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A RocketLevel reference, backed by decades of experience in the trade. We curate the industry's real credential bodies and point you to them; we do not reproduce or replace their training. Designations and requirements change, so confirm the current list and rules directly with each body (iicrc.org, restorationindustry.org, epa.gov, osha.gov, and your state).
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Four pages, four jobs. This page is the full map: every credential and standard that matters, in one place. For the order to earn them, use The Restoration Certification Ladder: Which Credentials Your Techs Should Earn, and in What Order. For the advanced, high-margin credentials (healthcare infection control risk assessment, or ICRA, large loss, advanced mold, biohazard, estimating mastery), use Specialty and Advanced Training: The Deep Tracks. To attach pay bands, authority and a review date to any of it, so the credentials become a reason people stay, use The Certification Ladder as a Retention System.
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The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) is the central certifying body for the trade. Its individual technician certifications are the ones you will hear most, earned through approved schools and an exam. The restoration-relevant ones include:
| Credential | What it covers |
|---|---|
| WRT, Water Damage Restoration Technician | The foundational water credential. Almost everyone starts here. |
| ASD, Applied Structural Drying | The hands-on drying course that builds on WRT. |
| AMRT, Applied Microbial Remediation Technician | Mold and microbial remediation. |
| FSRT, Fire and Smoke Damage Restoration Technician | Fire, smoke, and soot work. |
| OCT, Odor Control Technician | Deodorization across loss types. |
| HST, Health and Safety Technician | Jobsite safety and hazard control. |
| CCT, Carpet Cleaning Technician and UFT, Upholstery and Fabric Cleaning Technician | Cleaning credentials that also feed the master tracks. |
| CPT, Contents Processing Technician | Pack-out, cleaning, and contents restoration. |
| TCST, Trauma and Crime Scene Technician | Biohazard and trauma scene work (pairs with the OSHA bloodborne standard and IICRC S540). |
| RRT, Carpet Repair and Reinstallation Technician, plus specialty cleaning certifications (CCMT, SMT, Rug Cleaning, Color Repair, Wood Floor) | Round out the cleaning side. |
Stack the right certifications and hold them over time and you can earn the higher designations, which signal real depth:
The Restoration Industry Association (RIA) offers advanced, peer-respected designations that go well beyond technician level. Four pillar designations build toward the capstone Certified Restorer:
| Designation | What it covers |
|---|---|
| WLS, Water Loss Specialist | RIA's advanced water-loss designation. |
| FLS, Fire Loss Specialist | Advanced fire and smoke restoration, contracts, ethics, and project management. |
| CLS, Contents Loss Specialist | A systematic approach to contents restoration. |
| ERS, Environmental Risk Specialist | RIA's designation covering environmental hazards and CBRNE (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, explosive) risk. |
| CR, Certified Restorer | The capstone, built on the pillar designations: leadership, ethics, large-loss management, the claims process, consulting, and expert-witness work. |
The designations stack on prerequisite domains, core competencies such as WRT, ASD, FSRT, OCT, AMRT, and OSHA, plus RIA's own building-science and project-management courses. RIA also publishes the Cost of Doing Business Report and runs education that complements the IICRC track.
IICRC and RIA are the center of the field, but they are not the whole map. A few more bodies own credentials you will run into on health-sensitive and specialty work: