Provider profile
American LLC
Provider snapshot
What this listing says
Snohomish County homeowners dealing with water-triggered mold in crawlspaces or post-leak situations who want one company to handle extraction, drying, remediation, and rebuild under a single Xactimate scope.
Best for
- Edmonds, Mukilteo, and Lynnwood homeowners who need same-day emergency water extraction with mold remediation handled under one scope of work.
- Owners of 1960s-1980s bluff homes in Mukilteo with chronic crawlspace moisture from lateral groundwater intrusion.
- Property managers and HOAs in Snohomish County's multi-family corridor who need Xactimate documentation and inter-unit liability records.
- Homeowners who want mitigation, demolition, and full rebuild handled by one contractor instead of coordinating multiple subs.
About this company
American Water Damage Restoration operates out of Edmonds, Washington, with a secondary equipment warehouse in Mukilteo. They handle water damage, mold remediation, fire and smoke restoration, sewage cleanup, and full reconstruction — start to finish under one contract. Their primary identity is a water damage restoration company that also does mold work, not a mold-only shop.
The equipment list is specific and worth noting: LGR dehumidifiers rated for confined below-grade spaces, truck-mounted extraction units, thermal imaging cameras for moisture mapping, and HEPA air scrubbers. They document every job in Xactimate from the first hour, which means your insurance claim file is being built while drying is underway. For crawlspace work, they set up negative-pressure drying systems using high-CFM air movers — a detail that matters in Puget Sound homes where lateral groundwater intrusion is the main threat.
Marin Caba founded the company in 2020. It holds IICRC S500 certification, BBB accreditation, and RIA membership. Washington contractor license is #AMERIWD794PJ. They also hold WA DES vendor status (WEBS), which means they can take government contracts. The team includes project managers Chip, Russ, and Dion, plus field crew.
4.8 stars across 49 Google reviews is strong for a company this young. The volume is modest, but 47 of those 49 reviews are 5-star, which is an unusually tight positive cluster. The two negatives are serious enough to read carefully before signing anything.
Services
Service area
Headquartered in Edmonds, Washington, with a secondary equipment warehouse in Mukilteo. They serve Edmonds, Mukilteo, Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace, Everett, and broader Snohomish County. Project photos show jobs in Kirkland, Mercer Island, Medina, Redmond, Bothell, Seattle, Sultan, Lake Stevens, and Tacoma — a geographic spread that covers most of the greater Seattle metro area.
Review consensus
Marin draws the most mentions — reviewers describe him arriving within the hour, showing up on weekends and holidays, and personally managing projects from assessment through rebuild. Chip gets specific praise for work at a senior care facility flooding and for ongoing rebuild communication. Russ is called out for fast mold diagnostic visits and knowledgeable assessments. Dion is named as a project manager who guided a homeowner through the insurance process. Across the board, reviewers emphasize rapid response (multiple mention same-day or same-evening arrival), clear communication during stressful situations, and willingness to handle insurance documentation.
2 found across 49 total reviews at 4.8★. Both complaints center on billing disputes that escalated to lien threats. Caitlin Manske (April 2026) says Marin pressured her to sign a contract with assurances about insurance coverage, then billed far more than insurance approved, resulting in a lien on her home. Sean Malone (March 2025) describes AWDR billing for services an insurance auditor deemed unnecessary under IICRC standards. He also cites a March 2025 email where Marin confirmed insurance payment was "full payment," which the company later reversed. AWDR's owner responses to both reviews reference the signed work authorization and frame billing as a contract matter separate from insurance. Neither response addressed the core complaint about charges exceeding industry standards.
The two negatives share a structural pattern: homeowner signs emergency work authorization, AWDR performs work and bills at their rates, insurance pays less than billed, AWDR pursues the homeowner for the difference including liens. Both owner responses are substantive and personalized (not templates), but both deflect the pricing question by pointing to the signed contract rather than addressing whether charges aligned with industry standards. This is a business model risk, not a workmanship complaint — no reviewer questions the quality of the actual restoration work.
Marin Caba (owner/project manager — praised in 10+ positive reviews for responsiveness and hands-on management; named in both 1-star reviews for billing pressure and disputed payment communications). Chip (project manager — praised for communication, rebuild work, and senior facility response). Russ (technician/assessor — praised for fast mold diagnostics and knowledgeable inspections). Andrea (team member — praised for communication alongside Marin and Chip). Dion (project manager — praised for guiding insurance process). Kenneth Nselema (team member — praised for client handling and communication).
The restoration work itself gets near-universal praise — nobody questions the quality of drying, demolition, or rebuild. The risk is financial: understand that the work authorization you sign makes you personally liable for the full billed amount, regardless of what your insurance covers. Before signing, ask AWDR to cap your out-of-pocket at a specific dollar amount, or get a written agreement that insurance payment will be accepted as full settlement. Ask for Marin, Chip, or Russ by name — they are the people reviewers trust.
Keep in mind
- They do both mold testing and mold remediation. That is a conflict of interest — the company identifying the problem also profits from fixing it. Ask for an independent third-party test if mold is found.
- Both 1-star reviews describe the same pattern: charges that exceeded what insurance would cover, followed by collection efforts including property liens. The signed work authorization is between you and AWDR, not your insurer — meaning you owe the full amount regardless of what insurance pays. Understand this before signing.
- The owner responded to both negative reviews with detailed rebuttals referencing signed contracts, but in one case the reviewer cited a written email from Marin confirming insurance payment was sufficient, which the company later walked back. Get any payment agreements in writing and confirmed by both parties.
- Their service area claims span all of Snohomish County with a 60-minute guarantee. That is realistic from Edmonds for nearby cities like Mukilteo, Lynnwood, and Mountlake Terrace. For eastern Snohomish County addresses, confirm actual response time before committing.
- Founded in 2020 — they have about five years of operating history. The team is small, which means the named project managers (Marin, Chip, Russ, Dion) are likely the same people you will work with.