First, let me start by saying that mold problems in the home have been a bit overhyped. If you are not otherwise immune compromised, or have respiratory health issues, then mold or mildew is not the lethal, hazmat, biological weapon you might have been led to believe. If it were truly that dangerous, none of us would get into our bathroom showers without respirators.
Some remediation companies have taken advantage of that fear to oversell their services. Two other companies that I had come do an estimate were committed to pulling down half the drywall and all of the ceiling. ServPro was much more reasonable and measured in their approach, even from the first phone call. They realized our mold problem could be safely and effectively resolved with a complete and careful wipe-down process, and fogging. This made the job shorter, less costly, and with less reconstruction for me to do afterward. Maybe it's because ServPro has been doing this kind of work since long before mold became the bugaboo it is today — they know the difference between what is really hazardous and what is just mildly gross, and don't fleece their customers for the one when it's just the latter.
And if you are a DIYer like me, they can work with you. I saved on the price by me being the one to remove the soft and fabric items like carpet, drapery, sofa, etc, out to the curb for free pick up by our regular waste management service. The other companies wanted to wrap and tape it, and then add on a hazardous biological disposal fee.
The manager and his crew were pleasant and personable. They were usually on time, but if they were running a little late they would call ahead to tell me. They worked hard, diligently, and with careful attention to detail. Because of that, the job took an extra day to complete. But we all agreed — better done right than too fast. And there was no extra cost for the added day.
The end result is excellent. No mass demolition for me to rebuild. Just a good, fresh paint job and it will be a new room.
If your mold problem is big, really dark, and you think you might have heard it growling at you, be sure to include ServPro in your list of expert remediation companies to come asses it and give you a quote. But if your job is minor, like mine was, don't bother calling anybody but them — they will match the right level of effort to the level of the problem. Other companies might want to charge you much more for over-doing the job.