Houston water damage services fall into three families: getting water out and the house dry, putting the house back together, and dealing with mold. Knowing which one you need helps you describe the problem on the call and ask better questions when the company arrives.
Water Damage Pro Houston does none of this work itself. It is a free phone line that answers at any hour and connects you with an independent, locally owned water damage restoration company in greater Houston. The company inspects, quotes, does the work and bills you or your insurer as you arrange. The pages below explain each kind of job so you know what a careful company should be doing.
Water in the house: removal, drying and restoration
These are the urgent jobs. The goal is to get standing water out, find where the hidden water went, and dry the structure before mold has a chance to start, which the EPA puts at roughly 24 to 48 hours for most materials.
Water Damage Restoration in Houston
The full job after a leak or flood: inspection, water removal, drying, cleaning and rebuilding, and how a restoration company works from the IICRC water categories.
Emergency Water Removal and Extraction
Standing water on the floor right now. What extraction equipment does, why speed matters in Houston humidity, and what to do safely before the company arrives.
Flood Damage Restoration
Rising water from a bayou, street or storm surge. Why floodwater is treated as contaminated, what gets removed, and how flood insurance differs from a homeowners policy.
Burst Pipe Water Damage
A split supply line, a frozen pipe or a slab leak. Who stops the leak (a plumber), who dries the house (a restoration company) and what to photograph for the insurer.
Clean water, gray water, black water
Restoration companies commonly sort water damage using the IICRC S500 standard. Category 1 is clean water, such as a broken supply line. Category 2 carries significant contamination, such as washing machine discharge. Category 3 is grossly contaminated, such as sewage or rising floodwater from a bayou or street. The category changes what can be saved: carpet soaked by a clean supply line may be dried in place, while the same carpet under floodwater is usually removed. Water can also get worse the longer it sits.
That is why a flood and a burst pipe have separate pages here, even though both put water on the floor. Rising floodwater from outside is usually treated as contaminated, and it is a different insurance question too.
Which service fits what you are seeing?
Match the situation to the page, then call. You do not need to know the right name for the job; the automated assistant asks what happened and passes that along.
| What you see | Start with | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Water spraying or pooling from a pipe | Burst pipe water damage | Shut the main off if safe; a plumber fixes the pipe, a restoration company dries the house. |
| Standing water on floors right now | Emergency water removal | Extraction comes before drying, and speed limits how far water wicks into walls. |
| Water came in from outside during a storm | Flood damage restoration | Rising floodwater is usually treated as contaminated, and flood is a separate insurance policy. |
| Wet ceiling, walls or floors after a leak was fixed | Water damage restoration | Hidden moisture behind drywall and under flooring needs measuring and drying. |
| House is dry but walls and floors are torn out | Water damage repair | The rebuild stage: drywall, trim, flooring, cabinets and paint. |
| Visible mold growth after a leak or flood | Mold remediation | Larger jobs follow a protocol from a licensed Texas mold assessor. |
| A small spot of mold you want gone | Mold removal and cleaning | Size matters under Texas rules; the page explains the 25 square foot line. |
| Musty smell, no visible mold, or buying a house | Mold inspection and testing | A licensed assessor finds the moisture source and decides whether sampling helps. |
After the drying: repair and rebuild
Once moisture readings show the framing, subfloor and slab are dry, the house can be put back together. Cutting new drywall in too early can trap moisture and start mold behind fresh paint, so a careful company documents dry readings first. Rebuild work in the City of Houston and many suburbs can need a permit, depending on the scope; ask whoever does the work who pulls it.
Water Damage Repair
Putting the house back after it is dry: drywall, baseboards, flooring, cabinets and paint, and how repair estimates differ from drying estimates.
Mold: remediation, removal and testing
Mold in Houston usually follows water: a slow leak under a sink, a roof leak after a storm, or a flooded room that was not dried fast enough. Texas treats mold work differently from drying. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation licenses mold assessors and mold remediators, and Texas rules keep the assessor who writes the plan and the remediator who does the work separate on the same project.
Mold Remediation in Houston
Mold after a leak or flood: containment, removal and clearance, the Texas licensing rules, and the protocol a licensed assessor writes first.
Mold Removal and Mold Cleaning
Small spots versus large growth: when cleaning is enough, when Texas law calls for licensed remediation, and why bleach on drywall is not the fix.
Mold Inspection and Mold Testing
Musty smells, hidden leaks and post-flood checks. What a licensed mold assessment consultant does, when air or surface samples help, and why the assessor and remediator are separate.
Check the mold license first. In Texas, mold assessment and mold remediation are licensed by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). In most cases visible mold under 25 contiguous square feet can be cleaned by people without a license; larger jobs generally call for a licensed mold assessment consultant to write the remediation protocol and a separate licensed mold remediation contractor to do the work. Ask for both license numbers and look them up on the TDLR license search (opens in a new tab). The line does not check licenses for you.
What the line does and does not do
The line does
- Answer your call at any hour, every day.
- Ask what happened and whether water is still coming in.
- Transfer you to an independent, locally owned restoration company.
- Pass your name, number, area and problem along if the company misses the call.
The line does not
- Send anyone, dry, tear out, remove mold or repair anything.
- Quote prices, schedule visits or bill you or your insurer.
- Check licenses or vouch for any company; this site shows you how to check.
- Give insurance or legal advice; ask your own insurer.
Read before the company arrives
- What to Do in the First 24 to 48 Hours
- Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Water Damage?
- How to Check a Water Damage Company Before Hiring
- Water Damage Restoration Cost
About this line: Water Damage Pro Houston is a free phone line, not a restoration company. It answers your call and connects you with an independent local water damage restoration company, which inspects, quotes and does the work, and which you pay directly. Companies may pay a referral fee. The line never charges you. Read how the line works.