Flash floods & storm runoff
Heavy rain overwhelms gutters, storm drains and dry washes, and water finds the lowest door into the house.
Storm runoff, flash floods and rising water
Flood Damage Restoration
Floodwater comes in from outside, and it brings soil, sewage and chemicals with it. We pump it out, cut away what can't be saved, disinfect the structure, dry it to verified readings and rebuild, with every step documented for your flood claim.
- 24/7 Flood
Response - Category 3
Water Cleanup - IICRC Certified
Technicians - Flood Claim
Documentation
Local crews across Southern California, Florida, Washington and Nevada
- Since 200422 years in restoration
- CSLBLicensed contractor
- Bonded& insured
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Flood cleanup & restoration
Floodwater isn't clean water. It's everything the water picked up on the way in.
A burst pipe floods a house with tap water. A flood is different. Water that ran across streets, yards and storm drains carries sewage, fertilizer, motor oil and mud into your home, and the IICRC treats it as Category 3 from the moment it crosses the threshold.
That changes the job. Wet drywall that might be dried in place after a pipe leak has to come out after a flood. Carpet and pad go to the landfill. Every surface the water touched gets cleaned and disinfected before drying even starts. We do all of it, then rebuild, so you deal with one crew and one file from start to finish.
- Pump-out & mud removal
- Category 3 disinfection
- Moisture mapping
- Full rebuild
Water still in the house?
Stay out of standing water until the power is off. If you can't reach the breaker panel without stepping in water, call the utility and wait for us outside.
Get flood help on the way
Tell us what happened. We'll call you back and send a crew.
Water still coming in? Call (800) 719-4808 for the fastest dispatch.
Your information is secure and never shared.
What we respond to
Where flood water comes from
Our branches see different floods. Burn-scar mudflows in Southern California, king tides in South Florida, atmospheric rivers around Seattle and monsoon flash floods in the Las Vegas Valley.
Rising groundwater
Days of rain push the water table up into crawl spaces, basements and slab cracks, often with no visible source.
Mudflow after wildfires
Burned hillsides can't absorb rain. Mud and debris slide downhill and pile against walls, doors and garages.
Sewer & storm drain backflow
When city lines surcharge in a storm, sewage can push up through floor drains, showers and toilets.
Coastal & tidal flooding
Storm surge and king tides bring salt water into ground floors and garages. Salt keeps pulling moisture back in if it isn't rinsed out.
Flooded garages & ground floors
Garages, laundry rooms and first-floor units sit lowest and fill first, usually with stored belongings in the way.
Why flood cleanup is different
What floodwater carries in.
Under the IICRC S500 standard, water from outside the building that flows over the ground is Category 3. It doesn't matter how clear it looks. These three hazards are why.
Hazard 1
Sewage & bacteria
From: overflowing sewer lines, septic systems, animal waste in yards.
Bacteria and viruses soak into anything porous. You can't wash them out of drywall or carpet pad.
Remove porous materials, disinfect the rest
Hazard 2
Chemicals & fuel
From: street runoff, garages, pesticides, pool and garden chemicals.
Oil sheens, solvents and fertilizer leave residue and odor long after the water drains.
Clean, rinse and deodorize hard surfaces
Hazard 3
Silt & mud
From: hillsides, yards, construction sites and burn areas.
Mud packs into wall cavities, ducts and under cabinets, holding moisture and feeding mold.
Shovel out, pressure-clean, then dry
How it works
Our flood damage restoration process.
Six steps, in this order on every flood job. Skipping the cleaning to start drying sooner just dries the contamination into the walls.
- 01
Safety check
Power, gas, structureWe confirm the power is off, check for gas smells and look for sagging ceilings or undermined floors.
- 02
Pump-out & mud-out
Water and debris outPumps and truck-mounted extractors remove standing water. Mud and silt get shoveled and hauled.
- 03
Flood cuts
Above the water lineWet drywall and insulation are cut out, usually 12 to 24 inches above the highest water mark.
