Provider profile
DryMax
Provider snapshot
What this listing says
Livingston and Essex County homeowners dealing with basement floods or sewage backups who want the owner on-site within 30 minutes, not a dispatcher routing calls.
Best for
- Homeowners in Livingston, Essex County, or neighboring NJ counties who need same-day emergency water extraction and want the owner personally on-site.
- Basement flood situations where the same company handles extraction, drying, mold prevention, and full reconstruction under one contract.
- Homeowners who need help navigating insurance claims for covered water or fire damage losses.
- Sewage backup cleanups requiring immediate response, including nights and weekends.
About this company
DryMax is an owner-operated restoration company in Livingston, New Jersey. Owner Mike Golan runs the jobs himself, and reviewers consistently describe him arriving at flooded basements within 15 to 30 minutes of the first call, including evenings, weekends, and holidays. The company focuses on water damage, mold, and fire restoration across 9 New Jersey counties.
What stands out is the single-operator model. Mike answers the phone, shows up for the assessment, and stays involved through reconstruction. Multiple reviewers describe him personally visiting their homes repeatedly during multi-week projects. The company handles the full cycle: water extraction, drying, mold work, and then rebuilding walls, floors, and finishes to pre-loss condition. They also bill insurance directly.
DryMax claims over 20 years in the cleaning and restoration industry. The company is based at 531 S Livingston Ave and operates as an LLC. Google lists them as a water damage restoration service, and their mold work is one service line within that broader focus.
4.9 stars across 47 Google reviews with zero negatives in the last 18 months is unusually clean. The review base spans 2018 through 2026, includes multiple Local Guides, and the praise is specific and consistent. That said, 47 reviews over 8 years is a small volume, consistent with a small owner-operated outfit rather than a high-volume operation.
Services
Service area
DryMax is headquartered in Livingston, New Jersey (Essex County). They list 9 counties in their emergency response area: Hudson, Bergen, Passaic, Morris, Union, Essex, Somerset, Middlesex, and Monmouth. That covers a wide swath of central and northern New Jersey. Confirm response times for locations outside Essex County.
Review consensus
Mike Golan is named in nearly every review. Reviewers describe him arriving within 15 to 30 minutes, often on weekends and late evenings. Specific praise centers on his willingness to explain each step of the process, his patience with homeowner questions, and his hands-on involvement through multi-week reconstruction projects. Several reviewers note he guided them through insurance paperwork. Reviewers also highlight the crew's attention to detail and respectful treatment of their homes.
0 found across 47 total reviews at 4.9★. No negative reviews exist in the last 18 months. The full review history of 47 reviews at 4.9 stars contains no 1-star, 2-star, or 3-star reviews in the visible data set.
The review pattern reflects a small owner-operated business where the owner personally handles every client relationship. This creates an unusually consistent experience because the same person answers the phone, does the assessment, manages the crew, and oversees reconstruction. The tradeoff is capacity: the company can only handle a limited number of jobs at once.
Mike Golan (owner — positive across virtually all reviews, praised for rapid personal response, clear communication, insurance guidance, and hands-on project management).
If you reach out, you will almost certainly deal with Mike directly. Ask him to walk you through the full timeline from extraction to reconstruction before signing anything. For mold work specifically, get a separate inspection from an independent testing company before agreeing to remediation, since DryMax does both.
Keep in mind
- DryMax does both mold detection and mold removal. When the same company tests for mold and then sells the remediation, they have a financial incentive to find problems. Get an independent mold assessment before committing to remediation work.
- This is a small, owner-operated company. Mike Golan handles most client interactions personally. If he is already on another job or on vacation, response times could differ from the 30-minute claims.
- The website lists 9 counties across central and northern New Jersey. For locations at the edges of that range, confirm actual response times for your address before assuming 30-60 minute arrival.
- 47 reviews over 8 years is low volume. The 4.9 rating is strong but based on a small sample. A high-volume company in the same area would have hundreds of reviews by comparison.