Provider profile
1st Call Restoration
Provider snapshot
What this listing says
Cedar Creek Lake and East Texas homeowners dealing with water damage who want a single company to handle mitigation, demo, rebuild, and contents pack-out under one roof.
Best for
- Gun Barrel City, Cedar Creek Lake, and Tyler homeowners who need emergency water extraction with same-day response.
- Property owners who want one company to handle the full cycle from water mitigation through demolition, rebuild, and contents pack-back.
- Homeowners dealing with insurance claims who want the restoration company to handle adjuster communication and documentation directly.
- Churches, commercial properties, and multi-family buildings in East Texas that need large-scale water or storm damage restoration.
- Homeowners who discover mold after a water event and need remediation from a company holding IICRC AMRT and MICRO certifications.
About this company
1st Call Restoration is a full-service restoration company headquartered in Gun Barrel City, TX, near Cedar Creek Lake, with a second office in Tyler. They handle water damage, fire and smoke cleanup, storm damage, mold remediation, and contents restoration for both residential and commercial properties. Their primary identity is water damage restoration, but they run an unusually large in-house operation that covers the entire loss cycle from emergency mitigation through demolition, contents pack-out, and reconstruction.
What stands out is their dedicated contents department. Multiple reviewers describe crews photographing closets and drawers before packing, shrink-wrapping furniture, and returning belongings to the exact same positions after rebuild. That level of move-out and move-back service is uncommon for a company this size. They also hold both IICRC AMRT and MICRO mold remediator certifications, meaning their mold work carries credentials beyond the standard IICRC firm designation. They work directly with insurance adjusters and handle billing, so you typically pay only your deductible.
Founded in 2012 by Tim, who brought an insurance-side background to the business. Jose Paraja joined early on, and they grew from a kitchen table operation to a team of over 25 people across two locations of roughly 10,000 square feet each. The company explicitly states it avoids insurance referral networks, positioning itself as working for the homeowner rather than the carrier. They claim over 230 years of combined team experience and have won local awards including Best Restoration Company in the Cedar Creek Lake Monitor and Readers' Choice in Tyler.
5.0 stars across 266 Google reviews is remarkable. That kind of perfect rating at this volume almost never happens in restoration, where unhappy insurance outcomes and timeline frustrations typically drag scores below 4.8. The company's review profile reflects a team that consistently communicates well during chaotic situations.
Services
Service area
Headquartered at 151 Cody Austin Street in Gun Barrel City, TX, with a second office at 301 S SE Loop 323 in Tyler, TX. They serve the Cedar Creek Lake area, Henderson County, and a wide swath of East Texas and the DFW metro fringe, listing over 80 cities from Dallas to Nacogdoches. Core service area appears to be the Gun Barrel City-to-Tyler corridor. Claims beyond that corridor, particularly Lufkin, Marshall, and Dallas, should be confirmed for response time.
Review consensus
Speed is the dominant theme. Dozens of reviewers report arrival times under an hour, including after-hours and holidays. Aaron is the most frequently named technician across the entire review set, praised repeatedly for clear explanations, daily progress updates, and willingness to help even when the job turned out to be minor. Tristin (also spelled Tristan) draws similar praise for fast response and communication. Santos Cajero is highlighted for honesty and patience, with one reviewer noting he recommended against his own service when carpet replacement was the better option. Jack handles assessments and insurance coordination and is praised for responsiveness. The contents team, including Rosie, Alma, Sally, Adriana, and Laura, receives detailed praise for meticulous packing and unpacking. Multiple reviewers mention the company handled their entire insurance claim process.
(1 found across 266 total reviews at 5★) The only recent negative is a 3-star review from a Local Guide who experienced fast initial mitigation for water damage and mold but then could not get the company to follow through on the promised remodel phase. She reports having to chase them down, being told they would come Monday, and then no-show. The owner responded the next day, acknowledged the failure, and apologized that they should have communicated if they could not meet her timeline. The reviewer paid out of pocket rather than through insurance.
With 266 reviews and a 5.0 rating, the near-total absence of complaints is itself a pattern worth noting. The single negative review points to a gap between the emergency mitigation side of the business, which operates with urgency, and the reconstruction side, which apparently has different scheduling pressures. This is a common structural issue in restoration companies where the emergency team and the rebuild crew operate on different timelines. The owner's response was personalized and specific rather than a template deflection, which suggests active management attention.
Aaron (technician/crew lead — overwhelmingly positive, most frequently mentioned across all reviews). Tristin/Tristan Johnson (technician — consistently positive for fast response and communication). Santos Cajero (technician — positive, praised for honesty and recommending against unnecessary work). Jack (project manager/assessor — positive, handles insurance and assessments). William O'Brian/O'Brien (technician — positive, praised for thoroughness and courtesy). John (crew lead — positive, praised for explanations and demolition work). Jacob (technician — positive, demolition work). Grant/Grant D (technician — positive, praised for calm approach and early-morning response). Ronnie/Ronnie Benavides (manager/technician — positive, praised for communication and honest assessments). Tim (owner — positive, praised for going extra mile on insurance). Rosie (contents team — positive). Alma, Sally, Adriana, Laura (contents team — positive). Heather/Heather Adams (coordination/marketing — positive). Samantha (office/scheduling — positive). Jamie (office — positive, insurance claims assistance). Paul/Paul Henderson (technician — positive). Tyson (management — positive). Kayden/Cayden (technician — positive). Brigham/Bringham (technician — positive). Israel, James, Elijah (technicians — positive). Staton/Stayton (technician — positive). David, John (rebuild crew — positive). Lesley (staff — positive). Curtis Kirby (mentioned by name only). Mike/Michael Crutcher (technician — positive). Noel, Anthony (technicians — positive). Felix, Jose (construction crews — positive). Monica (reviewer of 3-star, not staff). Paul (owner response contact for complaints).
This is a company that excels at the emergency phase: fast arrival, clear communication, and a deep bench of technicians who reviewers call by name. If you need water extracted at 5 AM on a holiday, they deliver. If you also need reconstruction afterward, pin down the timeline in writing before they start, since the one complaint in 266 reviews is exactly about that handoff falling apart. Ask for Aaron or Tristin if you want the technicians with the longest track record of positive reviews.
Keep in mind
- They do both mold testing and mold remediation. When the same company identifies the problem and sells the fix, ask for an independent mold assessment before committing to remediation work.
- Their service area list is enormous, spanning from Dallas County to Nacogdoches and Lufkin. If you are on the outer edge of that territory, confirm response times before assuming the 45-minute arrival window applies to you.
- One recent reviewer hired them expecting full remodel after mitigation and never got follow-through on scheduling. The owner acknowledged the communication gap. If you need reconstruction after the emergency work, get a written timeline before they start.
- The website uses marketing language like "100 years of combined experience" and "230 years of combined experience" on different pages. These are team totals, not individual credentials.
- As a restoration company, mold remediation is one service among many. If your mold problem is not connected to water or fire damage, a mold-focused specialist may be a better fit.