Provider profile
Michael & Son Services
Provider snapshot
What this listing says
Northern Virginia homeowners dealing with water damage that led to mold, who want one company to handle extraction, remediation, and rebuild under one roof with insurance coordination.
Best for
- Alexandria, Fairfax, Arlington, and greater Northern Virginia homeowners who need mold remediation after a water damage event and want one company to handle the full sequence.
- Homeowners whose insurance is covering the claim, since Michael & Son works directly with insurers and provides documentation for the claims process.
- Situations where mold and water damage overlap with needed plumbing, electrical, or HVAC repairs, since the company covers all those trades internally.
- Buyers who value a large company with 24/7 availability and a big fleet over a mold-focused specialist.
About this company
Michael & Son is a large multi-trade home services company headquartered in Alexandria, VA, that offers mold remediation as one division within a much broader operation covering HVAC, plumbing, electrical, roofing, and remodeling. Mold work is housed under their restoration department alongside water damage and fire damage services. They operate out of 5740 General Washington Dr and serve the Northern Virginia, DC, and Maryland corridor.
Their mold remediation page mentions commercial-grade air scrubbers to purify indoor air, identifying and eliminating water sources feeding growth, and restoring or replacing contaminated structures and belongings. They also describe using negative air chambers during elevated mold situations. The more distinctive capability is their water-to-mold pipeline: because they handle water damage restoration in-house, they can move from water extraction through mold remediation to rebuild without handing off to another contractor. They claim a 1-hour response time and work directly with insurance companies on claims.
Mousa "Mike" Mansour started the business as a one-man electrical shop in 1976. His son Basim took over in 1990 at age 19 after Mike's death. The company grew from a garage operation to nearly 1,000 employees across eleven locations in four states, with 500+ service trucks. They added restoration services (including mold) in 2014. Basim's sister joined in 1998 to help restructure the company.
At 4.7 stars on Google with over 15,600 reviews, the overall rating is strong. But the volume of recent 1-star complaints about pricing, upselling, and poor follow-through deserves attention. Many negative reviewers describe being quoted repair costs several times higher than competitors, or being told they need full system replacements when simpler fixes existed.
Services
Service area
Headquartered in Alexandria, VA at 5740 General Washington Dr. The Alexandria office lists service areas including Fairfax, Arlington, Springfield, Bethesda, Rockville, Gaithersburg, McLean, Ashburn, Germantown, Centreville, and Sterling. The broader company operates eleven locations across Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Washington DC. For mold remediation specifically, confirm that your area is served by the Alexandria office and not a more distant location.
Review consensus
Positive reviewers consistently name individual techs and praise their knowledge, friendliness, and willingness to explain work. Cesar drew praise for pipe repair expertise and courtesy. Lloyd was commended for his informative inspection style. Bertrand received praise for thoroughness during a plumbing examination. Wayne Matthews was praised for getting an AC unit working and installing a smart thermostat. Isac was noted for handling multiple electrical tasks confidently. Joel was called efficient and knowledgeable for electrical work. Terrance was praised for finding a sewer problem other plumbers missed. Patrick Brooks was commended for garbage disposal work. Ray drew praise for bathroom vent fan restoration and transparency about additional issues. Multiple reviewers mention long-term loyalty to the company, with some citing 10+ years of use.
61 found across 15,687 total reviews at 4.7★. Aggressive upselling is the dominant complaint. Rafael Toledo was told he needed a $4,000 repair and possible $9,000 furnace replacement; the gas company fixed the actual issue at no charge. Douglas Kallmeyer, a 20-year customer, was quoted $2,000 to install a $500 blower motor and then pushed toward a $12,000 system replacement. Sandie Kaplanis was quoted $1,699 for an inducer motor replacement; another company found a bird in the motor and fixed it for $500. Kevin Massenberg was recommended an $18,000 system replacement when the actual fix took a second company 30 minutes. Taiyan Zu was told to spend $1,000+ on a motor replacement that turned out to be unnecessary. Kyla Sweeting was immediately told she needed a new furnace; another company found disconnected wires. Poor follow-through is the second major pattern. Shane Hanlon waited over a month with no callback for a mini-split repair. M Acharya had six failed tech visits over a month with a brand-new HVAC unit that never got fixed. Rachael England's newly installed HVAC failed after two weeks in January, and it took multiple weeks of runaround to get parts and scheduling. Evan Paradis waited 7 weeks for parts on a unit installed the prior year. Several reviewers describe feeling deceived about pricing transparency. Kim DeSantos was quoted over $400 per toilet part that costs $20 at Home Depot. Meklit Girma describes a plumber who fixed an issue before getting consent, then billed for it. Rhonda Warren alleges billing for services never rendered on an insurance claim. Named staff in negatives: Dimas was called out for ordering wrong parts and unsanitary practices. Oscar Flores was accused of lying about plan coverage to push a sale. DeAngelo was described as less skilled and unable to answer questions. Jorge Alvarez was named in a complaint about rude behavior and suspicious part replacement. Wayne Matthews was accused of fabricating a no-show excuse in one negative review (though praised in a separate positive review). Maurice Noori of customer relations was described as dismissive and rude in email communications.
