Provider profile
Emergency Restoration Specialists
Provider snapshot
What this listing says
Milwaukee-area homeowners dealing with basement flooding or water emergencies who want a locally owned restoration company that also handles mold remediation under one roof.
Best for
- Milwaukee metro homeowners with active basement flooding or burst pipes who need same-day emergency extraction.
- Property owners dealing with mold discovered after water damage, where a single company handling both the water and the mold simplifies the process.
- Landlords managing rental properties remotely — multiple reviewers praise ERS for detailed photo documentation and phone-based project updates.
- Homeowners who want to rent drying equipment and handle minor water cleanup themselves rather than paying for a full crew.
About this company
Emergency Restoration Specialists (ERS) is a locally owned restoration company based in Cudahy, Wisconsin, serving the greater Milwaukee metro area. Water damage is their core identity — their domain is literally removewater.com — but they also handle mold remediation, fire damage, biohazard cleanup, storm restoration, and odor removal. They hold IICRC certification and an A+ BBB rating.
On the equipment side, their mold page describes HEPA air scrubbers, negative air pressure containment, hydroxyl generators for odor treatment, and antimicrobial applications. For water jobs they run truck-mounted extraction pumps, LGR dehumidifiers, and thermal imaging cameras for moisture detection. They also rent out dehumidifiers and air movers to homeowners who want to handle smaller jobs themselves — an unusual offering for a restoration company.
ERS says it was established in 2005, making it roughly 20 years old. The company appears to be run by Levi, who shows up in review after review as the primary point of contact. Multiple reviewers describe him answering calls personally, walking people through damage assessments by phone, and in at least one case advising a homeowner on how to do the work themselves rather than billing for it. That pattern — the owner picking up the phone and being straight with people — runs through the reviews consistently.
4.8 stars across 164 Google reviews with zero negative reviews in the last 18 months is a notably clean record. For a restoration company handling emergency situations — where emotions run high and billing disputes are common — that level of consistency is unusual.
Services
Service area
Headquartered in Cudahy, Wisconsin. Serves the Milwaukee metro area including South Milwaukee, West Allis, Wauwatosa, Oak Creek, Greenfield, Glendale, Menomonee Falls, Germantown, St. Francis, Waukesha, Brookfield, New Berlin, Racine, and Kenosha. Also claims Northern Illinois coverage including Gurnee, Waukegan, and Zion — confirm response times for locations that far south.
Review consensus
Levi is the most frequently named person across reviews, praised for fast callbacks, honest damage assessments, and fair pricing. Multiple reviewers specifically note that he told them work was not needed or walked them through a DIY approach instead of billing them. Perci (also spelled Percy) appears in several reviews as a field technician who does free evaluations and honest inspections — Heidi Komorowski's review describes Perci telling her she did not have mold when she expected she would, saving her the cost of remediation. Josh is praised for responsiveness and follow-through. Eric, Chris, Janel, Mike, Sarah, and Katherine also receive positive mentions. Response time is a consistent theme: reviewers describe crews arriving within 30 minutes to an hour, even on weekends and at odd hours.
0 found across 164 total reviews at 4.8★. No 1-star reviews found in the last 18 months. The review record across 164 total reviews at 4.8 stars shows no recent complaints to assess.
The owner-operator model stands out. Levi appears to personally answer calls, do assessments, and follow up with customers weeks after jobs are done. This creates a very different dynamic from franchise restoration companies where you deal with rotating crews and a call center. The tradeoff is scalability — if Levi is personally involved in every job, capacity may be limited during peak storm or flood seasons.
Levi (owner/lead — positive across 15+ reviews for responsiveness, honesty, and fair pricing). Perci/Percy (technician — positive across 8+ reviews for detailed inspections and honest evaluations). Josh (team member — positive for responsiveness and follow-through). Eric (technician — positive for quality work). Chris (technician — positive). Mike (team member — positive). Janel (team member — positive). Sarah (cleaning crew — positive). Katherine (cleaning crew — positive).
ERS has an unusually clean review record for a restoration company. Ask for Levi on the initial call — reviewers consistently describe him as the person who sets the tone for the project. If you are hiring them for mold work specifically, get an independent mold test first since they handle both inspection and remediation.
Keep in mind
- ERS does both mold inspection and mold remediation. That means the same company telling you whether you have a mold problem is also the one billing you to fix it. Consider getting an independent mold test before committing to remediation work.
- Their primary identity is water damage restoration, not mold. Mold remediation is one of many services they offer. If your situation is mold-only with no water component, ask how many standalone mold jobs they handle per month.
- The service area claims stretch from Milwaukee down to Gurnee and Waukegan in Northern Illinois. Confirm response times if you are south of Kenosha — that is over 60 miles from their Cudahy base.
- Several phone numbers appear on different pages of their website (414-501-7953, 414-571-9977, 414-422-8950, 414-509-0511). Confirm which number reaches the dispatch team directly.