Flood Damage Repair in Houston, TX
Silverheels Construction is the rebuild after a flood across the Houston area — flood cut and tear-out of the ruined materials, then putting the house back: drywall, insulation, flooring, baseboards, paint, and trim. We're the crew that rebuilds once the water is out and the structure is dry. We don't do water extraction, structural drying, mold remediation, or insurance claim adjusting. Free estimates.
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Houston floods — from hurricanes and tropical storms to the flash floods a stalled thunderstorm can drop in an afternoon — and the sequence after every flood is the same: stop the water, dry the structure, then rebuild what the water ruined. We do the rebuild across the Houston area. Once a flooded house has been dried out, we tear out what has to go and put the house back together, and we're clear up front that mitigation — extraction, drying, and mold remediation — is a separate specialty that comes first.
The first 72 hours — house flooded, what to do
The hours right after a flood decide how bad the damage gets. Safety first: if water reached outlets or the panel, the power needs to be killed before anyone wades in — that's a utility or qualified electrical call, not something we do. Then document everything with photos and video before anything is moved or torn out, because that record is what your insurance works from.
After that it's a race to dry: get the standing water out and air movers and dehumidifiers running fast, because in Houston's humidity mold can begin within 24 to 48 hours. That extraction and drying is a mitigation specialty that comes first — we're the rebuild that follows. Getting soaked contents out and the structure drying quickly is what limits how much has to be rebuilt at all.
What has to come out, and why
Flood water destroys porous materials, and trying to save them costs more than replacing them. Wet drywall wicks water upward and holds it; soaked insulation never dries in place and traps moisture against the framing; flooring and subfloor warp, delaminate, and stay contaminated; baseboards, trim, and cabinetry below the water line swell and come apart.
It all comes out for three reasons: it won't dry, it holds contamination — flood water is dirty, category-3 water — and left in place it keeps moisture against the structure, which rots framing and grows mold. Flood cleanup is ruthless on purpose: everything that can't be fully dried and cleaned is removed so the structure that stays can dry.
The flood cut
The flood cut is the defining step of flood tear-out: drywall is cut and removed to a set height above the visible water line — often a foot or two above it, or up to a clean four-foot line — because gypsum wicks water well past where the staining shows. The insulation in the wall cavity behind it comes out with it.
That opens the wall cavities and framing so they can actually dry, instead of sealing wet insulation and saturated drywall inside a wall. We make the cut clean and to a straight, consistent line, which also makes the rebuild go back neatly rather than as a patchwork.
Drying has to finish before rebuilding starts
This is the rule that gets broken most, and it's the most expensive mistake after a flood: you cannot rebuild over a wet structure. Closing walls back up and laying new floors before the framing and slab are confirmed dry seals moisture inside, which rots the new work and grows mold behind fresh drywall within weeks.
The drying is a mitigation specialty, done with moisture meters that confirm the framing and slab are back to normal moisture content — not just dry to the touch. We verify the structure is dry before we start, and we won't close up a wall that isn't. Waiting the extra days to dry properly is what keeps the rebuild from having to be done twice.
The rebuild
Once the structure is dry, the rebuild is the building trades, and it's what we do: new insulation in the opened cavities, drywall hung, finished, and textured to match, subfloor and flooring replacement, new baseboards, trim, and doors, and paint — the house put back to what it was, or better.
Flooded floor replacement, drywall, and trim are the bulk of most flood rebuilds, and matching the finishes so the repair doesn't announce itself is part of the job. Where a flood damaged plumbing or electrical, that work goes to those specialties; we handle the structure and finishes and build around them.
What we do and don't do
We want the line clear: we are the rebuild. We do not do water extraction, structural drying, mold remediation, or insurance claim adjusting — those are separate specialties, and mitigation happens before we start.
We document what we find and provide a written, itemized estimate your adjuster can work from, but we don't adjust or negotiate the claim itself. This is the same model as our restoration and rebuild page; for wind- and storm-driven damage specifically, see storm damage repair. What drives the cost of a flood rebuild is how high the water got, how many rooms are affected, the flooring and finishes going back in, and how much had to be torn out — drivers, not a price.
Frequently asked questions
My house just flooded — what do I do first?
Safety first, then document everything with photos and video before anything is moved. Then get the water out and drying started fast — mold can begin within 24 to 48 hours in Houston. That extraction and drying is a mitigation specialty; we're the rebuild after the structure is dry.
Do you do the water extraction and drying?
No. Water extraction, structural drying, and mold remediation are a separate mitigation specialty that has to come first. We're the rebuild — we put the house back once the structure is confirmed dry.
Why cut the drywall above the water line?
Because gypsum wicks water well above where the stain shows, and the wet insulation behind it won't dry in place. The flood cut removes both so the wall cavity and framing can dry, then the rebuild goes back to a clean line.
Why can't you just start rebuilding right away?
Because rebuilding over a wet structure seals moisture inside — it rots the new work and grows mold behind fresh drywall. Drying has to be verified complete with moisture meters first; we check before we close anything up, so it doesn't have to be done twice.
Do you handle the insurance claim?
No — we don't adjust or negotiate claims. We document the damage thoroughly and give you an itemized written estimate your adjuster can work from, but the claim itself is between you and your insurer.
What does the flood rebuild include?
After drying: new insulation, drywall hung and finished, subfloor and flooring replacement, baseboards, trim, doors, and paint — the house put back. How high the water reached and how many rooms are affected drive the scope.
Service areas
- Meyerland
- Bellaire
- The Heights
- Clear Lake
- Kingwood
- Katy
- Pearland
- Friendswood