Provider profile
A&J Property Restoration
Provider snapshot
What this listing says
Waukesha and southeastern Wisconsin homeowners dealing with water damage, sewage backups, or mold who want a single company to handle cleanup through reconstruction under one roof.
Best for
- Waukesha, Brookfield, New Berlin, and Milwaukee-area homeowners who need emergency water extraction with same-day response.
- Property owners facing water damage or sewage backup who want one company to handle cleanup, mold remediation, and reconstruction without coordinating multiple contractors.
- Commercial building managers in southeastern Wisconsin needing documented damage restoration with Matterport 3D walkthroughs for insurance claims.
- Homeowners dealing with mold discovered after a water event who want the moisture source and mold addressed together.
- Madison-area residents who need restoration services — A&J's DeForest office covers Dane County and surrounding communities.
About this company
A&J Property Restoration is a full-service restoration company based in Waukesha, Wisconsin, serving the greater Milwaukee and Madison metro areas. They handle everything from emergency water extraction to mold remediation, fire damage cleanup, and full reconstruction — all under one company. They operate out of two offices: Waukesha (serving the Milwaukee side) and DeForest (serving the Madison side). They are part of the American Restoration national network of brands.
What stands out is their use of Matterport 3D camera technology to document damage. This creates a virtual walkthrough of the affected area that can be shared with insurance adjusters and revisited without returning to the site. They also rent restoration equipment directly to property owners. As a general contractor, they can take a project from initial water extraction through drywall replacement and final finishes without subcontracting the rebuild phase.
A&J has been operating since 1984 — over 40 years in the restoration business. They hold IICRC firm certification, carry a BBB A+ rating, and are members of NARI Madison, the Apartment Association of Southeastern Wisconsin, and the Blue Book Building & Construction Network. Their contact page lists a staff of about a dozen, including a general manager (Cole Pustina), multiple project managers, a mitigation superintendent, and a dedicated reconstruction operations manager.
Their 4.3-star Google rating across 72 reviews is solid but not exceptional. The positive reviews are enthusiastic, especially around emergency response speed and crew professionalism. The negatives, while few, all point to the same issue: follow-up communication dropping off after initial contact.
Services
Service area
Headquartered in Waukesha, Wisconsin, with a second office in DeForest. They serve over 50 communities across southeastern Wisconsin, including Milwaukee, Madison, Brookfield, New Berlin, Wauwatosa, West Allis, Fitchburg, Sun Prairie, and Waunakee. The service area stretches from Edgerton and Cambridge in the south to Whitefish Bay in the northeast.
Review consensus
Austin gets the most mentions by name, appearing in well over a dozen reviews as a project manager who shows up quickly, explains the scope clearly, and follows through on estimates. Ski and Sean are frequently named together on cleanup crews, praised for being efficient and protective of unaffected areas. Steve and Joe are called out for basement sanitization and sewage cleanup work. Cole (the general manager) gets credit for personally addressing concerns. Brennan is praised for patience during reconstruction work. Multiple reviewers specifically mention fast emergency response — several say crews arrived within an hour or the next morning. Insurance documentation and photo records are noted as a strength.
3 found across 72 total reviews at 4.3★. One reviewer scheduled a 9 AM remediation inspection that never happened — no technician showed, no callback despite two follow-up calls, and she lost a workday waiting. A second reviewer (a Local Guide with 10 reviews) describes a more serious breakdown: Austin Bailiff provided only a partial estimate after a flood inspection, then stopped responding to emails and calls. When she escalated to the office, Karmen VanderGalien initially offered to help but delayed action, and the reviewer alleges the company misrepresented her damage timeline to FEMA. The owner responded months later with a generic message offering a phone number. A third reviewer (3-star, also a Local Guide) waited four days for a callback on a mold mitigation quote and never received one. Cole Pustina responded personally to that review, offered his direct number, and suggested the call may have been missed in their system.
The communication failures share a structural trait: they happen between initial contact and the actual work starting. Once a crew is on-site, reviews are overwhelmingly positive. The gap appears to be in scheduling and follow-up — the office-to-field handoff. The owner response pattern is mixed: Cole Pustina's personal response to the 3-star review (with his direct phone number) looks genuine and engaged. The response to the Jamye Perez complaint came nearly six months later and reads as a template, which undermines its credibility. The Jessica Nelson complaint received no response at all.
Austin Bailiff (project manager — strongly positive in many reviews, negative in one for unresponsiveness). Ski (cleanup crew — positive, praised for efficiency and wall repair). Sean/Shaun (cleanup crew — positive, noted for attention to detail). Steve (cleanup crew — positive, praised for sanitization work). Joe/Joseph (cleanup crew — positive, mentioned in multiple basement jobs). John/Johnny (cleanup crew — positive). Cole Pustina (general manager — positive, personally responds to concerns). Brennan/Brennen Boano (project manager — positive, praised for patience and reconstruction). Michele/Michelle W (positive, praised alongside Austin for ease of communication). Tony (positive, praised for responsiveness and scheduling). Riley Walker (reconstruction operations manager — positive, praised for availability). Melissa (positive, helped coordinate asbestos testing under tight deadline). Karmen VanderGalien (file coordinator — negative in one review for delayed action and alleged misrepresentation). Christi (positive, praised for communication during water damage project). Alexavier Acosta (positive, mentioned in sewer backup cleanup). Jennifer Sweet (office manager — positive, praised for quick responses). Bruce (project manager — positive). Jonathan and Thaddeus (cleanup crew — positive). Obidiah (cleanup crew — positive). Jimmy/Jimmie Harris (inspector — positive, praised for kindness during sewage emergency).
A&J does strong work once they are on the job — the crew-level reviews are genuinely enthusiastic. The risk is in the scheduling and follow-up phase before work begins. Get Austin's or Cole's direct number at first contact, confirm appointments proactively, and do not wait more than 24 hours for a callback before escalating. If your project involves mold, get a separate assessment to avoid the conflict of interest.
Keep in mind
- A&J does both mold testing and mold remediation. That means the same company identifying the problem also profits from fixing it. Consider getting an independent mold assessment before committing to their remediation scope.
- Communication follow-through is the recurring weak spot. Two of three recent negative reviews describe missed appointments or unreturned calls. Confirm your appointment the day before and get your project manager's direct phone number early.
- Their service area is broad — over 50 cities across southeastern Wisconsin. If you are on the edges of that footprint (Cambridge, Edgerton, Blue Mounds), confirm response times for your location before an emergency.
- The handoff between their mitigation team and their repair/reconstruction team has been described as bumpy by more than one reviewer. Ask who your single point of contact will be through the entire project.