1. Document what you're seeing
Take note of the symptoms, hold off on anything that would make the damage worse, and gather what history you have — when it started, any past leaks, prior repairs.
2. Look at the whole house, not just the spot
A stained patch of drywall rarely explains itself. Getting a full picture means tracing how water is getting in, what the humidity levels are doing, how far the affected materials extend, how the work area will be contained, and how it will be verified once finished.
3. Put the scope in writing
Spell out the prep work, what gets protected, which materials will be used, how the crew will access the space, what permits apply, what testing confirms success, cleanup expectations, finish restoration, anything excluded, and how changes to the plan get handled.
4. Compare more than the bottom line
Check credentials, then look at how each proposal explains its own reasoning and where its responsibilities stop — that tells you more than the total price does.
5. Confirm the job is actually done
Before calling it finished, confirm the testing results, that cleanup is complete, get documentation of what was done, understand the warranty, and know what maintenance is still on you going forward.