Provider profile
Reliable Restoration LLC
Provider snapshot
What this listing says
Metro Atlanta homeowners dealing with water damage or mold after a plumbing failure who want a family-owned restoration company with three Georgia offices and 24/7 live call answering.
Best for
- Metro Atlanta homeowners who need water damage mitigation and full rebuild handled by a single company without coordinating multiple contractors.
- Homeowners dealing with mold discovered after a water event who want a company that follows IICRC S520 remediation standards.
- Commercial property managers across Georgia who need a restoration company with offices in Atlanta, Macon, and Columbus.
- Buyers who want an owner-operated company rather than a franchise, where the same crew stays on the job from start to finish.
- Families needing emergency response outside business hours, since Reliable staffs live call answering around the clock.
About this company
Reliable Restoration is a family-owned restoration company based in Peachtree Corners, Georgia, led by owner Wes Thornton. They handle water damage, mold removal, fire and smoke damage, storm damage, and reconstruction across the Metro Atlanta area. They have been operating since 2009 and hold IICRC certification (License #202892). They are not a franchise.
What stands out is the turnkey model. They do mitigation, contents packing and storage, mold remediation, and reconstruction under one roof rather than handing you off to subcontractors mid-project. Their mold work follows the IICRC S520 standard, including containment barriers, negative air pressure, HEPA-filtered air scrubbers, and antimicrobial treatment after physical removal. They use thermal imaging cameras and moisture detection equipment for structural drying. They also offer a disaster planning program (P.R.E.P.) for commercial clients.
Thornton has built the company from a single Peachtree Corners office to three locations: the headquarters near Norcross, a Macon office, and a Columbus office. The company claims over 80 cumulative years of team experience in disaster restoration. They hold an A+ BBB rating and respond to calls 24/7 with live staff, advertising 60-to-90-minute on-site arrival.
At 4.8 stars across 523 Google reviews, this is a strong rating for a restoration company handling the volume they do. Most competitors in Metro Atlanta with similar review counts sit between 4.5 and 4.7. The volume of named staff in positive reviews suggests a large, consistently performing field team.
Services
Service area
Headquartered in Peachtree Corners, Georgia, with additional offices in Macon and Columbus. They list over 40 cities across the Metro Atlanta area including Alpharetta, Brookhaven, Decatur, Dunwoody, Johns Creek, Kennesaw, Marietta, Roswell, Sandy Springs, Suwanee, and Woodstock, plus Athens. The three-office footprint is unusually broad for a family-owned restoration company, so confirm crew availability and response times for locations far from the Peachtree Corners headquarters.
Review consensus
The field crews earn strong, specific praise. Jermaine appears in more positive reviews than any other employee, consistently noted for explaining what he is doing and why, cleaning up after work, and arriving on time. Rod and Leo are a frequent two-person team praised for water damage mitigation speed and professionalism. Omar E. and Ricardo are called out for being respectful of homes and clear about next steps. Gabriela, Elvis, and the contents team get credit for careful packing and moving of belongings during restoration. Devin and Devon are praised for getting projects started quickly and staying responsive. Multiple reviewers mention same-day or next-day response. The insurance documentation and claim support during the mitigation phase draws repeated compliments.
7 found across 523 total reviews at 4.8★. The billing and insurance expectation gap is the dominant complaint. J. Chun describes being billed $3,320 for a minor shower pan leak, with the insurance invoice listing containment, negative air, HEPA filtration, and air scrubbers that the reviewer says were never used. The reviewer characterizes the billing as potential insurance fraud. Jamie M. reports being charged $7,000 (reduced from $10,000) for drying and cabinet removal after insurance denied coverage, saying the company encouraged immediate demolition before insurance approval. Joseph describes receiving a lien on his home for a $10,000 bill after being assured insurance would cover packing services. Heather Hanson reports being told the company would handle both demo and rebuild, only to learn after demolition that they had no one to do the rebuild, then receiving a $6,500 charge for demo alone along with a lien threat. Jenn Korous received an inflated invoice including charges for work not performed, with weeks of unanswered calls and emails attempting to get a correction. Jean Claude Desardouin reports appliances damaged during a temporary move and being told the company was too busy to reassemble. On the rebuild side, Chad Gravesen (2 stars) describes subpar shower reconstruction and names Earl as an absent project manager who visited the site only twice. Deborah Bush (3 stars) reports being told she needed to find her own repair contractor after the company tore out her walls. Braddon (3 stars) notes the crew left an HVAC safety switch disconnected, leaving the household without heat in 20-degree weather.
