Who to Call for Water Damage — Houston

The short answer

Two calls, in order: first, whoever **stops the source** — a plumber for a pipe or water heater, an HVAC tech for an AC leak, a roofer for a roof leak. Second, a **water damage mitigation company** to extract the water and dry the structure before mold starts. Open your insurance claim in parallel — don't wait on it to begin mitigating. If there's standing or spreading water, call mitigation now: **(346) 271-7004**. Every hour of delay costs drying time and risks mold.

A technician wearing black gloves kneels to inspect water damage on a wall with a moisture meter, showing a reading of 15.7. Caption on image: FIND THE SOURCE. DRY WHAT YOU CANNOT SEE.

The two jobs, and why you usually need both

Water damage involves two separate problems, and they need two different fixes:

Stopping the water — the leak itself. Depending on the source, that’s a plumber, an HVAC tech, or a roofer.
Dealing with the water that already escaped — extraction, structural drying, and mold prevention. That’s a mitigation company.

A plumber will fix your pipe and leave; drying the soaked wall, floor, and cavity isn’t their job. That’s the mistake that turns a small loss into a mold job. For the full breakdown of when each is needed, see plumber vs. mitigation company.

Match the call to the source

Pipe, water heater, or under-sink leak → plumber (to stop it) + mitigation (to dry it).
AC leaking, especially in summer → HVAC tech + mitigation. In Houston the AC is in the attic, so this usually shows as a ceiling stain.
Worse when it rains → roofer + mitigation.
Sewage or ground floodwater → mitigation with contamination protocols (and your plumber for a sewer-line issue).

Warning signs the water went further than the fixture

The visible wet spot is the end of the trip, not the start of it. These are the signs the water is in the structure and not just on the floor.

It is inside the wall:

Baseboard that has darkened, swelled, or pulled a fraction away from the wall
Paint or wallpaper bubbling in a band along the bottom of the wall
A wet line on the drywall that sits higher tonight than it did this afternoon — wicking climbs, so a rising line means the cavity is full

It is under the floor:

Vinyl plank lifting at a seam, or laminate edges swelling into small ridges
Grout darker in one area, or a tile that sounds hollow when you tap it
Carpet that feels cool and heavy underfoot two rooms away from the leak

It is already growing something: a musty smell before any visible growth, or discoloration at the bottom edge of the drywall and in the corner where two walls meet the floor. Smell arrives first because most of it happens where you cannot see.

It is an emergency, not a service call: water near an outlet, a panel, or a light fixture; a ceiling that sags or bulges; or water still arriving after you closed the fixture valve, which means the source is upstream of it.

What to check before you pick up the phone

Five minutes of this makes every call that follows shorter and cheaper.

Shut the fixture valve, not the main, and watch for two minutes. If the water stops, the problem is that fixture and you want a plumber. If it keeps coming, shut the main.
Read the water meter with everything off. Note the low-flow indicator, wait fifteen minutes, read it again. Movement with the whole house closed down means a supply leak — and if the meter runs while nothing indoors looks wet, suspect a slab leak.
Test the timing. Wet only when it rains points at the roof. Wet only when the AC runs points at the condensate system in the attic. Wet regardless of either points at plumbing.
Feel the bottom of the wall on both sides. Water crosses into the next room long before it shows on the paint.
Smell the return-air vent. A musty smell at the return means the air handler or the duct insulation sits in the wet zone, and that changes who you call second.
Photograph everything with the date stamp on before you move a single item — the source, the standing water, the wall, the flooring, and the contents in the path.

If the water came from a fire

Fire-damaged houses are water-damaged houses. A fire department puts hundreds of gallons through a structure in minutes, and that water goes where any other loss water goes — into cavities, under flooring, and down into the level below.

So the call list changes. The fire department releases the scene, a licensed electrician clears the affected circuits before anything is energized, and mitigation handles both the firefighting water and the soot. Leaving a fire-damaged house open to Houston humidity while you wait on an adjuster is how a fire loss becomes a mold loss on top of it — the order of operations is in what to do after a house fire.

Where insurance fits

Open the claim early, but mitigate in parallel — your policy expects you to prevent further damage, and waiting can hurt the claim. A mitigation team that documents claims properly documents the loss (source, moisture readings, photos) the way your insurer needs. That documentation is often what keeps a claim smooth.

