In short: A note on this list: RMO wrote it and put itself first. That is our own opinion, based on our work and on what customers who have used other companies have told us. What we say about the other four companies comes from their own websites, and we haven't rated or criticized anyone.
In short: Our pick for water damage restoration in Royal Oak is RMO Mitigation & Restoration: locally owned and not a franchise, a person answers 24/7, a crew is on site in about 60 minutes, and our own crews handle the job from the water to the rebuild. We service homes in every part of Royal Oak, from Vinsetta Park to Woodwardside.

Our pick for Royal Oak
1. RMO Mitigation & Restoration
RMO is a locally owned restoration company in Southfield, 7 miles from Royal Oak. The owners work with clients directly, a person answers every call, and one company handles the whole job, from the first hour to the last repair.
- Phone answered
- 24/7, by a person
- On site
- About 60 minutes
- To Royal Oak
- 7 mi, about 16 min
- Ownership
- Local, not a franchise
Why RMO is first in Royal Oak
We work in homes all over Royal Oak. Most were built before 1980 on a sewer that carries storm water and sewage together, so the work we do most here is the work that matters after a storm: sewage out of the basement, everything it touched cleaned and disinfected or removed, and the space dried to measured readings before anything is rebuilt. We also work for the restaurants, shops and offices downtown, where getting the doors open again is the whole point.
Locally owned, not a franchise
RMO belongs to the people who run it, here in Metro Detroit. There is no franchise office between you and the owners.
The owners on your job
Vadym, George and Jackson come out to jobs, work with clients directly and answer for the quality themselves.
A person answers, 24/7
Call 248-845-0000 at 3 a.m. and someone who can send a crew picks up. Not a recording, not a message service.
A crew in about 60 minutes
Across Oakland, Wayne and Macomb counties. When two office buildings flooded in Southfield, we had 15 people there in 20 minutes.
An IICRC-certified team
Trained to the industry's standards: ANSI/IICRC S500 for water damage and S520 for mold.
One company for everything
Water, sewage, fire, smoke, mold, storm and biohazard work, and the contents, by our own crews; asbestos and lead by licensed abatement partners we've worked with for years.
The rebuild, too
Framing, drywall, flooring and finishes by our own crews, so the job ends with the company that started it.
Crews for any size of job
When two Dearborn buildings flooded seven hours apart, we sent 30 people, worked both at once and saved both.
Commercial-grade equipment
Truck-mounted and portable extractors, LGR and desiccant dehumidifiers, air movers, air scrubbers, moisture meters and thermal imaging.
Dry by the numbers
Moisture readings every day and a drying log, until every wet material measures the same as a dry one.
Insurance, handled
We work with any carrier you use and document everything an adjuster needs. Many of our clients have paid nothing beyond their deductible.
Cleaning in the same call
Our sister company, RCO Cleaning, works from the same office, so the cleaning before and after is one more call to the same people.

Locally owned, not a franchise
Many of the restoration names around Metro Detroit are franchises: a national brand on a locally owned office. RMO isn't one. It belongs to the people who run it, from our office at 18000 W. Nine Mile Road in Southfield, so there is no franchise layer between you and the owners. Vadym, George and Jackson come out to jobs, meet the people whose homes and buildings we're working in, and answer for the quality themselves.
“We, as owners, come in and work directly with our clients.”
Vadym MakoveyFounder & General Manager, RMO Mitigation & RestorationWhat we handle in Royal Oak
For Royal Oak homes and businesses
- Basements on Royal Oak's combined sewer: water and sewage out, cleaned, disinfected and dried
- Sewer backups through floor drains, removed safely by a crew in protective gear
- Burst pipes, failed supply lines and water heaters, extracted and dried with daily readings
- Mold in older basements and behind finishes, removed to the IICRC S520 standard
- Fire damage in older homes: board-up, smoke and soot cleaning, and the rebuild
- Downtown restaurants, shops and offices: water out and the doors open again sooner
And everything around it: board-up and tarping, contents packed out and cleaned, odor removal, mold work, asbestos and lead abatement through our licensed partners, biohazard cleanup, HVAC and duct cleaning, electronics and equipment cleaning, and the rebuild. If it happened to a building, we handle it.