- 04
Clean & disinfect
Every touched surfaceStuds, slab and subfloor are scrubbed, rinsed and treated with EPA-registered disinfectant.
- 05
Structural drying
Logged dailyAir movers, dehumidifiers and HEPA scrubbers run until framing and slab read dry.
- 06
Rebuild
Back to pre-floodInsulation, drywall, flooring, cabinets and paint, handled by our own reconstruction team.
Photos at every stage.
Before, during and after, so your adjuster sees exactly what was removed and why.3 to 5 days
Cleanup and drying, one level.1 to 2 weeks
Whole ground floor or mud-out.Weeks to months
Rebuild, depending on scope.Tear-out decisions
What can be saved after a flood
After Category 3 water, the rule is simple: if it soaks up water and can't be fully disinfected, it goes. Here's how that plays out room by room.
| Usually removed | Usually saved | |
|---|---|---|
| Walls | Drywall and insulation below the flood cut | Wood and metal studs, after cleaning and drying |
| Floors | Carpet, pad, laminate and most engineered wood | Concrete slab, ceramic and porcelain tile |
| Cabinets | Particleboard and MDF boxes, toe kicks | Solid wood doors and stone countertops |
| Furniture | Upholstered pieces and mattresses | Solid wood and metal, cleaned and dried |
| Belongings | Soft toys, food, cosmetics, porous items | Photos and documents, often by freeze-drying |
| HVAC | Ductwork and insulation that sat in water | Equipment, after a technician inspects it |
Don't throw anything out before it's photographed and listed. Your adjuster needs to see what was lost, and we can pack out and store what's worth saving through our pack-out service.
Flood extraction & drying
The equipment a flood job needs
Flood jobs run bigger than a typical leak: more water, more mud and contaminated air while the tear-out happens. This is what we bring.
Pumps & Truck-Mount Extractors
Trash pumps for deep standing water, truck-mounted units for what's left in flooring and on the slab.
HEPA Air Scrubbers
Filter dust, mold spores and bacteria kicked up while contaminated drywall and flooring come out.
LGR Dehumidifiers
Pull moisture out of the air so framing and slab can give up the water they absorbed.
Moisture Meters & Thermal Cameras
Show how far water wicked up the walls and confirm when the structure is ready to close up.
Why speed matters
What a flood leaves behind if it's not handled
The water drains in a day. These problems show up over the following weeks when a flooded house is only dried and not cleaned out.
AI job photoMold growth
Mold can start within 24 to 48 hours on wet drywall, insulation and wood, often inside the wall where nobody sees it.
AI job photoWood rot
Sill plates, joists and subfloor that stay damp soften and lose strength, which turns a cleanup into structural repair.
AI job photoSaturated insulation
Wet insulation holds water against the framing for weeks and never gets its insulating value back. It has to be replaced.
Flood insurance claims
Flood insurance works differently.
Standard homeowners and renters policies exclude flood. Damage from surface water, overflowing waterways and mudflow is covered by a separate flood policy, either through FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) or a private carrier. The claim process has its own forms and deadlines, so documentation from day one matters.
- 1
We document before we remove
Water line measurements, photos of every room and an itemized list of discarded materials.
- 2
We write the scope
An itemized estimate in the format flood adjusters use, so it can be reviewed without back-and-forth.
- 3
We work with the adjuster
Moisture logs, drying records and progress photos, shared directly with your carrier.
Flood claims we help with
Including:
- NFIP policies
- Neptune Flood
- Descartes
- State Farm
- USAA
- Nationwide
- Chubb
- Commercial flood
Report the loss to your flood carrier as soon as you can. Mitigation can start right away; you don't have to wait for the adjuster to visit.
Case studies
Recent projects
Typical flood jobs and how we handled them, from a flooded garage to a mud-out.
Sample project
Sample scenario · Southern California
Flooded garage and laundry room
Storm runoff came under the garage door and into the laundry room. We pumped it out, pulled the lower drywall, disinfected the slab and dried both rooms before the rebuild.