What each of these calls costs

Rough shapes, not quotes, so you can tell which call is the expensive one.

The plumber charges a service call plus the repair. A supply line or an angle stop is often a few hundred dollars. A slab leak, a re-route, or a sewer line is a different order of magnitude, and a camera inspection is usually billed separately.
The HVAC tech clearing a condensate line is typically a low service-call number. Replacing a rusted-through drain pan under an attic air handler is not, because the coil usually has to come out to reach it.
The roofer charges for an emergency tarp now and the repair later — two visits, two prices.
Mitigation, our part, is priced on affected area, water category, how much material has to come out, and how many days of equipment the structure needs. Category is the biggest single lever: clean water gets dried, contaminated water means removal.
The rebuild is a separate contract with a separate contractor, and it is usually the largest of the four numbers.

Insurance normally pays the mitigation and the resulting damage rather than the failed part itself. The full two-trade split is covered above, and what a denial usually turns on is in water damage claim denied.

How long each part takes

The source repair is usually hours. A plumber’s fixture repair, an HVAC drain clear, or an emergency tarp each happen in a single visit.

Drying is days. Three to five for a contained clean-water loss on hard surfaces, five to ten once a wall cavity, subfloor, or hardwood is involved, and longer when contaminated water means removal has to finish first. Houston adds time to every one of those ranges, because the outdoor air already carries moisture and there is less room to pull more into it.

Readings decide the end date, not the calendar. Dry standard is a number measured on the framing and subfloor daily, and reconstruction starts once it is met — what actually sets a drying timeline has the material-by-material version.

If you have water right now

Stop the source if you safely can (main shut-off, AC breaker, supply valve).
Cut power near any standing water at outlets.
Move belongings up and photograph everything before cleanup.
Call or text (346) 271-7004 — we’ll tell you honestly what it needs, and who else to call.

Serving Houston and the surrounding metro.

Where each trade ends and we begin

TruePoint Restoration is a mitigation and remediation company. We do not locate or repair pipes, service HVAC equipment, do roofing, do electrical work, act as your rebuild general contractor, or work as a public adjuster. When you describe your problem and it belongs to one of those trades, we say so on the phone instead of driving out and writing an estimate.

What we own is the water that already escaped and everything it touched: extraction, containment, removal of material that will not dry, structural drying with logged daily readings, mold remediation once growth has started, smoke and soot cleanup after a fire, and the documented file your adjuster works from. That file — category of loss, affected materials, daily readings, disposal records — often decides how completely a claim pays, and it is the one part a homeowner cannot reconstruct after the fact.

If you are not sure which call you need, make ours first and we will tell you straight. (346) 271-7004. We work out of Pearland and serve Manvel, Friendswood, League City, Pasadena, Sugar Land and the Greater Houston area.

A technician crouches, holding a tablet and shining a flashlight into an exposed wall cavity next to a blue air mover.

Who to Call Questions

Who do you call when you have water damage?

Call two people, in this order: first, whoever stops the source (a plumber for a pipe or water heater, an HVAC tech for an AC leak, a roofer for a roof leak); and a water damage mitigation company to extract the water and dry the structure before mold starts. You can open your insurance claim in parallel. If there's standing or spreading water, call mitigation right away — every hour counts.

Do I call a plumber or a water damage company first?

If water is actively flowing, shut off your main and get the source stopped — that's the plumber (or HVAC tech or roofer, depending on the source). But the water already released still has to be extracted and the structure dried, and that's the mitigation company. For anything beyond a small clean spill you caught immediately, you need both. A plumber stops the leak; a mitigation company deals with the damage.

Should I call my insurance company first for water damage?

You can open the claim right away, but don't wait on the insurer to start mitigating — your policy actually expects you to prevent further damage. Stop the source, call for extraction and drying, and document everything. A mitigation company that understands claim documentation will document the loss the way your insurer needs, which protects the claim. Opening the claim and mitigating happen in parallel, not one-then-the-other.

Who do I call for water coming through my ceiling?

