Provider profile
Restoration 1 of Hartland
Provider snapshot
What this listing says
Hartland-area homeowners dealing with water damage or post-flood mold who want a single owner-operator (Russ Burley) managing their project from first call through final repair.
Best for
- Hartland and Novi homeowners who need water extraction and drying after a flooded basement, burst pipe, or sump pump failure.
- Homeowners with post-water-damage mold who want one company to handle both the water cleanup and the mold remediation under a single scope of work.
- Property owners recovering from fire damage who need a single point of contact through the full reconstruction process — Russ managed a two-year fire rebuild for one client.
- Anyone who values working directly with the business owner rather than being handed off between a sales rep and a rotating crew.
About this company
Restoration 1 of Hartland is a franchise location of the Restoration 1 national brand, locally owned and operated by Russ Burley in Hartland, MI. While it carries the Restoration 1 name and follows the franchise's IICRC training standards, the day-to-day work is run by Russ himself. The Hartland branch lists water damage, fire damage, and mold remediation as its core services, and also handles crawlspace encapsulation, sewage cleanup, air duct cleaning, and storm recovery.
The mold remediation page describes a five-stage process — inspection, testing, containment, removal, and verification — using HEPA-filtered equipment and following ANSI/IICRC S520 standards. The website mentions containment barriers and negative air pressure during mold work. Nothing here is unusual for a restoration company of this type, but having a single owner who personally handles most jobs is less common in franchise operations.
Russ Burley is clearly the face of this business. Reviews going back to 2021 consistently name him as the person who answers the phone, shows up on site, and manages projects through completion. Multiple reviewers mention he arrived within an hour or two of their call, including late-night emergencies. One reviewer (Andrea Diliberti) worked with Russ over two years rebuilding after a house fire.
With 4.7 stars across 39 reviews and zero negative reviews in the last 18 months, the review profile is unusually clean. The total review count is modest, which is typical for a small owner-operated franchise in a semi-rural Michigan market.
Services
Service area
Restoration 1 of Hartland is based in Hartland, MI. The website specifically names Novi, Michigan as a served city. The service area beyond these two cities is not well defined on the site — confirm coverage if you are outside Hartland or Novi.
Review consensus
Russ Burley is named in the majority of reviews and praised for three things: fast response times (multiple reviewers report callbacks within minutes and on-site arrival within one to two hours, including nights and weekends), hands-on project management from start to finish, and willingness to help navigate insurance claims. Several reviewers specifically note that Russ did not charge for initial assessments or visits where no work was needed. Curt is named once as a crew member who was caring and knowledgeable.
0 found across 39 total reviews at 4.7★. No 1-star reviews exist across the 39 total reviews at 4.7 stars. There are no negative reviews of any kind in the last 18 months.
The review pattern is consistent with a true owner-operator model: nearly every review names Russ personally, suggesting he is directly involved in most or all jobs. This is a strength when the business is small, but raises a question about capacity — if Russ is managing every project himself, scheduling during busy seasons (spring flooding, summer storms) could be tight.
Russ Burley (owner — consistently positive across 20+ reviews for responsiveness, hands-on work, insurance help, and fair pricing). Curt (crew member — positive, named in one review by J Robbins as knowledgeable and caring).
If you can reach Russ and he has availability, the review record suggests a consistently positive experience. Ask about his current workload and timeline before committing, since he appears to be the single point of contact for all projects. For mold work, get an independent test first given the conflict of interest.
Keep in mind
- Restoration 1 of Hartland does both mold testing and mold remediation. That means the same company telling you whether you have a problem is also the one billing you to fix it. Consider getting an independent mold assessment before committing to their remediation scope.
- This is a franchise location. The website content is largely corporate boilerplate shared across all Restoration 1 locations, so the specific equipment, certifications, and methods described on the site may not reflect what this particular branch uses day to day.
- With 39 reviews over roughly five years, the volume is low. The 4.7-star rating is strong, but it reflects a small sample — a few bad experiences could shift it meaningfully.
- The website lists only Novi as a served city beyond Hartland. If you are outside these areas, confirm they will service your location and whether travel fees apply.