What is a Packout Service, and Why is it Necessary?
During a major property loss event—such as a flooded first floor or a kitchen fire—leaving your furniture and personal items inside the home is rarely an option. High humidity levels will rapidly cause wood to warp and mold to bloom on upholstery. Acidic smoke residue will permanently pit and corrode metal fixtures and electronics within days. Furthermore, a house filled with furniture makes it nearly impossible for our mitigation crews to properly tear out damaged drywall, dry the subfloors, and execute a structural rebuild.
A professional packout removes your belongings from the hazardous environment immediately. By relocating your contents to a secure, off-site facility, we halt the progression of secondary damage, clear the workspace for structural repairs, and begin the meticulous process of cleaning and deodorizing your items so they are ready for you when you move back in.
DIGITAL INVENTORY
SECURE PACKOUT
CONTENTS CLEANING
SECURE STORAGE
SEAMLESS TAKEBACKS
Our 5-Step Contents Restoration Process
We understand that handing over your personal belongings during a crisis is stressful. That is why America’s General Contractor utilizes a transparent, highly documented chain-of-custody process. You will know exactly where your items are at all times.
1. Comprehensive Digital Inventory
Before a single item is shifted, a perimeter is established, and the “as-found” state of the property is preserved through documentation. contents specialists, trained in asset management rather than just moving, enter the loss site.
Pre-Loss Condition Documentation: Using high-resolution digital cameras, specialists photograph every item in situ (in its original place). This captures the precise level of damage (soot coverage, water saturation, or structural breakage) before handling. This is vital for insurance purposes to prove the damage occurred from the peril, not the move.
Barcoding & advanced Software: Every individual item—or box of similar small items—is assigned a unique barcode sticker. This barcode is scanned into advanced restoration inventory software (such as iCAT or Xactimate Contents).
The Digital Manifest: Within the software, the barcode is linked to:
The photos of the item.
A detailed description (e.g., “Sony 55-inch TV,” “Antique Mahogany Armoire,” “Box of kitchen utensils”).
The exact room it came from (e.g., “Master Bedroom”).
Claim Streamlining: This organized manifest creates a transparent “chain of custody.” For the homeowner, it means total peace of mind knowing nothing is lost. For the insurance adjuster, it provides an undeniable, organized record that dramatically speeds up the claims processing time.
2. Secure Packout & Transportation
Standard moving companies are not equipped to handle contaminated or fragile post-disaster items. Once inventoried, trained packout technicians begin the delicate process of moving the items from the hazardous environment.
Eliminating Standard Materials: Standard cardboard boxes fail when wet and offer little protection against soot odor. Restoration-grade, heavy-duty, moisture-resistant double-walled boxes are used instead.
Vulnerability-Specific Packing:
Electronics: Are wrapped in anti-static bubble wrap to protect delicate circuitry from static discharge and soot infiltration.
Artwork and Delicate Items: These are not just wrapped; they are often custom-crated on-site. Acid-free paper is used to prevent chemical reactions with damaged finishes.
Upholstered Furniture: To prevent “cross-contamination”—the transfer of soot or mold from one item to another during transit—all fabric furniture is shrink-wrapped securely.
Climate-Controlled Fleet: Items are loaded into an enclosed, clean fleet of vehicles. For high-value wood or climate-sensitive electronics, climate-controlled vehicles may be used to prevent warping or condensation during the drive to the facility.
3. Specialized Cleaning & Restoration
This is where science meets restoration. Belongings are taken to a specialized facility, where they are sorted by material and type of damage. Technicians utilize a suite of state-of-the-art technologies that go far beyond standard household cleaning.
Hard Goods (Ultrasonic Cleaning): For ceramics, glass, metal, jewelry, and endurable plastics damaged by soot or water, industrial ultrasonic waves are used. Items are submerged in a specialized solution. High-frequency sound waves create microscopic bubbles that implode (cavitation), violently scrubbing soot, rust, and contaminants out of tiny crevices without scratching the surface.
Textiles (Esporta Wash System): Instead of standard dry cleaning, which often sets smoke odors, high-tech hydraulic pressure washing systems (like Esporta) are used for clothing, bedding, curtains, and even leather. These systems can remove 99% of soot, bacteria, and smoke particulates, often restoring items that standard laundering would ruin.
Deodorization (Ozone and Hydroxyl): Odor is not washed away; it is neutralized at a molecular level.
Ozone Generators: In controlled “Ozone rooms,” a reactive gas is introduced that breaks down smoke and skunk molecules through oxidation.
Hydroxyl Generators: These use UV light to create atmospheric hydroxyl radicals that naturally decompose odor molecules and eliminate mold spores. This is safer for some delicate materials than ozone.