There is a structural split between Reliable's mitigation work and its reconstruction work. The mitigation teams (Jermaine, Rod, Leo, Omar) generate overwhelmingly positive reviews for speed, communication, and quality. The problems emerge after mitigation ends: billing disputes, insurance expectation mismatches, and reconstruction delays or quality issues. Multiple reviewers describe being encouraged to start demolition immediately with assurances that insurance would pay, then facing large out-of-pocket bills when insurance denied or reduced coverage. The 0% owner response rate on recent negatives is notable for a company actively managing its online reputation with 523 reviews. The company appears to invest in soliciting positive reviews but not in publicly addressing complaints.
Jermaine (field technician/lead — strongly positive, most frequently named in positive reviews). Rod (field technician — positive, frequently paired with Leo). Leo (field technician — positive, frequently paired with Rod). Omar E. (field technician — positive). Ricardo (field technician — positive, paired with Omar). Wilcon/Wilder/Wuilder (field technician — positive, frequently paired with Jermaine). Devon/Devin (project manager — positive). Eduardo/Eduardo B. (field technician — positive). Elvis (field technician/contents team — positive). Gabriela (contents team lead — positive). Mario/Mario Martinez (marketing manager/estimator — positive). Earl/Earl Moore (project manager — mixed; praised by Sherri S. for rebuild management, criticized by Chad Gravesen for absent oversight). Jolan (project manager — positive). TJ (field technician — positive). Oscar (field technician — positive). Zech/Zeck (field technician — positive). Anays (contents department — positive). Shannon (field technician — positive). Andrew (field technician — positive). Nathan Summer (field technician — positive). Cameron (field technician — positive). Rachel Mann (project coordinator — positive). Wes/Wes Thornton (owner — positive). Josh (insurance negotiator — positive). John (first responder/coordinator — positive). Von/Vonn (field technician — positive). Walter (field technician — positive). Eric (project manager — positive). Jonathan (staff — negative, named by Joseph as unreachable). David (field technician — positive). Franco (field technician — positive). Adrian (field technician — positive). Jose (field technician — positive). Herison (field technician — positive). Manny (field technician — positive). Paul (field technician — positive). Monica (contents team — positive). Maria (contents team — positive). Alvaro (contents team — positive). Rouglas (contents team — positive). Anna (contents team — positive).
Reliable's field crews are genuinely strong, especially for water damage mitigation. The risk is in what happens after the emergency work: insurance billing surprises and reconstruction quality. Before any demolition starts, get written confirmation from your insurance adjuster that the proposed scope is covered. Ask who your project manager will be for the rebuild phase and how often they will be on site. If your claim is denied or reduced, clarify in writing what you owe before the company proceeds.
Keep in mind
- Reliable Restoration does both mold testing and mold remediation. That creates a conflict of interest: the same company that tells you mold exists is the one that profits from removing it. Consider getting an independent mold test before committing to their remediation services.
- Multiple recent reviewers report being told insurance would cover everything, only to receive large bills when insurance denied or underpaid their claims. Two reviewers describe liens placed on their homes. Get your insurance company's written approval before letting demolition begin.
- Several reviewers say Reliable handled mitigation well but the reconstruction phase fell short, with complaints about subpar finish work, slow timelines, and having to hire other contractors to finish repairs. Ask upfront whether your specific project manager will oversee the rebuild personally.
- The owner response rate on recent negative reviews is 0%. None of the 11 recent complaints received a public reply, which makes it hard to evaluate whether the company addresses these billing and communication issues internally.
- Their service area spans from Athens to Columbus to Macon. If you are outside the core Metro Atlanta zone, confirm response times for your specific location before signing.