Ben Jernigan — Founder, WTR Restoration
Trade-built expertise. Field-proven experience. Owner-level accountability.
Ben Jernigan founded WTR Restoration in 2022 to bring senior-level water damage mitigation to Central Texas homeowners without the franchise runaround.
The Background That Matters
Ben started working at 15 as a commercial electrician. That trade foundation built how he thinks: practical, technical, system-based, problem-solving first. His credibility isn't academic — it's field-earned through two decades of hands-on restoration, claims, and construction work.
The career path:
- Commercial electrical work and building systems
- Water damage restoration and emergency mitigation
- Xactimate estimating (Level 3 Certified Instructor training insurance adjusters)
- Texas Public Adjuster license
- 10 years as senior estimator and public adjuster with Adjusters International, one of the nation's largest public adjusting firms
What Most People Don't Know
For 10 years, Ben was on the OTHER side of water damage claims — negotiating million-dollar commercial losses for policyholders against insurance carriers.
He worked Hurricane Ike (2008), Dallas hailstorms (2011, 2012), Amarillo hailstorms (2013, 2017), Hurricane Odile in Mexico (2014), Louisiana floods (2016), Hurricane Harvey (2017), Hurricane Irma (2017), Hurricane Laura (2020), Hurricane Ida (2021), and Hurricane Ian (2022).
He's handled losses for school districts, apartment complexes, commercial properties, and industrial facilities across Texas, Florida, Louisiana, Puerto Rico, and Mexico.
He knows insurance documentation, claim strategy, scope justification, and adjuster communication because he spent a decade doing it at the highest level.
- Hurricane Ike · 2008 · Texas Gulf Coast
- Dallas Hailstorm · 2011 · North Texas
- Dallas Hailstorm · 2012 · North Texas
- Amarillo Hailstorm · 2013 · Texas Panhandle
- Hurricane Odile · 2014 · Mexico
- Louisiana Floods · 2016 · Louisiana
- Amarillo Hailstorm · 2017 · Texas Panhandle
- Hurricane Harvey · 2017 · Texas Gulf Coast
- Hurricane Irma · 2017 · Florida
- Hurricane Laura · 2020 · Louisiana
- Hurricane Ida · 2021 · Louisiana
- Hurricane Ian · 2022 · Southwest Florida
Why This Matters for Your Emergency
When water damage hits your New Braunfels home, most contractors show up with extraction equipment and hope for the best.
Ben shows up with:
- 20+ years of restoration experience
- Professional moisture mapping and thermal imaging
- Insurance-aware documentation from day one
- Xactimate estimates that match carrier pricing
- Drying protocols based on building science, not guesswork
- Direct owner accountability — no franchise dispatch
Professional Credentials
- IICRC WRT Certified (Water Damage Restoration Technician)
- CPAU — Certified Property Appraiser and Umpire (Commercial Property)
- RRO — Registered Roof Observer (IIBEC #47466)
- FLIR Certified Thermographer (Infrared Inspection)
- Xactimate Level III Instructor (Insurance Estimating Software)
- Former Texas Public Adjuster (10 years with Adjusters International)
- Bilingual — English/Spanish (Intermediate High Proficiency)
The WTR Philosophy
Water damage mitigation should be built on three things:
- 1
Speed — Emergency response within 30-60 minutes matters because secondary damage starts immediately.
- 2
Science — Professional drying isn't guesswork. It's psychrometrics, moisture mapping, equipment placement strategy, and continuous monitoring.
- 3
Documentation — Every job should be documented well enough to defend every scope decision, every equipment day, and every dollar on the estimate.
That's what WTR Restoration delivers.
Professional Fleet
Rapid Response
Heavy Equipment
Full Service Unit