Water damage restoration in Humble, TX looks different on the older streets near the original townsite than it does in newer subdivisions along the river, but the first job is the same everywhere: stop the water, find out how far it spread, and get the house drying before mold has a chance.
Water Damage Pro Houston does not do that work. It is a free phone line. An automated assistant answers whenever you call, asks what happened and whether water is still coming in, then transfers you to an independent, locally owned water restoration company that serves Humble. That company comes out, inspects, quotes and does the job, and you or your insurer pay it directly as you arrange. The line charges you nothing.
Humble: an oil boomtown on the San Jacinto River
Humble started around 1870 as a crossroads community named for Pleasant S. Humble, who ran a ferry on the San Jacinto River. Oil changed everything in the early 1900s. The Handbook of Texas says the Humble field, just northeast of town, became the largest producing oil field in Texas by 1905. Ross S. Sterling ran a feed store in Humble before going into oil, and the Humble Oil and Refining Company, which carried the town's name, later became part of Exxon.
The boom rose and fell over the following decades, and the town incorporated in 1933. Today Humble is a small city in northeastern Harris County next to much larger unincorporated suburbs such as Atascocita, with Lake Houston and the West Fork of the San Jacinto River close by. That mix of an old town center and newer riverside neighborhoods is why Humble water damage calls range from aging plumbing to river flooding.
Water restoration in Humble, TX: the calls that come in
In an older home, aging supply lines are a common weak point, and a pipe that fails behind a wall may leak for days before a floor buckles or paint bubbles. Newer homes have their own weak points: plastic supply lines to toilets and ice makers, water heaters in attics and air conditioner drain pans that overflow in summer. When the river rises, the job becomes a flood cleanup, and floodwater from rivers and streams counts as Category 3, grossly contaminated water, under the IICRC S500 standard. Drywall, insulation and carpet that sat in it are usually cut out rather than dried in place.
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.
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 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.
The West Fork in 2017, and what came after
Harvey was the worst flood on record for the river that runs past Humble.
The National Weather Service gauge on the West Fork of the San Jacinto River near Humble crested at 69.18 feet on August 29, 2017, its highest level on record. The previous record there was 66.39 feet in October 1994. The weather service's notes for that gauge list the riverside subdivisions that take water as the river climbs, so check them against your address.
The storm also left the river choked. Harvey's flood carried so much sand and debris down the West Fork that it impeded the flow of water. On July 6, 2018, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, tasked by FEMA, awarded a contract of about $69.8 million to dredge sediment and debris out of the West Fork, according to a City of Houston update on the project.
Across Harris County, the Flood Control District estimates that Harvey dropped about one trillion gallons of rain in four days. For homes near the West Fork, a forecast crest is worth taking seriously: check the gauge, move valuables up and know where your main water shutoff is before the river arrives.
City of Humble or Harris County: who handles permits and water
The first question after a big leak or flood is often whose rules apply. Many homes near Humble are outside its city limits. If your home is inside the city, the City of Humble handles building permits through a permits portal on its website, and the city's water billing department handles water accounts. The city also runs a stormwater quality program and an underground utility locate request.
If your Humble address is outside the city limits, you are in unincorporated Harris County. There, the county's Office of the County Engineer requires a permit for development, including buildings, fill and grading, and its Permits Division can tell you whether a lot is in the mapped floodplain. Water and sewer in those subdivisions usually come from a municipal utility district (MUD), a local district named on your water bill.
Drying out a home rarely needs a permit. Rebuilding walls, floors, plumbing or electrical work after the drying is a different matter, so ask the restoration company and any contractor which permits the rebuild needs and who will pull them.
What to do while the call is going through
Turn off the main water supply if it is safe to reach. Keep out of river or rain floodwater, which can carry sewage. Before anything is pulled out or thrown away, take photos and video of each wet room for the insurance claim, and set important papers and keepsakes somewhere dry. The first 48 hours guide explains what comes next.
Safety before anything else. If you smell gas, leave the house now and, once outside, call 911 and your gas utility's emergency line (CenterPoint Energy serves much of greater Houston). Never walk into standing water near outlets, cords or appliances; switch power off at the breaker only if you can reach the panel while standing on a dry floor, otherwise call your electric utility (CenterPoint Energy in much of greater Houston) or an electrician. Stay out of sewage water. If it is safe to reach, close the main water shutoff.
Why Humble homeowners call the line
Old pipes and a nearby river
Between aging plumbing near the old townsite and a river that set a record in 2017, Humble homes get both slow leaks and sudden floods. One free number covers both, and the company you reach sorts out which it is.
City or county, one call
Whether your address is inside Humble or in the unincorporated area around it, the call works the same way: the line connects you with an independent, locally owned company that takes Humble area calls.
Any hour, with a call back if needed
Calls are picked up by an automated assistant at every hour. If the restoration company misses the transfer, it gets your name, number, area and problem so it can call you back.
The line costs nothing
You pay the company you hire, not the line. This site also explains how to check a Texas mold license on the TDLR search before a mold job starts, and what to ask your insurer.
Insurance, flood policies and mold in Humble
River flooding and a burst pipe are treated very differently by insurers. The Texas Department of Insurance says most homeowner policies cover sudden and accidental water damage but not gradual leaks, and homeowner policies do not cover floods. FEMA says a separate flood policy through the National Flood Insurance Program is needed and generally has a 30 day waiting period. TDI also says claim deadlines vary by policy, and some are short for water. Call your insurer early and ask. The insurance guide and the cost guide help you prepare.
Mold is the slow follow-up. The EPA says wet materials dried within 24 to 48 hours usually do not grow mold, and that controlling moisture is the key to controlling it. Once mold covers a larger area, Texas expects licensed professionals in most cases: visible mold under 25 contiguous square feet can usually be handled without a license, and larger jobs generally call for a licensed assessor to write a protocol and a separate licensed remediator to do the work. The mold removal page explains more.
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.
How a Humble call works
- Dial the numberAn automated assistant picks up (832) 662-4107 at any hour, holidays included.
- Say what happenedA burst pipe, a flood, a roof or appliance leak, a sewage backup or mold, whether water is still coming in, and where in greater Houston you are.
- Get connectedYour call is transferred to an independent, locally owned water damage restoration company, which hears a short summary first.
- Work with that companyIt inspects, quotes, does the work and bills you or your insurer as you arrange. If it misses the call, it gets your name, number, area and problem to call you back.
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.