Provider profile
Panhandle Cleaning & Restoration
Provider snapshot
What this listing says
Wheeling-area homeowners and commercial property owners dealing with mold tied to water damage who want a single contractor to handle remediation through reconstruction across West Virginia and the tri-state region.
Best for
- Wheeling, Morgantown, and Charleston homeowners who need mold remediation tied to an existing water damage event and want one company to handle both
- Commercial property owners (offices, healthcare facilities, retail) who need a restoration contractor with multi-state reach and insurance claims support
- Homeowners who want mold testing done by an independent third party rather than the remediation company itself
- Property owners facing a combined water-and-mold situation who want reconstruction included without hiring a second contractor
About this company
Panhandle Cleaning & Restoration is a full-service restoration contractor headquartered in Wheeling, WV, with additional reach into Morgantown, Charleston, and surrounding areas across seven states. Mold work is one piece of a broader operation that covers water damage, fire damage, storm damage, biohazard cleanup, and general construction. Founded in 1977 by Robert C. Contraguerro, Sr., the company operates as a DKI member and handles everything from initial mitigation through final reconstruction under one roof.
For mold specifically, Panhandle does not employ in-house testing staff. They partner with independent industrial hygienists who perform the testing, then Panhandle builds a remediation plan from those results. They handle black mold, HVAC mold, and structural mold removal. Their website references antimicrobial treatments and claims IICRC-trained technicians on staff. They also offer free inspections and financing.
The company has been operating for over 48 years and is a member of DKI (the largest disaster restoration network in North America), CORE Elite, and Restoration Affiliates. They hold BBB accreditation and NADCA membership for duct cleaning. Their website lists hundreds of service area cities across WV, OH, PA, KY, VA, MD, and FL.
At 4.2 stars on Google across 180 reviews, Panhandle sits below the typical threshold for a restoration company of this size and tenure. The recurring theme in negative reviews centers on project timelines stretching far beyond initial estimates, with multiple reviewers reporting jobs that dragged on for months.
Services
Service area
Headquartered in Wheeling, WV, with a second office presence in Morgantown, WV. The company claims a seven-state service area covering West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Virginia, Maryland, and Florida. Their website lists hundreds of cities across these states. The core service area centers on the WV-OH-PA tri-state region around Wheeling and the upper Ohio Valley. The Florida and Virginia coverage is worth confirming for response time and crew availability.
Review consensus
Reviewers consistently highlight the emergency response speed, with multiple accounts of crews arriving within 24 hours for water emergencies. Josh and his team earned praise for deploying temporary heat to a commercial facility on New Year's Eve. Sam stood out as a project manager who communicated well and pushed for quality on a bathroom remodel. Brad drew similar praise as a project manager described as a perfectionist on a complex water damage rebuild. Steve Ellish, the flooring division manager, earned multiple mentions for coordinating large flooring projects. Ron and Chris received praise for carpet cleaning work. The office staff and scheduling team, including Jacob, were noted for being easy to work with.
2 found across 180 total reviews at 4.2★. Ken Hope contacted Chris Mason about engineering and architectural services after a fire. He was quoted $1,500 but later discovered the contract price was roughly five times that. The structural engineer Mark Edge and architect Doug Neal delayed measurements for months, then produced a report the local building inspector rejected. Chris Mason admitted he "poorly handled" the work and resigned without reassigning the project. No one at Panhandle followed up. A second 1-star reviewer reported a basement flood repair still in progress nearly a year later. The owner responded asking for identifying information, suggesting the reviewer's name was not in their system.
The dominant pattern across negative reviews is timeline drift. Four of seven recent complaints (from My_Cousin_Mose, Sierra Williston, Mona Matalik, and David Palmer) center on projects taking far longer than expected. Mona Matalik's 3-star review pinpoints the issue: "too many people inspecting and not enough workers." This suggests a structural bottleneck where assessment and approval steps outpace field crew availability. Owner responses are personalized (not template), and the company responds to 86% of negatives, but the responses tend to apologize without explaining what caused the delay or how it will be prevented.
Chris Mason (project manager — negative, admitted to poorly handling a fire-related project, later resigned). Mark Edge (structural engineer — negative, delayed report rejected by building inspector). Doug Neal (architect — negative, delayed measurements and unresolved report issues). Joe (post-completion contact — negative, unresponsive to follow-up about a toilet leak). John (drywall and painting — positive). Steve / Steve Ellish (flooring division manager — positive, multiple mentions for large flooring projects). Josh (staff/management — positive, praised for emergency response). Sam (project manager — positive, praised for communication and quality). Brad (project manager — positive, described as a perfectionist). Willie (initial assessment — positive, prompt response). Ron (carpet cleaning — positive). Chris (carpet cleaning — positive, different from Chris Mason based on context). Jacob (scheduling — positive). Roger Barker (painting and ceiling work — positive). Tom (mitigation — positive). Dave (mitigation — positive).
Panhandle can handle the full arc from water damage through mold remediation through reconstruction, which saves you from coordinating multiple contractors. Ask for Sam or Brad as your project manager if you can. Get a written timeline with milestone dates and a clause for what happens if deadlines slip. If your project involves anything beyond straightforward remediation, pin down the scope and price in writing before work starts.
Keep in mind
- Panhandle partners with third-party industrial hygienists for mold testing but handles the remediation work. While the testing itself is independent, Panhandle coordinates the referral. Ask who selects the hygienist and whether you can choose your own.
- Multiple reviewers report projects that ran far longer than expected. One reviewer described a basement flood repair still unfinished after nearly a year. Another said an hour-long job took three months. Get a written timeline with milestones before signing.
- The seven-state service area claim (WV, OH, PA, KY, VA, MD, FL) is extremely broad for a company headquartered in Wheeling. Confirm response times and crew availability for your specific location, especially if you are outside the WV-OH-PA core.
- One detailed 1-star review describes a quoted price of $1,500 that ballooned to roughly five times that amount, with the project manager later admitting he "poorly handled" the work. Get itemized pricing in writing before work begins.
- After-completion responsiveness is a concern. At least two reviewers reported difficulty getting callbacks once the main job was done and payment collected.