Storm & Water Damage Restoration
Storm and water damage work is two jobs: getting the assembly genuinely dry, then rebuilding it correctly. This page describes repair scope and documentation only—we do not adjust insurance claims and cannot advise on them.
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- Written scope before work begins
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Overview
Storm & Water Damage Restoration
Water damage is a timeline problem before it is a construction problem. What happens in the first days—water extracted, wet materials removed, air moving, moisture measured—determines whether the rebuild is a repair or a repeat. Gulf Coast humidity makes that harder, because ambient air here is often too wet to dry an assembly on its own. Drying is confirmed with a meter, not with a hand on the drywall.
The second half is the rebuild, and it has to match the actual damage. Wind-driven rain at a window is a flashing and sheathing repair with an interior finish repair behind it. A roof breach is decking, underlayment, and covering plus everything the water touched on the way down. A supply line failure is a plumbing repair by a licensed plumber plus flooring, drywall, insulation, and cabinetry. Different causes, different scopes.
The third part is documentation. Throughout the work we record conditions, moisture readings, materials removed, and an itemized repair scope, and that record goes to you. What we do not do is participate in your insurance claim. Texas Insurance Code Sec. 4102.163 bars a contractor from acting as a public adjuster for, or advertising to adjust a claim on, property it repairs.
The things that actually decide this job
Stabilize, dry, then verify
The first pass stops ongoing intrusion—tarping, board-up, shutting off a failed line—and removes standing water. Wet insulation and saturated porous materials come out instead of being dried in place. Then air movers and dehumidification run against measured targets. Wall cavities, subfloor, bottom plates, and framing are metered until readings match unaffected materials elsewhere in the same house. Walls do not get closed before that point.
Repair the assembly, not the surface
Replacing drywall under a roof leak that still has damaged decking and failed flashing produces the same stain again next season. The repair works from the outside in: covering, underlayment, decking, flashing and penetrations, then wall sheathing and window details, then the weather-resistive barrier, then insulation and interior finish. Each layer is inspected and photographed before the next one covers it up.
Licensed trades for their portions
Water reaches wiring, panels, HVAC equipment, and plumbing. Submerged receptacles and equipment, wet duct board, and corroded connections are evaluated and replaced by licensed electricians, plumbers, and HVAC technicians under their own permits and inspections. Air handlers and duct systems that took on water get particular attention in this climate, since a contaminated system distributes the problem to rooms that were never wet.
A written record that stays yours
Documentation runs alongside the work: dated photographs before, during, and after; moisture readings by location and date; an inventory of materials removed and their condition; drying equipment placement and run times; and an itemized written repair scope with quantities. It is a factual record of the property and the work performed, and it is yours to use however you choose, including giving it to your insurer or an adjuster you engage.
Practical considerations
What we do not do: claims
Texas Insurance Code Sec. 4102.163 prohibits a contractor from acting as a public adjuster on property it services, or from advertising to adjust claims for that property. So we do not negotiate with carriers, interpret policy language, tell you what is covered, or represent you in a claim. Public adjusters are licensed separately by the state and you may hire one independently. Our role is repair scope, repair work, and documentation.
The 50% substantial-improvement rule
If the property sits in a mapped floodplain, repair and improvement work costing 50% or more of the structure’s pre-improvement value triggers full floodplain compliance, which can include elevation requirements. The rule appears in Harris County Sec. 2.45 and the equivalent municipal Chapter 19 ordinance. Only the floodplain administrator with jurisdiction over that address gives a binding determination, so the question gets asked before scope is finalized—not after demolition starts.
Mold has its own rules
Wet materials in this climate can grow mold quickly, and Texas regulates mold assessment and remediation through a state licensing program. Once the affected area passes the state’s size threshold, a licensed mold assessor writes the protocol and a licensed remediator performs the work, with the remodeling crew returning afterward to rebuild. Keeping those roles separate is a requirement, not a preference, and it keeps the record of what was done clean.
The ground moves after a storm
Heavy saturation followed by a dry stretch is exactly the swelling-and-shrinking cycle expansive Beaumont and Lissie clays are known for, and it shows up weeks later as binding doors, separated trim joints, and new cracks. Correcting site drainage during the repair—gutters, downspout extensions, grading that falls away from the slab—addresses the cause instead of repeating the same cosmetic patch every year.
At a glance
| Damage source | Repair scope | What gets documented |
|---|---|---|
| Roof breach or lost covering | Decking, underlayment, covering, flashing | Photos, affected area, materials removed |
| Wind-driven rain at windows | Flashing, sheathing, barrier, interior finish | Entry point, wet cavity readings |
| Supply line or water heater failure | Licensed plumbing repair plus rebuild | Source, spread, moisture map by room |
| Sewer or ground water intrusion | Porous material removal, sanitize, rebuild | Water category, removal line, readings |
| Wet HVAC or duct system | Licensed evaluation, equipment or duct work | Equipment condition, water line on unit |
| Saturated wall and floor assemblies | Insulation removal, dry to target, reclose | Daily readings, drying equipment log |
Common questions
Can you handle my insurance claim for me?
No. Texas Insurance Code Sec. 4102.163 bars a contractor from acting as a public adjuster on property it services and from advertising to adjust claims for that property, so we cannot negotiate with your carrier, tell you what your policy covers, or represent you in the claim. What we can do is document the property thoroughly and write a clear, itemized repair scope with quantities, then hand that record to you. You decide what to do with it. If you want representation, public adjusters are licensed separately by the state and you can retain one directly.
How long does drying take in this climate?
It depends on the material, how long it stayed wet, and ambient conditions—which in this region often work against you, because outdoor air in a Gulf Coast summer can carry more moisture than the assembly you are trying to dry. That is why drying uses dehumidification and controlled air movement rather than open windows and box fans. Dense materials such as framing, subfloor, and bottom plates take considerably longer than drywall surfaces. The honest answer is that it takes as long as the readings say, and readings are taken daily.
How do I know the walls are actually dry?
You measure. A moisture meter reading in the affected area is compared against a reading in similar material in an unaffected part of the same house, which sets the dry standard for that structure rather than relying on a generic number. Readings are taken at multiple points across multiple days so you can see a trend instead of one snapshot. Insulation, bottom plates, and the underside of the subfloor get checked, because a surface can feel dry while the cavity behind it is not. Closing walls early is how stains and mold come back.
What is the 50% rule and does it apply to me?
In a mapped floodplain, if the total cost of repair and improvement reaches 50% or more of the structure’s pre-improvement value, the work triggers full floodplain compliance rather than a simple repair permit—which can mean elevation and other requirements that change the project entirely. It appears in Harris County Sec. 2.45 and the equivalent municipal Chapter 19 ordinance. Whether it applies to your address, and how the valuation is figured, is not something a contractor decides for you. Only the floodplain administrator with jurisdiction gives a binding determination, and that question comes first.
Does drywall always have to come out?
It depends on what got wet, with what, and for how long. Clean water caught quickly on a wall with no insulation behind it can sometimes be dried in place with the baseboard removed and cavity access opened. Water that carried contaminants, water that sat, and any assembly holding wet fibrous insulation is a removal, because that insulation will not dry to standard and the cavity cannot be verified. The deciding factors are the water category, elapsed time, and whether a reading behind the surface can actually be confirmed.
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