# Rainbow International of Salem, MA **Trade:** Waterproofing / Foundation · **Address:** 15 Broadway #2, Salem, MA 01970, USA · **Phone:** (978) 607-0202 · **Website:** https://rainbowrestores.com/salem-ma?cid=LSTL_RBW000202&utm_source=gmb&utm_campaign=local&utm_medium=organic · **Languages:** English **Rating: 3.9/5** (medium confidence) — from 17 reviews across 4 sources. A 0–5 star rating built from what customers and the public say (every review and mention weighted by where it was posted, how old, how detailed and how credible it is, shrunk toward a 3.5★ baseline when evidence is thin) plus what the record shows (Reddit recommendations or warnings, a registry-verified licence, how recently they were reviewed, customer work photos, BBB grade, negative news, a revoked licence). Positive record counts only as far as the reviews have earned it; penalties count in full. Confidence describes how much weighted evidence stands behind the number, never the number itself: low when fewer than about five normal reviews' worth of weight (or mentions only) support it, medium up to about twenty, high beyond that across at least two sources. An operator flag for a suspicious review pattern caps a rating at 3.5★ and marks it low. 94% of sentiment-scored reviews read net-positive. Last 6 months: 2 reviews, 0 negative. ## The honest read Rainbow International of Salem, MA is a franchise of the national water/fire/mold restoration brand, run in the field almost entirely by a single person: Chris. Across 17 reviews going back to 2022, virtually every one names him directly, and the story repeats: he shows up fast, explains what he's doing, and does the work himself. The emergency-response accounts are specific and consistent. A 2026 review described him confirming a same-evening visit after a burst water heater flooded a basement floor right after dinner; another described him starting mitigation on a Sunday night within hours of a burst water line, then walking a first-time homeowner through the insurance and inventory process step by step. A 2025 review described a shower overflow that leaked into the ceiling below — Chris, finishing a nearby job in Peabody, arrived 15 minutes after the call and had drying equipment running and the room sealed in under an hour. Other reviews describe him salvaging condo floors and cabinets after a washing-machine flood, and clearing sewage and toilet paper from a basement with a 230-degree steam mop and commercial equipment. The record also carries a striking honesty story: a 2025 review described Chris giving a second mold-remediation opinion, running more testing than the first company had, and determining there was no actual mold problem — saving the homeowner an estimated $5,000 the first company had quoted. Several reviews specifically credit him with fair pricing and no upselling, including one that came in thousands less than quotes from SERVPRO and Roto-Rooter for a comparable sewage cleanup. One account from May 2025 breaks the pattern: a homeowner said Chris used thermal imaging to diagnose water in a finished basement as rising groundwater and recommended waiting for the water table to drop, when the actual cause turned out to be a broken pipe — a misdiagnosis the reviewer called actively harmful. Rainbow International is the national franchise brand (est. 1981, 400+ locations, IICRC-certified); that history and certification are the brand's, not something unique to this Salem location specifically. A strong first call for a water, mold, or sewage emergency — the record is deep, current, and unusually consistent on honesty and pricing; the one misdiagnosis complaint is worth asking about if the cause of a leak isn't obvious. **Strengths:** - Fast response — same-evening and within-the-hour emergency arrivals - Honest assessments — a second opinion saved a customer roughly $5,000 - Competitive pricing — well below SERVPRO and Roto-Rooter on a comparable job **Concerns:** - One misdiagnosis — a groundwater call turned out to be a broken pipe ## Claims & citations Every claim below is backed by real evidence rows — uncited claims are dropped in code before publication. - Fast emergency response — same-evening and within-the-hour arrivals repeatedly described _(confidence: high)_ - [Google Reviews](https://www.google.com/maps/reviews/data=!4m8!14m7!1m6!2m5!1sCi9DQUlRQUNvZENodHljRjlvT2pCWFgwTnlWa05aUzNOVlVHODBTRXhLZW5KV2NtYxAB!2m1!1s0x0:0x26ad3fbdb012309f!3m1!1s2@1:CAIQACodChtycF9oOjBXX0NyVkNZS3NVUG80SExKenJWcmc%7C%7C?hl=en) — “5★ My water