Water Damage Restoration in Houston, TX

• Flooding. Flat terrain, clay soil and 2,500 miles of bayous that can't drain fast enough when rain falls at several inches an hour (HCFCD). Harvey flooded nearly 136,000 structures in Harris County in 2017 (NWS); Beryl in July 2024 brought flash flooding with up to 14.8 inches locally (NWS). Street flooding reaches homes well outside the mapped floodplain.
• Storms and wind. The May 2024 derecho put 100-plus mph winds through the metro with extensive roof damage, broken windows and rain intrusion (City of Houston). Hail and wind-driven rain find lifted shingles and old flashing.
• Freezes. Winter Storm Uri in February 2021 burst pipes across Texas: 511,473 insurance claims and about $11.5 billion in losses (Texas Department of Insurance). Houston plumbing runs through attics and exterior walls that were never built for a week below freezing.
• Slab leaks. Almost all homes here sit on slab-on-grade foundations (97.9% of new single-family homes in the region, NAHB) over clay soils that swell when wet and shrink in drought, stressing the slab and the pipes in it (Texas A&M AgriLife). A slab leak shows as a warm floor, a running meter or damp baseboards rather than a puddle.
• AC condensate lines and appliances. The air conditioning runs most of the year and pulls gallons of water out of the air daily; a clogged drain line overflows into the ceiling or the closet below. Washing machine hoses, water heaters and ice-maker lines fail without warning.

1. Call (346) 699-3911. Tell us where the water is and roughly how much. We connect you with a local professional who gives you their arrival time.
2. Stop the water. If it's a pipe or appliance, shut the supply valve or the main. If it's electrical, keep out of standing water until the power to that area is off.
3. Inspection and estimate. The professional maps the wet area with a moisture meter, works out what can be dried in place and what has to come out, and gives you a written estimate. You decide before any work starts.
4. Extraction and demolition. Standing water is pumped out; soaked carpet pad, drywall and insulation that can't be saved are removed and bagged. After flood water, the cut is usually made above the water line.
5. Drying. Air movers and dehumidifiers run for several days. Readings are taken daily until the materials match dry, unaffected ones (see what a normal moisture meter reading is).
6. Cleaning and repairs. Sanitizing where needed, then drywall, paint, trim and flooring put back.

The EPA's rule of thumb is that materials dried within 24 to 48 hours usually won't grow mold (EPA). In Houston's humidity, and in a house without power after a storm, that clock runs fast. Calling the same day matters more than anything else you do.

• A musty smell with nothing visible, especially in a closet, under a sink or near the air handler
• A warm spot on the floor, cracks in tile, or baseboards pulling away from the wall (classic slab leak signs)
• Paint bubbling, drywall tape lifting, or a ceiling stain that grows
• A water bill that jumped with no change in use
• Doors that stick after rain, or new cracks in brick or drywall as the clay soil moves

Any of these is worth a moisture check before it becomes a mold job. Our guide on how mold spreads through drywall shows what happens behind the wall if it's left.

Published national figures put water damage restoration at $1,200 to $5,000 with an average around $3,000 (Fixr, 2025; Bob Vila). Clean water from a supply line is cheapest to deal with; gray water from appliances costs more; black water from sewage or flooding costs the most because everything it touched has to be removed and sanitized. Whole-floor flooding after a storm sits at the top of the range, and demand after a regional event pushes prices and waiting times up.

Whatever the figure, you get it in writing after the inspection and before any work starts.

Standard homeowners policies cover sudden, accidental discharge of water from plumbing, heating or air conditioning, and exclude flood water from outside and damage from seepage or lack of maintenance (Insurance Information Institute). Flood damage needs a separate policy through the National Flood Insurance Program (FEMA); after Harvey, many Houston homes that flooded were outside the mapped floodplain and uninsured for it. Photograph the damage before anything is moved, keep receipts, and call your insurer early; the restoration professional's moisture readings and photos go into the claim.

• Water is still coming in and you can't stop it
• Standing water in living space, or any sewage backup
• A ceiling is sagging
• Water near electrical outlets, the panel or the air handler
• The wet area is bigger than a room, or it has been wet for more than a day

Call (346) 699-3911 and we'll connect you with local help straight away. For mold that has already appeared, see mold remediation in Houston.