A restoration dispatcher picks the crew and gear for each burst pipe, sewage backup and fire loss, and gives the owner an arrival time. They also book the return visits on every water job, from moisture checks to the day the drying equipment comes back.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
The Dispatcher plays a critical role in our restoration operations by efficiently assigning crews, updating schedules, and coordinating logistics to ensure timely service delivery. This position acts as the command center for our field operations, directly contributing to customer satisfaction and overall company success.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Coordinate and dispatch restoration crews to assigned job sites with precision and speed.
Update and manage daily schedules to ensure optimal allocation of resources.
Communicate effectively with field teams to relay job details and any schedule modifications.
Maintain accurate records of crew assignments, job progress, and operational issues.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Monitor incoming service requests and prioritize dispatch based on urgency and crew availability.
Provide real-time updates and assistance to crews via phone, email, or dispatch software.
Verify completion of jobs and cross-check work orders against scheduled assignments.
Collaborate with customer service to relay updates to clients and address any immediate concerns.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
On-Time Dispatch Rate: Achieve a rate of 95% or higher for dispatching crews on schedule.
Customer Satisfaction Rating: Maintain a rating above 4.8 stars for service efficiency.
Schedule Accuracy: Ensure schedule accuracy of at least 98% across daily operations.
Response Time: Maintain an average response time of less than 30 minutes from job request to crew assignment.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
High school diploma or equivalent required.
Minimum of 2 years’ experience in dispatch, coordination, or a related field.
Excellent communication, multi-tasking, and organizational skills.
Proficiency in scheduling software, GPS navigation, and basic computer applications.
6. Preferred Experience
Experience working in the restoration or home services industry.
Background in emergency or time-sensitive dispatch operations preferred.
Proven ability to manage dynamic and fast-paced field operations.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to sit for extended periods while operating a computer and phone.
Capability to lift up to 25 pounds if necessary for handling documentation or minor equipment.
Frequent use of telephone and computer in an office setting.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Office-based environment with a fast-paced and dynamic workflow.
Standard work hours from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with occasional extended hours during peak periods.
Minimal travel required for occasional site visits or meetings.
On-call duties may be required during high-demand periods.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Hourly rate range: $18 - $25 per hour, commensurate with experience.
Performance-based bonus structure to reward exceptional dispatch performance.
Comprehensive Health, Dental, and Vision insurance packages.
401(k) plan along with other fringe benefits.
10. Company Culture and Overview
We foster a collaborative and inclusive work environment that values every team member.
Our culture emphasizes innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement in all aspects of our operations.
We are committed to the professional growth and development of our employees through ongoing training and support.
We celebrate success as a team and provide clear pathways for career advancement.
11. How to Apply
If you meet the above criteria and want to be part of a growth-oriented company focused on customer satisfaction, please send your resume to [INSERT EMAIL HERE] or apply online at [INSERT WEBSITE LINK HERE].
Need help filling this role? HireBus posts the ad, Iris interviews every applicant by phone before you do, and you decide who to hire. Start hiring now
What changes when you dispatch for a restoration company
Most dispatchers fill a calendar. A restoration dispatcher also sorts emergencies at night, sends the right crew for dirty water, and tracks drying gear that sits on job sites for days.
The first call shapes the job
IICRC S500 is the industry's water damage standard. It lists what to learn on first contact: the source of the water and when it started, whether it has been stopped, and how many rooms and floors are wet. It also asks for the building's age, any known contaminants, and how many people are inside. Add the insurance company, the claim number and who owns the place, and the crew shows up ready. Source: IICRC S500 Consensus Body: Category of water damage and weather-related events (2026).
Sewage and flood calls need a different crew
S500 gives sewage, backflow from beyond a drain trap, and rising water from rivers or streams as examples of Category 3 water. It says Category 2 and 3 jobs need contamination controls and worker protection. So those calls get a crew with containment supplies and protective gear, not just an extractor. The crew sets the category on site, so the dispatcher's first guess can change. Source: IICRC S500 Consensus Body: Category of water damage and weather-related events (2026).
Freezes and storms hit everyone at once
When pipes burst across town in one night, every caller says it's urgent. The dispatcher ranks the list. Water still running and standing water go first. Wet homes with the water shut off come next. Mold checks and estimates can wait a day. Callers get an honest arrival time, and the operations manager hears early when you need more crews or rented dehumidifiers.
Drying gear is on the schedule too
Each water job has air movers and dehumidifiers running for days. Someone has to go back to take moisture readings and move the gear. When the project manager says the job is dry, someone picks it all up. Those visits go on the dispatcher's board, and they check what's left on the warehouse shelf before promising gear to a new loss.
Fire calls start with a board-up
A fire loss often begins with closing up the building: plywood over broken windows and doors, and a tarp over a burned roof. That call often comes after midnight. The dispatcher sends a crew with plywood, tarps and lights, then books the smoke and soot cleaning crew for the days after.