- Pump-out
- Flood cuts
- Disinfection
Sample project
Sample scenario · Greater Seattle
Groundwater in a crawl space
A week of rain raised the water table and flooded the crawl space. We extracted, removed the wet insulation and vapor barrier, treated the framing and dried it to target readings.
- Extraction
- Insulation removal
- Structural drying
Sample project
Sample scenario
Mudflow against a back wall
Rain on a burned hillside sent mud through a rear slider. Crews shoveled out the silt, cut the walls, pressure-cleaned the framing and dried the room under HEPA filtration.
- Mud-out
- HEPA filtration
- Rebuild
Frequently asked questions
Flood damage questions, answered.
What's the difference between flood damage and water damage?
Insurers draw the line by where the water came from. Water damage starts inside the building, like a burst pipe or a failed water heater. Flood damage is surface water from outside, such as storm runoff, overflowing creeks, mudflow or storm surge. The cleanup is different too, because floodwater is treated as Category 3 contaminated water.
Does homeowners insurance cover flood damage?
Usually not. Standard homeowners and renters policies exclude flood. You need a separate flood policy through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) or a private flood carrier. New NFIP policies generally have a 30-day waiting period, so coverage bought after a storm warning won't apply to that storm.
Is floodwater dangerous to clean up myself?
It can be. Floodwater can carry sewage, bacteria, fuel and chemicals, and it hides hazards like live wiring and broken glass. Wear boots and gloves if you have to go in, keep children and pets out, and leave the tear-out and disinfection to a crew with protective gear.
Can drywall be saved after a flood?
Not below the water line. Drywall and insulation that touched floodwater are removed, usually with a flood cut 12 to 24 inches above the highest water mark. The studs behind it are normally saved after they're cleaned, disinfected and dried.
How long does flood damage restoration take?
Cleanup and drying on one level usually takes three to five days. A whole ground floor or a job with heavy mud can take one to two weeks. Rebuilding adds time based on how much drywall, flooring and cabinetry has to be replaced.
Should I wait for the adjuster before starting cleanup?
No. Report the claim right away, photograph everything, and start mitigation. Flood policies expect you to take reasonable steps to prevent further damage. We document the water line, removed materials and drying readings so the adjuster has a full record.
How soon can mold grow after a flood?
Mold can begin growing within 24 to 48 hours on wet drywall, carpet, wood and insulation. That's why removal of soaked materials and fast drying matter more after a flood than almost anything else.
Can I stay in my home during flood restoration?
Sometimes. If the flooding is limited to a garage or one area and the power is safe, many families stay. If the whole ground floor flooded, sewage was involved, or the kitchen and bathrooms are torn out, plan to stay elsewhere until drying is done.
Floodwater keeps soaking in after it stops rising. Call now.
24/7 dispatch. Category 3 cleanup. Flood claim documentation.
Where we work
Our business locations
Local crews in four states, each with its own team, trucks and direct line. Pick your region to find the closest branch.
Southern California
Headquarters region- Los Angeles
- San Fernando Valley
- Culver City
- Santa Monica
- Torrance
- Pasadena
- Santa Clarita
- Palmdale & Lancaster
- Oak Park
- Ventura & Oxnard
- Irvine
- Santa Ana
- Laguna Beach
- San Bernardino
- San Diego
Florida
South Florida- Miami
- Miami Beach
- Hialeah
- Coral Gables
- Miami Gardens
- North Miami Beach
- Homestead
- Lauderhill
Washington
Greater Seattle- Seattle
- Tukwila
- Bellevue
- Renton
- Kent
- Kirkland
- Redmond
- Kenmore
- Everett
- Tacoma
Nevada
Las Vegas Valley- Las Vegas
- Henderson
- North Las Vegas
- Summerlin
- Paradise
- Boulder City
See all locations or call (800) 719-4808, 24/7