heater broke and flooded my basement floor right after dinner time. I was so thankful when Chris at Rainbow International respon…” - [Google Reviews](https://www.google.com/maps/reviews/data=!4m8!14m7!1m6!2m5!1sChZDSUhNMG9nS0VJQ0FnTURvbjhfR0xREAE!2m1!1s0x0:0x26ad3fbdb012309f!3m1!1s2@1:CIHM0ogKEICAgMDon8_GLQ%7C%7C?hl=en) — “5★ When your shower overflows and leaks into the ceiling of the room under it. . . not a great moment. . .help, what do I do now?? I Google …” - Honest assessments — a second opinion found no mold and saved a customer roughly $5,000 _(confidence: high)_ - [Google Reviews](https://www.google.com/maps/reviews/data=!4m8!14m7!1m6!2m5!1sCi9DQUlRQUNvZENodHljRjlvT2tZeWJXbHJSMDlFYkVVMVIwUk5lRkpCUnpoUFltYxAB!2m1!1s0x0:0x26ad3fbdb012309f!3m1!1s2@1:CAIQACodChtycF9oOkYybWlrR09EbEU1R0RNeFJBRzhPYmc%7C%7C?hl=en) — “5★ We just bought our first house and have had Chris over two times now for separate mold inspections in different areas of the home. He was…” - Priced thousands below SERVPRO and Roto-Rooter on a comparable job _(confidence: medium)_ - [Google Reviews](https://www.google.com/maps/reviews/data=!4m8!14m7!1m6!2m5!1sChdDSUhNMG9nS0VKM1QyYWVUMUtPbjZRRRAB!2m1!1s0x0:0x26ad3fbdb012309f!3m1!1s2@1:CIHM0ogKEJ3T2aeT1KOn6QE%7C%7C?hl=en) — “5★ Absolutely fantastic! Chris from Rainbow just left my house cleaning up a sewage leak from my basement. He was honest in what needed to…” - Handles water, mold, and sewage emergencies personally, start to finish _(confidence: high)_ - [Google Reviews](https://www.google.com/maps/reviews/data=!4m8!14m7!1m6!2m5!1sChZDSUhNMG9nS0VJQ0FnTURJMGFuQ2F3EAE!2m1!1s0x0:0x26ad3fbdb012309f!3m1!1s2@1:CIHM0ogKEICAgMDI0anCaw%7C%7C?hl=en) — “5★ My washing machine malfunctioned and flooded my condo and part of the condo beneath me. Chris from Rainbow showed up IMMEDIATELY and took…” - [Google Reviews](https://www.google.com/maps/reviews/data=!4m8!14m7!1m6!2m5!1sChZDSUhNMG9nS0VJQ0FnSURfOGRpSU9nEAE!2m1!1s0x0:0x26ad3fbdb012309f!3m1!1s2@1:CIHM0ogKEICAgID_8diIOg%7C%7C?hl=en) — “5★ We had a sewer pipe back up in our home's basement with water, sewage and toilet paper all over a wide area of the floor. Called Rainbow…” - One review describes a water-source misdiagnosis — groundwater vs. an actual broken pipe — that delayed the real fix _(confidence: medium)_ - [Google Reviews](https://www.google.com/maps/reviews/data=!4m8!14m7!1m6!2m5!1sChdDSUhNMG9nS0VLNnQ1Nmp6aE1qODhnRRAB!2m1!1s0x0:0x26ad3fbdb012309f!3m1!1s2@1:CIHM0ogKEK6t56jzhMj88gE%7C%7C?hl=en) — “1★ Came to check out water in my finished basement a couple days after lots of rain. Used thermal imaging then misdiagnosed that it was grou…” - Part of the national Rainbow Restoration/Rainbow International franchise (est. 1981, 400+ locations), IICRC-certified — brand-level facts, not specific to this Salem location _(confidence: medium)_ - [Official Website](https://rainbowrestores.com) — “This is the national Rainbow Restoration/Rainbow International corporate franchisor site (not a Salem-specific page); it describes the share…” - [Official Website](https://rainbowrestores.com) — “Company history (self-reported): Established in 1981, operating through a franchise network of over 400 locations worldwide.” - [Official Website](https://rainbowrestores.com) — “Stated certification/affiliation: IICRC (Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification)” - Specializes in Remediation Services _(confidence: high)_ - [Google Reviews](https://www.google.com/maps/reviews/data=!4m8!14m7!1m6!2m5!1sCi9DQUlRQUNvZENodHljRjlvT2pCWFgwTnlWa05aUzNOVlVHODBTRXhLZW5KV2NtYxAB!2m1!1s0x0:0x26ad3fbdb012309f!3m1!1s2@1:CAIQACodChtycF9oOjBXX0NyVkNZS3NVUG80SExKenJWcmc%7C%7C?hl=en) — “5★ My water heater broke and flooded my basement floor right after dinner time. I was so thankful when Chris at Rainbow International respon…” - [Google Reviews](https://www.google.com/maps/reviews/data=!4m8!14m7!1m6!2m5!1sCi9DQUlRQUNvZENodHljRjlvT2tZeWJXbHJSMDlFYkVVMVIwUk5lRkpCUnpoUFltYxAB!2m1!1s0x0:0x26ad3fbdb012309f!3m1!1s2@1:CAIQACodChtycF9oOkYybWlrR09EbEU1R0RNeFJBRzhPYmc%7C%7C?hl=en) — “5★ We just bought our first house and have had Chris over two times now for separate mold inspections in different areas of the home. He was…” - [Google Reviews](https://www.google.com/maps/reviews/data=!4m8!14m7!1m6!2m5!1sChZDSUhNMG9nS0VJQ0FnSURfOGRpSU9nEAE!2m1!1s0x0:0x26ad3fbdb012309f!3m1!1s2@1:CIHM0ogKEICAgID_8diIOg%7C%7C?hl=en) — “5★ We had a sewer pipe back up in our home's basement with water, sewage and toilet paper all over a wide area of the