partner/owner — consistently positive, named in 8+ reviews for responsiveness, integrity, and personal involvement). Chris Hayne (managing partner — positive, praised for leak diagnosis and repair by Cathy Tonti). Gabriel (finishing work — positive, praised for bathroom finishing by Karen Hicks). Eileen (office staff — positive, praised for message handling by Karen Hicks).
Ask for Rich Hayne as your point of contact — reviewers consistently describe him as personally accountable and responsive. Get all scope approvals and change orders in writing before work begins, especially on reconstruction projects. Inspect finished drywall and paint carefully before final sign-off, and consider hiring an independent mold assessor to verify remediation results rather than relying on Axel Works for both testing and removal.
Keep in mind
- Axel Works does both mold testing and mold remediation. This is a conflict of interest — the same company that finds mold also profits from removing it. Their own website acknowledges that Florida law prohibits remediation companies from providing mold testing, yet the company lists mold inspection among its services. Ask how they handle the separation between testing and remediation before signing anything.
- Three of 38 reviews are 1-star, and the company has not responded to any of them. Zero owner response on negative reviews means you only get the customer's side, but it also signals the company is not actively engaging with complaints online.
- Two recent negative reviews describe workmanship problems — drywall finishing issues and work that had to be redone. One reviewer reports mold returning to a bathroom Axel Works remediated. If your project involves finish carpentry or detailed repair, inspect the work closely before signing off.
- One reviewer describes Axel Works purchasing a bathtub without authorization and then attempting to place a lien when the homeowner disputed the charge. Confirm scope approvals and change-order procedures in writing before work begins.
- They claim to serve from Lakeland to Palm Bay to Daytona. That is a very wide radius from their Oviedo office. Confirm they will staff your project with their own crew if you are outside the Orlando metro area.