Provider profile
Browns Floor Care & Restoration
Provider snapshot
What this listing says
Eastern Iowa homeowners in the Cedar Rapids-to-Quad Cities corridor who need a single contractor to handle water damage, mold remediation, and the rebuild under one roof from a fourth-generation family business.
Best for
- Homeowners in the Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, or Quad Cities area dealing with water damage that may have led to mold growth.
- Property owners who want one contractor to handle the full sequence from emergency water extraction through mold remediation through rebuild, without coordinating multiple vendors.
- Anyone needing weekend or after-hours emergency water damage response in Eastern Iowa — multiple reviewers confirm rapid dispatch including weekends.
- Homeowners who also need floor care, carpet cleaning, or duct cleaning alongside restoration work.
About this company
Browns Floor Care & Restoration operates out of Swisher, Iowa, and covers Eastern Iowa from Cedar Rapids through Iowa City to the Quad Cities. The company started as a floor care business in 1936 and is now in its fourth generation. Josh has owned it for close to 20 years, according to one reviewer. Today they brand as BFC Restoration and position themselves as a one-call shop: water damage, fire damage, mold remediation, carpet cleaning, flooring installation, remodeling, even roofing and decks.
The mold side of the business includes assessment, remediation, and post-remediation clearance. Their website describes containment zones, HEPA-filtered air scrubbers, and negative air pressure during remediation — standard IICRC-guided practices. They also do mold assessments with moisture readings and sampling, which means they both diagnose and fix mold problems. David handles mold inspections based on review evidence.
The company holds IICRC certification in mold and restoration. Their "one call does it all" model is genuine — reviews confirm jobs spanning water extraction through full kitchen rebuilds. They offer 24/7 emergency response, and multiple reviewers confirm same-day or next-day arrival for water emergencies.
At 4.7 stars across 131 Google reviews, the rating is solid but not exceptional. The 5 one-star reviews in the past 18 months cluster around billing and communication rather than work quality. The owner responds to 100% of negative reviews with substantive replies that engage with specifics, not templates.
Services
Service area
Headquartered in Swisher, Iowa (near Cedar Rapids). Serves Eastern Iowa including Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Coralville, North Liberty, Tiffin, Marion, Muscatine, and Waterloo. Also lists Quad Cities coverage: Davenport and Bettendorf in Iowa, Moline and Rock Island in Illinois. The full footprint spans roughly 150 miles, so response times likely vary by distance from Swisher.
Review consensus
Jason is the most-named employee across reviews, drawing consistent praise for carpet cleaning, duct cleaning, and water damage work. Reviewers describe him as punctual, polite, and detail-oriented. Josh gets credit for hands-on oversight of larger restoration and remodeling projects, and multiple reviewers note his responsiveness during flood emergencies. Molly draws praise for front-of-house responsiveness. David is named in two mold-related reviews as patient and informative during inspections. Emergency response speed is a recurring theme — reviewers report same-day dispatch, weekend arrivals, and crews on-site within 30 minutes to an hour.
5 found across 131 total reviews at 4.7★. The most detailed complaints come from Marcia Canny, who left two separate reviews about a mechanics lien placed on her property during an insurance claim. She says the company filed the lien without giving her insurance company time to process payment. The owner responds that emergency work was dispatched over a weekend and that the lien is standard Iowa practice for unpaid restoration work. Brandon Dietze says he was charged roughly $1,000 for a visit where no cleaning work was performed on a feces-contaminated basement. The owner says a work authorization was pending and a crew was scheduled, but the customer chose another provider. Rebecca Rae describes poor phone interactions — a distracted, rude receptionist and a cancellation call that ended with "k thanks." The owner acknowledged falling short and left a voicemail. Darrell Rice left a textless one-star review from a zero-review account; the owner says the company won a court case regarding payment for water mitigation services rendered.
The negative reviews share a billing and payment theme rather than a work-quality theme. Two involve liens or court cases over payment disputes, one involves an unexpected charge for an initial visit, and another is about communication. No reviewer claims the actual restoration or cleaning work was done poorly. The owner responds to every negative review at length with specific details about the situation — these are not template responses. Two of the five negatives come from the same person (Marcia Canny, posting twice about the same lien). Darrell Rice has zero other reviews and left no text, which weakens that data point.
Jason (carpet cleaning, duct cleaning, water damage technician — consistently praised across 12+ reviews). Josh (owner, project oversight, carpet sales — praised for responsiveness and hands-on management). Molly (front office/sales — praised for responsiveness). David (mold inspector — praised as patient and informative). Trevor (water mitigation technician — praised). Ron (service technician — praised). John (remodeling — mentioned alongside Josh on a bathroom remodel).
The work itself gets strong marks — nobody complains about the quality of cleaning, restoration, or remediation. The risk is on the business side: billing surprises and a company that files liens quickly. Get your payment terms, insurance billing process, and assessment fees in writing before work starts. For the actual service, ask for Jason on cleaning jobs and David for mold inspections.
Keep in mind
- They do both mold testing and mold remediation. A company that finds the mold and bills to remove it has a financial incentive to find more. Consider getting an independent mold assessment before agreeing to their remediation scope.
- Two reviews from the same person describe a mechanics lien filed on their property during an insurance claim. The owner says liens are standard Iowa practice for restoration work and that payment was due upon receipt. Ask upfront how billing works with your insurer and whether they will bill the insurance company directly.
- One reviewer was charged roughly $1,000 for what they describe as an initial visit where no work was performed. The owner's response indicates a signed work authorization was involved. Clarify in writing what the initial assessment costs before anyone arrives.
- Front office communication drew complaints. One reviewer described a rude receptionist and unanswered calls. Another negative mentioned no follow-through on a web inquiry for five days. Field crews get better marks than the phone experience.
- Their service area stretches from Waterloo to the Quad Cities — roughly 150 miles. Confirm scheduling and response times for your specific location, especially outside the Cedar Rapids-Iowa City core.