Understanding ITEL: The Industry Secret to Seamless Repairs
What Is ITEL and Why It Matters
Imagine your home’s roof is damaged in a storm, or a burst pipe ruins your living room carpet. You want your home repaired quickly, with materials that closely match the originals, and at a fair price. That is where ITEL comes in.
ITEL Laboratories, Inc. is a trusted company that helps homeowners identify the exact materials needed to restore damaged roofing, siding, and flooring. ITEL also provides localized pricing data to help ensure repair costs are accurate and fair.
As an independent testing laboratory, ITEL serves as a neutral expert. The company analyzes damaged materials without bias, identifies the best available match, and provides pricing based on what is actually available in your area. ITEL is not tied to any specific insurance carrier or contractor, which helps keep the process objective.
At Faulkner Restoration, we use ITEL’s services to help ensure repairs blend seamlessly with your home’s existing materials while keeping the restoration process straightforward and stress-free.
Why We Use ITEL
At Faulkner Restoration, our goal is to restore homes efficiently while maintaining a high standard of quality and fairness. ITEL supports that mission by providing independent, third-party analysis that helps verify material matches in both appearance and quality.
ITEL is widely trusted by major insurance carriers, contractors, and restoration professionals across the United States. Its extensive database, fast turnaround times, and integration with platforms such as Verisk and CoreLogic make the process faster and more accurate. ITEL’s mobile app, ITEL NOW, also allows for real-time access to matching and pricing data, helping reduce delays during the claims and repair process.
In addition, ITEL’s adherence to recognized industry standards, including those established by the IICRC, gives us confidence that our restoration work meets professional benchmarks and delivers peace of mind to our clients.
How ITEL Benefits Homeowners
Getting Material Matches
Whether the issue involves a discontinued roofing shingle or a like-kind-and-quality flooring replacement, ITEL’s database helps identify repair materials that closely match existing ones. This helps repairs blend more naturally with the rest of the home.
Matching is especially important in states with matching requirements, where repairs must maintain a reasonably consistent appearance. ITEL’s reports identify the manufacturer, product name, and the closest available match, helping avoid unnecessary full replacements whenever a suitable option exists.
Ensuring Fair Pricing
ITEL also helps homeowners by providing localized pricing data for replacement materials. This helps prevent situations where repair costs are overstated or where claim payments fall short of what is actually needed.
By supplying accurate, data-driven replacement costs, ITEL helps adjusters and contractors build fair estimates and gives homeowners a more realistic budget for selecting new materials. Greater pricing transparency can also reduce disputes and help move the claims process along more efficiently.
How ITEL’s Technology Works
ITEL’s process combines advanced technology, expert analysis, and a large proprietary database to make material matching and pricing as precise as possible.
Taking Samples
The process begins with collecting a sample of the damaged material, whether it is carpet, a roofing shingle, or siding. For faster results, contractors and adjusters can use the ITEL NOW mobile app to submit photos and material details, with results sometimes returned in as little as 30 minutes.
In more complex cases, physical samples can be shipped to ITEL’s laboratory in Jacksonville, Florida, using pre-addressed UPS shipping labels. ITEL also provides guidance on preferred sample sizes to help ensure accurate testing.
Performing Analysis
Once the sample is received, ITEL’s analysts use scientific testing methods and proprietary tools to evaluate it. They compare the material’s characteristics, such as type, dimensions, color, and texture, against ITEL’s database of current and discontinued products.
For roofing, the analysis may include granule configuration, sealant properties, and warranty details. For flooring, it may include construction type and style. When an exact match is unavailable, ITEL identifies the closest commercially available alternative and may consult manufacturers to improve precision.
Price Matching Details
ITEL’s pricing solutions provide up-to-date, localized replacement costs that reflect regional market differences across more than 800 U.S. regions. For example, its Asphalt Shingle Pricing solution can provide instant pricing when integrated into estimating platforms.
ITEL’s flooring pricing solution compares thousands of products to help determine a fair replacement value. During major weather events, pricing data may be updated at the ZIP code level to reflect changes in supply and demand. ITEL also offers a guaranteed fulfillment program, allowing materials to be sourced and delivered at the quoted price within three days when needed.
Conclusion
At Faulkner Restoration, we are committed to making property restoration as smooth and stress-free as possible, and ITEL is an important part of that process. Through precise material matching, localized pricing, and quick turnaround times, ITEL helps us deliver repairs that are accurate, efficient, and aligned with recognized industry standards.
Whether you are dealing with storm damage, water-damaged floors, or damaged siding, Faulkner Restoration uses ITEL’s technology to help restore your home fairly and confidently. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you recover from property damage.