Total Loss Protocol: If an item is physically melted, charred beyond repair, or deemed a “total loss,” it is separated. However, it is not thrown away. It is meticulously photographed and documented on a “Total Loss List” for the insurance adjuster to ensure the homeowner receives full replacement value compensation.
4. Climate-Controlled Storage
While the property undergoes structural reconstruction (drywall, flooring, painting), the cleaned and restored contents require a temporary home that will not cause them to degrade.
Sealed Vault Storage: Items are often re-inventoried into large wooden vaults (usually 7ft x 5ft x 7ft). These vaults are sealed, stacked, and assigned a warehouse location barcode, linked back to the original client file.
Strict Climate Control: The most crucial element is regulating both temperature and humidity.
Humidity: If humidity is too high, mold will grow on cleaned fabrics. If it’s too low, antique wood finishes will shrink, crack, or split.
Temperature: Extremes are avoided to prevent glue failure in electronics or furniture finishes from hazing.
Security: The facility is a dedicated restoration warehouse, not a public self-storage unit. It is protected by 24/7 advanced video surveillance, fire suppression systems, and strict access control, ensuring high-value items remain secure until the homeowner is ready to receive them.
5. Seamless Takebacks (The Reset)
The reconstruction of the home is complete, and a “final walkthrough” is approved, certifying the home is clean, dry, and safe. Now, the logistics team reverses the entire process.
Scheduled Logistics: Using the initial digital inventory as the master blueprint, the logistical team pulls the client’s sealed vaults. The delivery is scheduled at the homeowner’s convenience.
The “Reset”: This is not just a delivery; it is a full “reset.” The logistical team doesn’t just stack boxes in the garage. Referencing the original barcodes and the photos taken during Step 1, they return every piece of furniture, every box of clothes, and every decorative item to the exact room and location it occupied before the disaster.
The Unboxing: Items are unpacked, surfaces are given a final wipe-down, and the home is essentially “put back together.” The ultimate goal is for the homeowner to walk back into a clean, fully restored, and beautifully furnished home, erasing the memory of the disaster.
Why Trust America's General Contractor with Your Valuables?
Many homeowners make the mistake of hiring a separate moving company for their packout, a separate mitigation franchise for the dry-out, and a separate builder for the reconstruction. This leads to communication breakdowns, delayed timelines, and massive headaches with insurance adjusters.
As a fully licensed and insured General Contractor specializing in storm and fire restoration, we offer a Turnkey Recovery Solution.
One Point of Contact: You deal with one dedicated project manager for your entire claim.
Faster Turnarounds: Because we control both the storage of your contents and the rebuilding of your house, we coordinate the Takeback the exact day the paint dries. No waiting weeks for a third-party storage company to become available.
Insurance Fluency: We use the same exact estimating software (Xactimate) that your insurance company uses. We bill directly for the packout, cleaning, storage, and reconstruction, making the claims process seamless and stress-free.
Rapid Response Packouts Across North Texas
When disaster strikes, every hour counts. America’s General Contractor maintains a fleet of rapid-response vehicles ready to dispatch across the entire DFW Metroplex to secure your property and contents. We proudly serve:
Dallas County: North Dallas, Preston Hollow, Richardson, Coppell, University Park.
Tarrant County: Fort Worth, Southlake, Keller, Grapevine, Westlake.
Collin & Denton Counties: Plano, Frisco, McKinney, Allen, Flower Mound, Argyle.
Our Customer Reviews
Frequently Asked Questions About Packouts & Contents Restoration
Yes. In the event of a covered peril (such as a burst pipe, house fire, or tornado), standard homeowners insurance policies typically cover the cost of the inventory, packout, professional cleaning, and monthly storage fees under the “Personal Property” or “Contents” portion of your policy. We work directly with your adjuster to ensure these costs are approved.
Yes. We understand that you may need seasonal clothing, important documents, or specific items while your home is under construction. Simply contact your project manager, and we can arrange a time for you to safely access your specific storage vaults at our climate-controlled facility.
If an item is severely charred, melted, or deeply contaminated by category 3 (black) water, it is categorized as non-salvageable. We do not throw these items away immediately. We set them aside in a secure “Total Loss” inventory, photograph them extensively, and provide a detailed list to your insurance adjuster so you receive a replacement check for their exact value.
No. For health and safety reasons, we cannot pack, transport, or store perishable food items, open pantry goods, or hazardous materials (like bleach, gasoline, or open paint cans). These items will be documented for your insurance claim and safely disposed of on-site.
Secure Your Belongings Today.
Don’t let standing water or corrosive smoke ruin a lifetime of memories. Let the restoration experts at America’s General Contractor secure, clean, and protect your personal property so you can focus on getting your life back to normal.