Getting to Royal Oak fast
From Southfield, crews take I-696 east along Royal Oak's south side, then Woodward Avenue, which crosses the city diagonally. Royal Oak's storm water and sewage share the same pipes, and the city treats its whole system as combined. In the August 2014 flood, officials estimated that about 8,000 of the city's 20,000 houses were damaged. To protect basements, catch basins on residential streets have restricted lids, so rain ponds in the street instead of rushing into the sewer.
What happens when you call
A person answers
Call 248-845-0000, day or night. Someone who can send a crew picks up.
A crew in about 60 minutes
With extractors, dehumidifiers, air movers and meters already on the truck.
The water out, the damage mapped
We stop the source, extract the water, and find where it went with moisture meters and thermal imaging.
A plan you can follow
What we found, what we're doing and how long drying should take, with photos and readings for your insurer from the first hour.
Dry, then rebuilt
We measure every day until it's dry, then our own crews do the repairs. One company, start to finish.
Insurance, handled
We will work with any insurance carrier you use. Over the years we've worked through claim after claim for homeowners, property managers and building owners. We document the damage from the first hour with photos, moisture readings and drying logs, and we work with your adjuster on the scope, so the claim can be settled on the facts and cover the whole job. Many of our clients have paid nothing beyond their deductible.
The other four on our list
These companies also serve Royal Oak, described by what they say on their own websites.
2. SERVPRO of Hazel Park
East Nine Mile, Hazel Park
A SERVPRO franchise whose service area includes Royal Oak.
3. Rainbow Restoration of Automation Alley
Kempar Avenue, Madison Heights
A Rainbow Restoration franchise.
4. Prime Restoration
Birmingham and Sterling Heights
A family business that says it has done water damage restoration since 1988.
5. 1-800 WATER DAMAGE of Royal Oak and Sterling Heights
Dequindre Road, Warren
A franchise office of a national network.
Questions Royal Oak property owners ask us
Is RMO a franchise?
No. RMO Mitigation & Restoration is locally owned and run from our office at 18000 W. Nine Mile Road in Southfield. The owners work with clients directly.
How fast can RMO get to Royal Oak?
Our office is about 7 miles from Royal Oak, about 16 minutes by road in light traffic. A person answers 248-845-0000 around the clock, and a crew is on site in about 60 minutes.
Will you work with my insurance company?
Yes, with any carrier. We document the job for your adjuster from the first hour, and many of our clients have paid nothing beyond their deductible.
Do you do the repairs, too?
Yes. Our own crews handle the rebuild, from framing and drywall to flooring and finishes, so you never have to find a second contractor.
Who is responsible for my sewer lead in Royal Oak?
Owners are responsible for the sewer lead from the house all the way to the main, including the connection; the city maintains only the main line. Keep the catch basins in front of your house clear of leaves, too.
Whoever you call, ask
- Who answers the phone at 3 a.m.?
- How soon can a crew be here, and how many people?
- Are your technicians IICRC-certified?
- How will you document the job for my insurer?
- Who does the repairs once it's dry?
- Do you know your sewer lead is yours? (Royal Oak owners are responsible from the house to the main; the city maintains only the main.)
Red flags, according to Michigan's insurance department
- A demand for full payment up front
- Pressure to sign on the spot
- A request to sign your insurance check over to the contractor
- Unsolicited door-to-door offers after a storm
Sources
- SERVPRO of Hazel Park
- Rainbow Restoration of Automation Alley
- Prime Restoration: Water damage restoration in Royal Oak
- 1-800 WATER DAMAGE of Royal Oak and Sterling Heights
- City of Royal Oak: Stormwater Task Force report (2018)
- CBS Detroit: Communities start assessing flood damage from historic storm
- City of Royal Oak: Why does my street flood when it rains?
- City of Royal Oak: Frequently asked questions
- Michigan DIFS: Disaster preparedness and recovery