floor. Called Rainbow…” ## License No license record has been checked yet for this contractor. ## Sources - [Google](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Rainbow%20International%20of%20Salem%2C%20MA&query_place_id=ChIJ7yVA-J0V44kRnzASsL0_rSY): 4.8★ from 26 ratings - [Google Reviews](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Rainbow%20International%20of%20Salem%2C%20MA&query_place_id=ChIJ7yVA-J0V44kRnzASsL0_rSY): Listed on this source - [Official Website](https://rainbowrestores.com): Self-reported profile and service details - [Exa](https://www.bestprosintown.com/ma/salem/rainbow-international-of-salem-ma-/): 7 web mentions across the open web (each linked to its source) ## Recent reviews - **5/5 · Google Reviews · Daisy Wizda · 2026-05-20**: My water heater broke and flooded my basement floor right after dinner time. I was so thankful when Chris at Rainbow International responded to my call for emergency services and confirmed he would be able to come out that same evening to help with the water removal. He was very responsive, thorough… - **5/5 · Google Reviews · Jon spiris · 2026-03-02**: We got so lucky with how things lined up with Chris. Our basement flooded due to a busted water line and we blindly called from a simple Google search and because other companies couldnt help in the time we needed it. Chris came out and started mitigation late on a Sunday evening, no questions asked… - **5/5 · Google Reviews · kimj1021 · 2025-10-10**: We just bought our first house and have had Chris over two times now for separate mold inspections in different areas of the home. He was the second person to come in for a mold remediation quote and thank goodness we asked him for a second opinion. He did much more testing than the first larger com… - **5/5 · Google Reviews · Lorin Moustakis · 2025-08-12**: I highly recommend using Rainbow International of Salem. Chris is a responsive, kind, and trustworthy professional. When Chris came to provide an estimate for mold remediation, he was on time, respectful, and thorough. As a new homeowner, I appreciated how Chris treated me without judgment and even … - **5/5 · Google Reviews · Eric Hamlin · 2025-05-30**: We had Chris help with some water damage issues. He is truly a consummate professional. From the moment he came over we knew we were in GREAT hands. We were a bag of nerves not knowing what to expect. Chris immediately put us at ease with his calm demeanor and plethora of knowledge. He gave us a gre… - **1/5 · Google Reviews · Collins Boland · 2025-05-27**: Came to check out water in my finished basement a couple days after lots of rain. Used thermal imaging then misdiagnosed that it was ground water and should wait until water table went down before cleanup. Turned out to be a broken pipe, so he actually did us a huge disservice by even taking a look. - **5/5 · Google Reviews · Nicholas Downing · 2025-05-16**: Chris and the team at Rainbow International are the best of the best - responsive, fairly priced, and willing to talk through all possible solutions to find the right one for whatever your problem is. Chris went the extra mile for us and we would recommend them without reservation. - **5/5 · Google Reviews · Logan Sena · 2025-05-16**: Absolutely fantastic! Chris from Rainbow just left my house cleaning up a sewage leak from my basement. He was honest in what needed to be done without upselling, polite, professional, and got the job done quick. He was thousands of dollars cheaper than what I got for quotes from companies like Se… - **5/5 · Google Reviews · Kristen Cotter · 2025-04-30**: When your shower overflows and leaks into the ceiling of the room under it. . . not a great moment. . .help, what do I do now?? I Google water restoration near me, called Rainbow, pressed #1 for emergency, and got a real person immediately. Unbelievably, Chris was finishing up a job in Peabody and w… - **5/5 · Google Reviews · Adrian Litscher · 2025-04-21**: I've worked with Rainbow Restoration on multiple water remediation projects, and they’ve consistently delivered excellent results. Chris is very professional, responsive, and thorough. He always goes the extra mile to make sure the job is done right. Highly recommend Rainbow Restoration for any wate… --- Data freshness: last scanned 2026-07-05T14:08:05.158Z. Cite as: Rainbow International of Salem, MA — Tavlee (https://tavlee.com/contractor/rainbow-international-of-salem-ma-salem) Source: https://tavlee.com/contractor/rainbow-international-of-salem-ma-salem