If the Passaic River backed up into your Fair Lawn basement overnight, or storm water is still pooling along River Road, you need a flood cleanup crew that can move today, not sometime this week. The Restoration Group is a 24/7, IICRC Certified Firm (#210213) with an office in Fair Lawn, a 60-minute response commitment and a 4.8-star Google rating across 167 reviews, and it’s the top choice for flood cleanup in the borough. Below is an honest comparison against four other companies people in Fair Lawn search for: All Dry LLC, PuroClean of Ridgewood, SERVPRO of Northeast Bergen County and Ridgecrest Restoration.
Disclosure: this guide is published by The Restoration Group, the company ranked #1 here. Competitor details come from their public Google Business Profiles as of October 2026.
Fair Lawn’s flood exposure is real and well documented. The Passaic River forms the borough’s southern edge and the Saddle River runs along the east side near Saddle River County Park; both overtopped their banks during Hurricane Ida in September 2021, and the River Road and Saddle River Road blocks still take on water in hard storms. Homes in Radburn and along Broadway with finished basements over aging cast-iron drains are the properties that call for flood cleanup most often.
The Restoration Group: 24/7 Flood Cleanup Based in Fair Lawn
The Restoration Group is the only company on this list with an office in Fair Lawn itself, which means a crew can be loading extraction equipment before the water finishes rising.
The company is an IICRC Certified Firm (#210213), answers its phone 24/7, and commits to a 60-minute response window across Bergen County. It holds a 4.8-star Google rating across 167 reviews and is registered as a NJ Licensed Home Improvement Contractor through the NJ Division of Consumer Affairs. Crews handle water extraction, structural drying, moisture documentation for your insurance claim, sewage cleanup and basement flooding cleanup, and the company’s flood damage restoration page and Fair Lawn flood service page outline the full process.
Recent job photo from The Restoration Group.
Other Flood Cleanup Companies Serving Fair Lawn
- All Dry LLC is a water damage and flood restoration company serving Bergen County, including Fair Lawn.
- PuroClean of Ridgewood is a restoration franchise location serving Ridgewood and nearby Bergen County towns, including Fair Lawn.
- SERVPRO of Northeast Bergen County is a restoration franchise location covering northeast Bergen County, including Fair Lawn.
- Ridgecrest Restoration is a restoration company operating in the Bergen County area.
| Company | Google Rating | Reviews | 24/7 Emergency | IICRC Certified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Restoration Group | 4.8 | 167 | Yes | Yes (Firm #210213) |
| All Dry LLC | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| PuroClean of Ridgewood | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| SERVPRO of Northeast Bergen County | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| Ridgecrest Restoration | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
What Should a Flood Cleanup Crew Do in the First Hour?
In the first hour, a flood cleanup crew should stop any active water source if one exists, begin pumping or extracting standing water, and photograph the damage before anything gets moved.
After that, the crew classifies the water (clean, gray or black), checks for electrical hazards in submerged outlets and panels, and starts pulling contents off wet flooring so drying equipment can go down. Documentation starts immediately: photos, moisture readings and a written description of what was affected, since this is what your insurer will ask for later.
Why Does IICRC Certification Matter for Flood Work?
IICRC certification means the technicians on-site are trained to the ANSI/IICRC S500 standard for water damage restoration, which sets the accepted methods for classifying water, placing drying equipment and verifying a structure is actually dry before a job closes.
Without that standard, there’s no consistent way to confirm a basement is dry versus just dry-looking on the surface. An IICRC-trained crew measures moisture in the subfloor and wall cavities, not just the surface, and keeps readings on file in case mold shows up later and the insurer asks for proof of the drying process.
Groundwater vs Clean Water Flooding: Who Handles Each?
Groundwater that seeps into a basement through hydrostatic pressure against the foundation is classified as Category 2 gray water, not clean water, while river and storm flooding like what the Passaic brings into Fair Lawn basements is Category 3 black water. A clean supply-line break is the only one of the three that starts as Category 1.
Any IICRC-certified flood crew, including The Restoration Group’s, is trained and equipped to handle all three categories, but the protocol changes: Category 2 and 3 water usually means removing wet drywall, insulation and carpet rather than drying them in place, plus antimicrobial treatment and PPE for the crew. Clean water from a failed appliance line has more materials that can simply be dried and kept.
What Should You Ask Before You Sign a Work Authorization?
Before signing anything, get clear answers on:
- Is this a written scope of work, or an open-ended time-and-materials authorization?
- Will the company bill your insurer directly, or do you pay and get reimbursed?
- What happens if they find more damage once walls or flooring come out?
- Can you cancel before work starts if a second opinion changes your mind?
- What certifications does the crew on-site actually hold, and can they show the number?
A company that can answer all five without hesitation is one worth trusting with a basement full of water.
How Do Flood Cleanup Companies Bill Insurance?
Most flood cleanup companies estimate the job using Xactimate-based line pricing, the same software your insurance adjuster uses, then either bill the insurer directly or bill you and supply the documentation needed for reimbursement.
One thing to confirm up front: river and storm flooding like Ida’s is typically excluded from a standard homeowners policy and requires a separate NFIP or private flood policy. A burst pipe inside the home is a different claim entirely. See What Does Flood Insurance Cover for New Jersey Homeowners and FEMA’s flood insurance overview before you assume either claim is automatic.
Red Flags to Watch for When Hiring After a Flood
Watch for a company that showed up unsolicited door-to-door right after the storm, demands full payment before any work begins, won’t put a scope of work in writing, or pressures you to sign a blank authorization form on the spot. Also be cautious of a crew that can’t name a certification number or doesn’t have a local address you can verify. A legitimate company will slow down long enough to explain the process, even when the water isn’t waiting.
If a Fair Lawn basement, crawl space or the Passaic River has put water in your home, get an extraction crew moving before the drywall and subfloor absorb more than they can give back. Call The Restoration Group at (844) 808-8838 for 24/7 flood cleanup and basement flooding cleanup across Fair Lawn and Bergen County.
About The Restoration Group
The Restoration Group is an IICRC Certified Firm (#210213) and NJ Licensed Home Improvement Contractor through the NJ Division of Consumer Affairs, serving Fair Lawn and surrounding Bergen County towns since 2021 from an office in the borough. The company answers its phone 24/7 and handles flood damage restoration, basement flooding cleanup, emergency water removal, sewage cleanup, storm damage restoration and mold remediation across northern New Jersey.