How much restoration dispatchers make
Dispatchers who work for remediation companies earned a median of $24.43 an hour ($50,810 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s about the same as the $50,340 median for dispatchers in all industries. About 880 of the 202,810 dispatchers in that survey work for remediation companies.
Usually hourly with overtime. The template also includes a performance bonus. Some companies add a flat stipend for each week a dispatcher carries the after-hours phone.
Remediation companies
$50,810$50,810 median Middle half $46,150–$60,850 10th–90th $40,630–$78,420
All industries
$50,340$50,340 median Middle half $42,750–$62,450 10th–90th $36,030–$78,140
$30k$40k$50k$60k$70k$80k$90k
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Remediation companies
$40,630
$46,150
$50,810
$60,850
$78,420
All industries
$36,030
$42,750
$50,340
$62,450
$78,140
BLS doesn’t publish pay for restoration contractors on their own. These figures cover remediation and other waste management services, which include them. Post a real range for your market in the ad.
The pay line in the template above is an example from our Role Blueprint. Set yours from these figures and what local companies pay.
Skills to hire for, and what you can teach
Hire for these
Gets a clear picture of a loss from a scared caller: what's wet, how bad, and since when
Asks the full set of intake questions on every call, even when the caller is rushed
Keeps every open water job's monitoring visits and pickups straight
Can tell a caller "tomorrow morning" and keep their trust
Writes short, exact job notes a tech can act on from the truck
Teach these on the job
Categories of water and what each one means for the crew and the gear
How XactAnalysis assignments land in your job software
What goes on a board-up call: plywood, tarps, lights and fasteners
Your equipment list: air movers, dehumidifiers, air scrubbers and extractors
Your on-call rules and the handoff from your answering service
The board lives in restoration job software such as DASH, Albi or Xcelerate, and some carrier and third-party administrator jobs show up as XactAnalysis assignments instead of phone calls. Add a GPS map of the trucks and the handoff from an after-hours answering service.
Restoration dispatcher interview questions
They have their own page: 6 questions that test this job, what strong and weak answers sound like, and a work exercise to run with your finalists.
The template's numbers are a starting point. Reset them once your own job history shows what's normal, and keep storm and freeze weeks out of the normal-week averages.
On-Time Dispatch Rate
Compare the arrival time each crew was given with the time they checked in on site, from your job software. Count emergency losses and scheduled monitoring visits as separate lines.
Customer Satisfaction Rating
Ask owners to rate the first response apart from the rest of the job. When that score drops, look at how long callers waited and whether anyone called back with a time.
Schedule Accuracy
Count visits that ran as booked against those moved, missed, or sent to the wrong crew. Write down the cause, such as missing equipment or a wrong address.
Response Time
For each loss, measure from first contact, by phone or XactAnalysis assignment, to the moment a crew is assigned. Compare business hours with after-hours, when the answering service handoff adds a step.
Career path
Technician / HelperLearns the drying gear and sewage jobs in the field, then moves inside.
DispatcherSends crews and equipment to every loss and books the return visits.
Production coordinatorSchedules rebuild trades, subcontractors and material drops.
Project managerLearns estimating and takes on claims of their own.
Should a restoration dispatcher tell callers whether insurance will cover the damage?
No. Coverage is the insurance company's call, and a guess on the phone can turn into an angry customer later. The dispatcher takes the carrier, the claim number and the policyholder's name. They explain that the crew will record the damage with photos and moisture readings. Coverage questions go to the adjuster and your project manager.
How much does a restoration dispatcher make?
Dispatchers who work for remediation companies earned a median of $24.43 an hour ($50,810 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $46,150 and $60,850 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and overtime.
Does a restoration dispatcher need IICRC certification?
It isn't a license. IICRC is a nonprofit that sets industry standards and certifies technicians and firms. Its WRT certification, for water damage restoration technicians, has no prerequisites, and some dispatchers earn it anyway. The course covers water damage, sewage backflows and how buildings are dried, which helps on intake calls. Your equipment, carrier rules and call scripts are learned at the desk.
Who answers restoration calls after hours?
An answering service often takes the first call. It gets the basics and pages whoever is on call, often a dispatcher or a project manager. That person decides whether a crew rolls tonight. Write down which calls wake someone up, such as running water or sewage, and which can wait until morning. Then everyone on the rotation makes the same call.
How do a restoration dispatcher and a project manager split the work?
The project manager runs the claim from scope to final bill and works with the adjuster. The dispatcher owns the clock: which crew, which truck, which dehumidifiers, and what time. On a busy day the project manager says what a job needs, and the dispatcher finds the people and gear to do it.
How should on-call weeks work for a restoration dispatcher?
Rotate the after-hours phone so nobody carries it every week, and give whoever has it a backup to call on a big loss. Decide how the time is paid before the first storm. Under federal rules, waiting at home with the phone usually isn't hours worked, though strict limits on what the dispatcher can do while waiting can change that. State law may go further. Track the time spent on calls and dispatching, and pay for it.