The structural driver behind most complaints is a commission-based compensation model. One reviewer (Kim DeSantos) was told directly that techs work on commission. This explains the consistent pattern: diagnose expensive, recommend replacement over repair, push service plans. The company's scale (1,000 employees, 500+ trucks) means quality varies dramatically by individual tech. Reviewers who get a skilled, honest technician rave about the experience; those who get a commission-hungry one describe feeling scammed. Owner responses are almost entirely templated, directing reviewers to the same phone number and email regardless of complaint severity. Several reviewers note that calling this number produces no results. The 92% response rate looks good on paper but the cookie-cutter format suggests automated reputation management rather than genuine engagement.
Cesar (plumber -- positive). Lloyd (inspector -- positive). Bertrand (plumber -- positive). Wayne Matthews (HVAC tech -- mixed: positive for AC repair, negative for alleged no-show fabrication). Isac (electrician -- positive). Joel (electrician -- positive). Terrance (plumber -- positive, also referenced positively vs. DeAngelo). Patrick Brooks (plumber -- positive). Ray (electrician -- positive). Diego (HVAC tech -- positive). Hyung Nam (service tech -- positive). Ilich (electrician -- positive). Stuart Turner (tech -- positive). Ron Howard (tech -- positive). Larry (HVAC manager -- negative for poor communication). Soko (tech -- positive). Ben B (plumber -- positive). Cindy (electrician -- positive). David (electrician -- positive). Douglas (HVAC tech -- positive). Juan (HVAC tech -- positive). Angel (tech -- positive). Ghulam Mujtaba (plumber -- positive). Dimas (HVAC tech -- negative). Oscar Flores (electrician -- negative). DeAngelo (tech -- negative). Jorge Alvarez (HVAC tech -- negative). Bryan (HVAC tech -- mixed: described as nice but did minimal work). Joshua (HVAC tech -- mixed: positive in one review for mold discovery, negative in another for repeated failed diagnoses). Moses (manager -- negative). Maurice Noori (customer relations -- negative). Kevin (HVAC tech -- negative, failed repair attempt). Mohan (HVAC tech -- negative, failed repair attempt). Chris (HVAC tech -- negative, failed repair attempt). Hunter (scheduler -- negative, scheduling issues). Nia (customer service -- negative, tried to send same failed tech back).
If you hire Michael & Son for mold work, get an independent mold assessment first and get your remediation scope in writing before they start. Ask specifically whether your assigned tech has mold remediation experience or is primarily an HVAC or plumbing tech. The company can be genuinely good when you get the right technician, but the commission-driven culture means you should expect an upsell and have a second opinion ready.
Keep in mind
- They do both testing and remediation, creating a conflict of interest. The same company identifying your mold problem also profits from fixing it. Get an independent assessment before committing to their remediation scope.
- Pricing complaints dominate the negative reviews. Multiple reviewers report being quoted 2-4x what competitors charged for the same work, and several describe techs pushing full system replacements when cheaper repairs were available.
- Mold remediation is a small part of their business. Their Google category is fire damage restoration, their primary identity is HVAC, plumbing, and electrical, and mold is one subsection of one division. The tech who shows up may not be a mold specialist.
- Follow-through is a recurring problem. Reviewers describe weeks or months of unreturned calls, missed appointments, and customer service reps who cannot connect them to the right department or manager.
- Owner responses to negative reviews follow a near-identical template directing people to call or email a customer relations number. This pattern across 92% of negatives suggests reputation management rather than individual problem-solving.