Provider profile
Southeast Restoration
Provider snapshot
What this listing says
North Metro Atlanta homeowners facing water or mold damage who want one company to handle mitigation, remediation, and reconstruction through insurance from start to finish.
Best for
- Homeowners in North Metro Atlanta, Canton, Lawrenceville, or surrounding areas dealing with water damage or mold after a leak or storm.
- Property owners who want a single company to manage the entire arc from emergency water extraction through drywall, flooring, and paint restoration, avoiding the need to hire separate contractors.
- Commercial property managers needing a firm with enough staff to respond quickly and handle large-scale remediation or multi-location projects across Georgia, Tennessee, or Alabama.
- Homeowners navigating insurance claims for the first time who want a team that documents damage, communicates with adjusters, and walks them through the process.
- Families dealing with mold who want IICRC-standard remediation with containment, negative air pressure, and HEPA filtration, backed by a warranty.
About this company
Southeast Restoration operates out of Canton, Georgia, and runs seven offices across Georgia, Tennessee, and Alabama. They handle water damage, fire damage, storm damage, and mold remediation for both homes and commercial properties, and they hold a general contractor license that lets them carry a job from emergency mitigation through full rebuild. The company employs over 250 people and has operated since 1999.
On the mold side, they do both testing and remediation in-house, though they recommend engaging an independent Industrial Hygienist for air quality testing before remediation begins. Their mold process uses containment with negative air pressure, HEPA filtration, and antimicrobial treatments. They carry IICRC certification, BBB accreditation, RIA membership, and EPA Lead-Safe certification. Founder and CEO Ben Looper served as President of the Restoration Industry Association for 2024-2025.
The company describes itself as rooted in Christian values and operates as a preferred provider for State Farm and USAA. They back their work with warranties. With 250+ employees spread across seven locations, they have the capacity to staff large or multi-site projects that smaller firms cannot handle.
On Google, this Canton-area listing carries a 4.9-star rating across 969 reviews. The company's combined rating across Google, BBB, and Facebook is 4.8 across 3,706 reviews. That volume at that rating is unusual for a restoration company and reflects a high proportion of satisfied customers, though the negative reviews that do exist share a common thread worth understanding.
Services
Service area
Headquartered in Canton, Georgia (North Metro Atlanta), with a second Atlanta-area office in Lawrenceville (East Metro). Additional offices in Columbus and Augusta, Georgia; Nashville, Knoxville, and Chattanooga, Tennessee. The company also lists Alabama coverage. Seven offices across three states give them regional reach, though confirm which location and crew will manage your specific project.
Review consensus
Matthew Holmes appears in more positive reviews than any other employee, praised repeatedly for clear communication, punctuality, and managing projects from start to finish. Seth draws similar loyalty, with one family returning three times after separate water incidents. Isaiah earns praise for fast mitigation response. Kieran, Randall, and Justin are thanked for handling insurance communication so homeowners did not have to deal with adjusters directly. The mitigation team (Quentin, Aidan, Ben, Chad, Ryan, Max) draws consistent praise for speed and care during water emergencies. Tripp responded to a weekend text within 10 minutes and arranged a Sunday repair visit. Reviewers frequently describe the company treating them like family and keeping them informed at each step.
4 found across 969 total reviews at 4.9★. Joanne Schonborn (January 2026) described a lack of project supervision that forced her to monitor workers daily and create an itemized list of missed scope items, followed by a billing dispute over overhead charges on work never performed. Tyler St Peter (June 2025) reported repeated no-call no-show appointments, a ceiling that took five failed attempts to texture correctly after their main technician quit, trim replaced with joined leftover pieces, furniture damaged by paint and mudding compound, and charges for work not completed (insulation, AC duct cleaning). Dwayne Ellis (July 2025) described paint color miscommunication, a $3,500 upcharge for matching flooring, and a $24,000 kitchen renovation quote he completed elsewhere for under half that amount. Jordan Smith (March 2026) listed nine specific issues including a disposal that started leaking again six months later, shifting floorboards, a broken closet door never fixed, a bent vent left as-is, an unplugged freezer that spoiled $500 of food, and areas left without trim. Owner responses to all seven negatives follow a pattern: polite acknowledgment, a promise to review, and an invitation to contact the office, but limited engagement with the specific complaints raised.
The negative reviews cluster around reconstruction quality rather than emergency mitigation. Every complaint involves the rebuild phase: subcontractor workmanship, missed scope items, and appointment reliability. The mitigation side (water extraction, drying, initial response) draws near-universal praise. This split suggests the company's in-house emergency team performs at a different level than the subcontractors used for trade work during reconstruction. Owner responses follow a template pattern: courteous, non-specific, and focused on inviting offline contact. None of the responses engage with the detailed complaints or describe corrective actions taken.
Matthew Holmes (project manager — consistently praised across many reviews for communication, punctuality, and follow-through). Seth (project manager — praised, repeat customer loyalty, described as treating families like his own). Isaiah (mitigation technician — praised for quick response and thorough explanation). Kieran (team member — praised for insurance coordination). Randall (team member — praised for communication). Justin (team member — praised for support). David (repair technician — praised for ceiling and paint work). Quentin (mitigation — praised for quick response). Aidan (mitigation — praised). Ben (mitigation — praised). Chad (mitigation — praised for reliability and weekend availability). Ryan (mitigation — praised). Max (mitigation — praised for quick, pleasant service). Scott (praised for courtesy). Jeremy (praised for courtesy). Tripp (praised for responsiveness and weekend availability). Laiken (praised). Britt (project manager — praised for exceeding expectations). Matt Bumgarner (praised for material selection guidance). Jared (praised for quick response to concerns). Brandon (praised for timely repair work). Shaq (team lead — praised for care and managing belongings). Lyle (praised for personal attention). Johnny (praised for communication and quality).
Ask for Matthew Holmes or Seth as your project manager if you can. The mitigation side of this company runs well, but stay engaged during reconstruction: review the scope of work line by line before signing off, confirm subcontractor appointments the day before, and inspect completed work against the insurance estimate before final payment. The company responds to every negative review, but the responses are templated rather than specific, so push for written commitments on scope and timeline.
Keep in mind
- Southeast Restoration does both mold testing and mold remediation. A company that tests and then remediates the same property has a financial incentive to find problems. They recommend an independent Industrial Hygienist, but ask upfront whether the testing and remediation scope will be determined by a truly independent party.
- Multiple recent negative reviews describe subcontractor quality problems: missed items on the scope of work, shoddy trim and ceiling texture repairs, and no-call no-show appointments. The company uses subcontractors for some trade work, and reviewers report having to supervise work themselves to catch errors.
- Two reviewers specifically flagged billing disputes where they were charged for work that was never performed. One reviewer spent weeks in emails getting the company to acknowledge missed scope items.
- The company covers a three-state area from seven offices. Confirm which office and crew will handle your project and whether the same project manager stays assigned throughout.
- Reviewers praise the mitigation (water removal and drying) side consistently. The complaints concentrate on the reconstruction phase, suggesting a gap between the emergency response team and the repair subcontractors.