Water Damage & Mold FAQ — San Antonio

Shut the water off at the main if you can reach it safely. Cut power to affected areas at the breaker if water is near outlets or appliances, but never stand in water to do it. Photograph everything before moving anything. Lift belongings off wet flooring. Then call us. Do not start pulling up carpet or cutting drywall.

Yes — dispatch is staffed 24 hours a day, every day of the year, with crews on call from all five branches. Most serious water losses are found at night or on returning from a trip, which is exactly when a business-hours contractor is no help.

Yes, and we would rather you did. Ask what qualifications they hold for the work in front of them and ask to see documentation before anything starts. Ask us and ask everyone else who quotes you — it is your call whether to, and it is a fair question.

For a small spill on a hard surface, yes. Once water reaches carpet pad, wall cavities or subfloor, household fans dry the surface while the cavity stays wet — exactly the condition mold needs. Proper drying pairs airflow with dehumidification sized to the space and verifies with meters.

Three to five days is typical for a straightforward clean-water loss in a single-story home. Contaminated water, saturated hardwood or plaster, multi-story travel, or water that sat for days all extend it. We take daily readings and remove equipment when the structure hits target, not on a fixed schedule.

By numbers, not appearance. A structure is dry when its moisture content matches a documented dry standard — normally an unaffected area of the same building measured at the same time. Ask any contractor for daily moisture logs and final readings. If they cannot produce them, they do not know either.

As little as the readings justify. We map moisture before removing anything, so demolition follows the actual extent of the water rather than a precautionary guess. We show you the readings behind the decision before we cut.

Category 1 is clean supply water. Category 2 is used water with some contamination, such as washing machine discharge. Category 3 is grossly contaminated — sewage, creek or street flooding — and requires removal of porous materials rather than drying in place. Category escalates over time: clean water left standing becomes Category 2, then 3.

On damp organic material in San Antonio's humidity, growth can begin within 24 to 48 hours. That is why a leak found immediately is a drying job while the same leak found three weeks later is a remediation job.

Ask whoever turns up what qualifications they hold for mold work specifically, and ask to see documentation before they begin. Mold work is not the same skill set as general water drying. Whether you ask is at your discretion, but it is a sensible question and any competent crew expects it.

We keep the two separate. Whoever diagnoses a mold problem should not also be the only party confirming it has been fixed — that is a conflict of interest whichever company is involved. Testing before, and verification afterwards, are best done by an independent party.

Mold exposure can cause respiratory irritation and worsen asthma and allergies, and can affect immunocompromised people more severely. Whether a specific health problem is caused by a specific mold is a medical question for your doctor — we are contractors, not clinicians. What we can do is find it, contain it, remove it and verify the result.

It depends on affected area, water category, duration and how much must be removed. We give you a written scope and price before work begins, so you know the number before anything starts. Our cost guides for water damage and mold work explain the variables in detail.

Ask them. When someone arrives at your property, ask who they work for, what qualifications they hold for the job in front of them, and to see documentation — then actually look at it. Do that with us and with everyone else who quotes you. Whether you ask is at your discretion, but it is your home and it is a fair question.

Turning up unsolicited after a storm. Pressuring you to sign immediately. Refusing or deflecting when you ask what they are qualified to do. Quoting a firm price over the phone without seeing the property. Asking for large payment up front. Being unable to produce moisture readings. Any one of those is worth pausing over; several together and you should not let them start.

Not under time pressure, and not without reading it properly. Some documents contractors ask you to sign transfer significant rights away from you. There are legitimate uses for them, but be wary of anyone who resists giving you time to read before signing — you are entitled to take that time even in an emergency.

Yes, if you want to — and we would encourage it. Ask what qualifications the person actually doing the work holds and ask to see documentation before they start. Ask us and ask every other company you speak to. It is entirely at your discretion, and no reputable crew will take offence.

Yes. Mitigation and reconstruction both, which avoids the gap where a drying company hands off to a builder and details get lost — particularly around what was removed, why, and what was agreed.

Yes. We have Spanish-speaking staff on dispatch and on our crews. Sí, contamos con personal que habla español. Just mention it when you call.

Whichever is nearest with capacity. During a widespread storm that may not be your closest branch, because demand spikes across whole watersheds at once — another reason to call early rather than waiting to see whether water recedes.