Match the source: if the AC is running and it's summer, it's likely the attic HVAC condensate line (HVAC tech); if it worsens when it rains, it's the roof (roofer); if it's under an upstairs bathroom, it's a plumber. Whatever the source, also call a mitigation company — a wet ceiling means wet attic insulation and framing that need drying to prevent mold and a collapse.

Is it worth calling a professional for a small water leak?

For a small, clean spill you caught and dried immediately, maybe not. But if water reached drywall, flooring, cabinets, or a wall cavity — or if it's been sitting — yes. In Houston humidity, hidden moisture feeds mold within 24 to 48 hours, and a ten-minute moisture check costs you nothing. Text a photo and we'll tell you honestly whether it needs professional drying.

Who do I contact if the water is coming from the city water main or meter?

Call Houston Water at (713) 207-2700 to report a main or meter leak. They'll dispatch a crew to assess. While they're working, call us at (346) 271-7004 — water in your crawlspace or yard from a main break still needs extraction and drying to prevent mold, and it's usually covered under your homeowner's policy.

Do I need to call the city if I have flooding in my basement during heavy rain?

City involvement depends on the source. If it's surface water or storm drains backing up, you're handling it. If a city sewer line is involved, contact Houston Water at (713) 207-2700. Either way, call us first for extraction and drying — waiting on the city doesn't stop mold growth. We document what caused it, which your insurer needs.

What if I can't reach my plumber or HVAC tech right now but water is actively running?

Find your main water shut-off valve (usually near the meter or where the line enters your house) and turn it clockwise. For AC leaks, flip the breaker to the unit. Call us at (346) 271-7004 immediately — we'll begin extraction while you track down the contractor to fix the source. Don't wait; every hour counts.

Who do I call after a house fire?

In order: the fire department releases the scene, then your insurance carrier to open the claim, then a restoration company to board up, tarp and start drying. That third call is more urgent than it sounds, because the water used to fight the fire starts the same 24-to-48-hour mold clock as a burst pipe and the house is standing open to the weather. You will also need an electrician before the power goes back on and a licensed plumber before the water does. The rebuild itself is a general contractor's job — mitigation and reconstruction are two different scopes and often two different companies.

What is the difference between mitigation and the rebuild?

Mitigation is the emergency phase: stop the damage spreading, extract water, remove what cannot be saved, clean smoke and soot, dry the structure to a documented meter reading, and record all of it for the claim. Reconstruction is putting the house back — drywall, texture, paint, flooring, cabinets, trim. Insurers usually scope and pay these separately. We handle the mitigation, drying, mold remediation and smoke cleanup side rather than acting as the rebuild general contractor, and knowing which phase you are in tells you which number to dial.

Do I have to use the company my insurance recommends?

No. In Texas you choose who works on your property, and a carrier can recommend a preferred vendor but cannot require one. Program vendors are often perfectly good and the paperwork can move faster, but they work under pricing agreements with the carrier, so it is fair to ask who the contract is actually with — you or the insurer. Whoever you pick should be documenting moisture readings daily, because that record is what supports the claim later.

What am I signing before work starts?

Read the heading before you sign anything on a wet floor. A work authorization simply lets a crew begin emergency work, and that is normal. A direction to pay tells the insurer to send the mitigation portion straight to the contractor, which is also common and reasonable. An assignment of benefits is a different animal — it transfers your rights under the policy to the contractor, and it is the one to slow down and read properly. Ask for a copy of everything you sign, the same day you sign it.

What information should I have ready when I call?

The address, what the water is coming from, when it started, whether it has been shut off, how many rooms and floors are affected, whether the power is on in those areas, and whether the water is clean, from an appliance, or out of a drain. Take photos and a short video before you move anything, because that footage is the most valuable thing you will produce in the first hour. Have your policy number and your carrier's claim line to hand as well, so the claim and the drying can start in parallel instead of one after the other.

Does anyone actually come out at 2am?

Yes, and that is usually when this happens — a pipe lets go overnight, or someone walks in on it. We cover Pearland, Friendswood, League City, Alvin, Manvel, Missouri City and the wider Greater Houston area, and the first visit is an inspection: find the source, map the wet area with a moisture meter and thermal imaging, extract standing water, and set drying equipment. Call (346) 271-7004. Every hour water sits is more material that has to come out instead of being dried.

Who Do You Call for Water Damage?