Water Damage Restoration in Southlake, TX

What does a lake neighbor need to know about flood?

Grapevine Lake is a Corps of Engineers reservoir, and it is the lake Southlake sits beside. It is not Lewisville Lake, and the 2015 record pool on Lewisville Lake, 537.02 feet on May 31, 2015, says nothing about conditions on Grapevine Lake. Our sources give no flood history for Southlake, so we do not claim one.

What holds true everywhere is that water from a lake, creek or overloaded storm drain counts as flood, and a standard homeowners policy usually leaves it out. Flood coverage is its own policy through FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program or a private insurer, and it generally takes time to start. For what happened on a nearby lake in 2015, read our guide to Lewisville Lake and the 2015 high water.

Shoreline lots also raise runoff questions. Ask your agent and a drainage contractor about your own lot, because lot-by-lot answers are theirs to give.

If water from outside reaches the house, it is Category 3 water, the same class as water rising from a lake or creek. It carries dirt and bacteria, so porous materials such as carpet and pad usually cannot be saved, and the cleanup differs from a clean-water pipe break. Wear boots and gloves, and keep children and pets out.

Why do small leaks reach expensive finishes in Southlake houses?

Many Southlake homes are large and high in value, which usually means several water heaters, multiple air handlers and finished rooms upstairs. When a heater or a condensate line fails, water falls onto ceilings, crown molding and floors in one pass. That pattern is common in big houses, though it is not measured here.

The crew's job is to limit what is lost. Meters and thermal imaging show how far the water went, and drying equipment goes in where readings call for it. Ask before anything is thrown out, because some finishes can be dried and some cannot. The hvac condensate water damage page covers the common summer case of an overflowing drain pan.

Photograph every room before anything is moved. Moisture readings, photographs and a list of removed materials are given to you, which is what your insurer will want to see.

Summer is when condensate lines clog, and large houses with several units are the most exposed. Check the drain line outlet and the pan under each air handler, and ask an HVAC technician about a float switch that shuts a unit off before the pan overflows. The technician fixes the unit, and the crew dries the damage.

Which county and city office handles Southlake repairs?

Southlake is mostly in Tarrant County, with small areas in Denton County. Permits and inspections for plumbing and electrical repairs come from the city, and City Hall at Town Square is the place to ask. A neighbor in Lewisville answers to Denton County and a different city, so rules may differ.

Give your street address and your ZIP, 76092, when you call, so the dispatcher can record the right jurisdiction.

If your address is in the small Denton County part, your county differs from the Tarrant County majority, so some county paperwork may differ. The city still runs the permit process. When in doubt, ask City Hall which one you are in.

How does Texas handle mold after a Southlake leak?

Wet drywall in a finished house can grow mold if drying lags. Texas licenses mold assessors and mold remediators through the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, and one license holder may not do both on the same project. Above 25 contiguous square feet, expect two separate licensed companies: one writes the plan, the other carries it out.

That separation is deliberate, and it protects you. See our mold inspection page for how an assessment works. The best defense is prompt drying, which is where the crew starts.

Prompt drying is where the crew starts. Keep air moving, run a dehumidifier if you have one and photograph wet areas before anything is moved. The CDC says the phrase toxic mold is inaccurate. Mold can trigger allergy and asthma symptoms in some people, and that is reason enough to dry fast.