Frequently asked questions

No. We don't run our own crews. Water Damage Restoration Frisco is a referral service: we connect you with an independent local restoration company, which does the inspection, gives the estimate and does the work. See our referral disclosure.

No. Our service is free to you. The restoration company may pay us for the referral. Whatever you agree with them is between you and that company.

Texas has no state licence for general or water damage restoration contractors, so ask for proof of liability insurance and recent local references instead. Two trades that often come up are licensed: mold remediators by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation and plumbers by the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners. Ask for those licence numbers where they apply.

As soon as it is safe. Water keeps moving into walls, ceilings and cabinets after the leak stops, and in a warm house mold can start within a day or two. Early drying usually means less has to be torn out.

It depends on your policy and the cause. Sudden, accidental leaks are often covered; slow leaks, flooding from outside and sewer backups often aren't unless you have the right endorsement. Many Texas policies also carry a separate, higher deductible for wind and hail. Call your insurer early and keep photos.

Usually not. It depends on how much is affected, whether there is contamination, and whether the kitchen and bathrooms are usable. The contractor will tell you after the inspection.

As soon as it is safe to begin. Drywall and wood keep drinking up water after the leak stops, and in a warm Texas house mold can get started within a day or two. Early extraction usually means less has to be torn out.

Sometimes. Clean water caught quickly can often be dried in place with only the bottom of the wall opened. Drywall that has swollen, crumbled or been soaked by contaminated water normally has to be cut out.

Usually three to five days for a typical clean-water loss. Hardwood, concrete slabs and water that sat for days take longer. Drying should end when the readings say dry, not on a fixed day.

Often, if the water was clean and it is extracted within a day or two. The pad underneath is usually replaced. Carpet soaked by sewage or by runoff from outside normally can't be saved.

A room or two usually takes an hour or two. The drying that follows takes days, not hours.

If it soaked into carpet, pad or under flooring, you at least need a moisture check. A dry-looking floor on a slab can still be holding water underneath.

Shut off the water yourself if you can, then call both. The plumber fixes the pipe and must hold a TSBPE licence; the restoration company removes the water and dries the structure. Drying usually shouldn't wait for the repair.

Many Texas policies cover sudden, accidental water damage from a burst pipe, but not the pipe itself and not slow leaks that went on for weeks. Some policies ask you to have kept the heat on during a freeze. Read your policy and call your insurer early.

Insulate exposed attic lines and hose bibs, disconnect garden hoses, know where your main shutoff is, and when a hard freeze is forecast keep the heat on, open cabinet doors under sinks and let a faucet drip. Your plumber can tell you which lines are most exposed.

A reroute avoids breaking the floor and is common where the soil has moved the slab and more leaks are likely. A single through-slab repair can make sense for one failure in otherwise sound pipe. Ask the plumber to price both.

Many policies cover tearing out and replacing flooring to reach the leak and the resulting water damage, but not the plumbing repair. Some Texas policies limit or exclude foundation-related damage. Read yours and ask.

Not necessarily, but they are related. Soil movement can cause a leak, and a long-running leak can soften the clay under one part of the slab. If doors have started sticking or new cracks have appeared, mention it to the plumber and consider a foundation inspection.

Rust-coloured water at the tap, moisture or rust at the base of the tank, water in the drain pan, and a tank past ten or twelve years old are all warning signs. A plumber can check the anode and the pan drain. A cheap water alarm in the pan tells you the moment it starts.

Sudden tank failure and the resulting water damage are often covered; the heater itself and damage from a leak that was obviously going on for months usually aren't. Ask your insurer and keep the photos.

Many homeowners replace an attic tank with a tankless unit on an outside wall or move it to the garage. That is a plumbing and code question for a TSBPE-licensed plumber, not for the restoration contractor.

Rain that gets in through a roof or window the storm damaged is usually covered, often with a separate wind and hail deductible that is a percentage of the home's insured value. Water that rises from the ground or flows in from the street is flood, which standard policies exclude. Ask your insurer which applies.

Rainwater that ran over a roof or the ground picks up dirt and bacteria, and insulation holds it like a sponge. Porous materials it soaked usually can't be dried reliably or cleaned, so they come out.

The roof needs to be tarped or patched so the attic doesn't get wet again at the next storm, but drying doesn't have to wait for the full replacement. Most roofers can tarp within a day or two of a storm; the restoration contractor can start as soon as the water has stopped coming in.

It can be. Sewage carries bacteria, viruses and other contaminants. Avoid direct contact, keep children and pets away, and leave anything beyond a tiny spill to people with the right protective equipment.

Usually not. Carpet and pad soaked with sewage are normally removed. Tile, some furniture and sealed hard surfaces can be cleaned and disinfected.

Many standard homeowners policies exclude sewer backup unless you added a water or sewer backup endorsement. Check your declarations page and ask your insurer.

Not always. If you can see or smell mold, the priority is finding the moisture and removing the growth. A licensed mold assessor is useful when the source is hidden, for a real-estate transaction, or to clear a large job, and in Texas the assessor and the remediator are meant to be independent of each other.

Any mold can cause allergy and breathing problems, especially for sensitive people. Colour doesn't tell you the species or the risk. Treat it all the same way: fix the moisture and remove it properly.

Usually only when it results from a covered, sudden water loss, and Texas policies commonly cap mold coverage at a modest amount or exclude it unless you bought an endorsement. Mold from a long-term leak or humidity is generally excluded. Check your policy.

Typically three to five days for clean water caught early. Hardwood floors, concrete slabs and water that sat for days take longer.

Air movers shift a lot of air and dehumidifiers give off heat. Warm, moving, dry air is what pulls water out of materials. Expect the room to be noisier and a few degrees warmer for a few days.

Better not. Drying works because it runs continuously. Ask the contractor before switching anything off.

Often, if the affected area can be sectioned off safely. The contractor will advise based on the extent, trip hazards from equipment and cords, and any contamination.

Usually the landlord's policy covers the building and yours covers your contents, improvements and lost income. Your lease spells out who is responsible for what. Notify both insurers.

Yes. Calls from property managers, landlords and HOAs are connected with restoration companies that do multi-unit work.