Provider profile
Rytech Restoration of the Midlands
Provider snapshot
What this listing says
Columbia and Midlands SC homeowners dealing with water or fire damage that has led to mold, who want a franchise-backed crew with 24/7 emergency response and direct insurance coordination.
Best for
- Columbia and Lexington SC homeowners who need emergency water damage dried out and any resulting mold handled by one company.
- Insurance-referred jobs where you want a restoration contractor who understands the adjuster process. Anthony Curtis's background as a former insurance adjuster gives this team an edge on claims navigation.
- Fire and smoke damage situations requiring contents cleaning, packout, and storage alongside structural restoration.
- Commercial properties needing fast-turnaround water or fire damage mitigation. Multiple reviewers describe same-day office flood responses with minimal business closure.
- Homeowners who want a large field crew with named, individually praised technicians rather than a rotating roster of unknowns.
About this company
Rytech Restoration of the Midlands is a franchise location of the Rytech network, headquartered at 1310 Haviland Cir STE B in Columbia, South Carolina. Their primary identity is emergency water and fire damage restoration, with mold remediation as a related service they perform after water events. Co-owners Anthony Curtis and Brian Larmon run the operation, with Tonya Baughman directing sales and marketing. They handle both residential and commercial work across the Midlands region.
What stands out is the depth of their crew and the insurance pipeline. Anthony Curtis previously worked as an insurance adjuster, which multiple reviewers cite as an advantage when navigating claims. The company claims a four-hour-or-less response time and runs 24/7/365. Their website references IICRC credentials, HEPA air scrubbers, containment sheeting for mold work, and dehumidification equipment. They also handle packouts and storage, meaning they move and store your belongings during restoration and bring them back when the work is done. Several reviewers specifically praise the packout teams.
Rytech's franchise network has operated since 1995. This Columbia location is a member of the Columbia Chamber of Commerce, the Restoration Industry Association, and holds IICRC firm certification. The company claims to work with over 100 insurance carriers. One reviewer described the owner arriving at a commercial job on a Sunday evening straight from the airport to check on progress.
At 4.7 stars across 173 Google reviews, this is a strong rating with meaningful volume. The review base is heavily weighted toward water damage and fire cleanup, with mold remediation mentioned less frequently as a standalone service.
Services
Service area
Headquartered in Columbia, South Carolina at 1310 Haviland Cir STE B. They serve Columbia, Lexington, and a wide swath of central South Carolina including Irmo, Chapin, Blythewood, Sumter, Orangeburg, Newberry, Camden, Aiken, and North Augusta. The claimed service area spans over 200 zip codes across the Midlands region. Confirm response time for locations beyond the Columbia and Lexington core.
Review consensus
Tank is the most frequently named employee across the entire review set, appearing in at least 12 separate reviews. Reviewers describe him as hardworking, friendly, and efficient across water mitigation, fire cleanup, and packout jobs. Jonathan Kunze draws repeated praise for fire damage coordination, insurance navigation, and personal attention. One reviewer described Jonathan praying with a family at their home during a fire. Josh and Landon are praised together for mold-related assessment work, with two reviewers highlighting their explanations of the process. Tim appears in multiple reviews for water mitigation and initial response. Osiris/Osirus is credited with creative problem-solving on drying projects, including one case where standard ceiling drying was not working and he devised an alternate approach. Anthony Curtis is praised for insurance knowledge and compassion. Ashley draws praise for packout team leadership. Dom and Hairston are mentioned together for water mitigation work, with one reviewer noting they caught a plumbing issue the plumber missed. Fast response time is the single most consistent praise point. Multiple reviewers describe same-day or next-morning arrivals, including evenings, weekends, and holidays.
3 found across 173 total reviews at 4.7★. The most detailed 1-star complaint comes from David Adam, a Local Guide with 125 reviews, who says his insurance company dispatched Rytech for crawlspace water damage and both technicians refused to go under the house. A technician named Paul told him the moisture would dry on its own despite two feet of standing water from a broken water main. The owner response frames this differently, stating they offered to explain their findings to the insurance company and noting the claim was canceled, while also mentioning foundation and roof issues outside their scope. The second substantive complaint from Dariel Santos, a Local Guide, describes scheduling confusion: a technician said drying would take three days with Saturday pickup, but was later told Monday. When he insisted on Saturday, equipment was removed and the area declared dry, only to be told on Monday it was still wet and equipment needed to go back. The owner response acknowledged the disappointment but did not address the specific scheduling or measurement contradictions. The third 1-star review from Donna Chandler contains no text, only a rating, making it impossible to assess. The owner response apologized and pledged to address concerns with the team.
The owner responds to 100% of negative reviews, which shows active reputation management. However, the response quality leans toward template language. Both substantive negative responses follow the same structure: thank the reviewer, express disappointment, pledge to improve, but do not directly address the specific operational failure described. The David Adam response is the exception, offering factual counterpoints about the claim being canceled and other issues being outside scope. This company's review base skews heavily toward water and fire damage rather than mold-specific work. Mold remediation appears in reviews as a secondary service triggered by water events, not as a standalone hiring reason. Buyers looking for mold-specific expertise should note that the praise is concentrated around emergency water response and packout logistics.
Tank (field technician/crew lead — praised repeatedly across 12+ reviews for efficiency, friendliness, and packout work). Jonathan Kunze (project coordinator — praised for fire damage management, insurance coordination, and personal compassion). Josh (technician — praised for assessment work and explanations). Landon (technician — praised alongside Josh for professionalism). Tim (technician — praised for water mitigation response). Osiris/Osirus (technician — praised for creative drying solutions and problem-solving). Anthony Curtis (co-owner — praised for insurance knowledge and customer care). Dom (technician — praised for water mitigation and catching missed plumbing issues). Hairston (technician — praised alongside Dom). Ashley (packout team leader — praised for furniture handling and floor protection). Emily (contents team — praised for fire cleanup and documentation). DJ (crew lead — praised for fire/water work). Aaron (technician — praised for assessments and professionalism). Doug (coordinator — praised for initial contact and communication). Andrew (technician — praised for polite and knowledgeable work). Servon (technician — praised alongside others on various jobs). Paul (technician — criticized for refusing to enter crawlspace and dismissing water damage). Tonya Baughman (Director of Sales — praised for rapid emergency response and crew oversight).
Ask for Tank if you need hands-on field work, especially packouts. For fire damage coordination and insurance navigation, request Jonathan Kunze. Get any mold scope confirmed by an independent assessor before authorizing remediation, since they do both testing and remediation. If your job is in a crawlspace or hard-to-access area, confirm at booking that the assigned crew will perform a physical inspection of the affected space.
Keep in mind
- They do both mold testing and mold remediation. That is a conflict of interest. The company that finds mold profits from removing it. Get an independent mold assessment before authorizing remediation work.
- Mold is not their primary service. They are a water and fire restoration company that also does mold work. If you have a standalone mold problem with no water damage history, a mold-focused company may be a better fit.
- One Local Guide reviewer with 125 reviews reported that two technicians refused to enter a crawlspace to assess water damage and told the homeowner the moisture would "dry out on a hot day" despite two feet of standing water. The owner response acknowledged the visit but noted the insurance claim was later canceled and cited additional issues beyond their scope.
- Another Local Guide reviewer described conflicting information about drying timelines: told three days, then Saturday pickup, then Monday, then told the area was still wet after equipment had already been removed. The owner response was appreciative but generic.
- Their claimed service area is enormous, covering dozens of cities and zip codes across central South Carolina. Confirm response time for locations far from Columbia.