Water damage gets more expensive every hour it sits. A Water Damage is a free referral line that connects Marin County homeowners and business owners with independent local pros who can be on the road quickly.
The call is free, and you only pay the contractor if you approve their quote.
Independent pros in the network cover zip codes like .

Within minutes water reaches carpet pad and baseboards. Within hours drywall wicks it upward. After 24 to 48 hours, mold growth becomes a real risk.
A Water Damage is a free phone referral service. We are not the contractor. We connect Marin County callers with independent, licensed and insured water damage pros who already work the local roads and know the housing stock, from older homes with galvanized pipes to newer builds with PEX lines.
Water damage calls come in at the worst times. A washing machine hose splits during a Saturday load. A second-floor toilet overflows and drips through the kitchen light fixture. A sump pump quits in the middle of a downpour. People calling in are usually standing in the mess, phone in one hand, towel in the other, trying to figure out who to trust. That is the moment this service was built for.
The contractors in the network are independent businesses. They set their own prices, carry their own licenses and insurance, and stand behind their own work. Many hold IICRC training in water damage restoration and applied structural drying, and they show up with the gear the job needs: truck-mounted or portable extractors, commercial dehumidifiers, air movers, pin and pinless moisture meters, and thermal imaging cameras that spot wet framing behind finished walls.
Whoever you are connected with, confirm license and insurance details for your job directly with the pro before work begins. A good contractor will happily show you both, walk you through the moisture readings, and give you a written estimate before anything gets torn out.

Plenty of water damage stays hidden for weeks. Watch for these warning signs, and if you see one, get a professional moisture check before the problem grows.
A brown tide line, paint that blisters, or drywall that dents under your thumb all mean water has climbed into the wall cavity and needs to be dried from the inside.
That earthy, musty odor usually means moisture is trapped somewhere you cannot see, often under flooring or behind baseboards, and microbial growth may already be starting.
When boards curl up at the sides or laminate starts to tent at the joints, water has soaked into the subfloor and the floor will keep moving until it is properly dried.
A sudden jump on your water bill, or a meter that keeps moving when every fixture is off, often means a slab leak or a hidden supply line break.
Brown rings or a sagging spot overhead usually trace back to a roof leak, an upstairs bathroom, or condensation from an HVAC line. A bowing ceiling can hold a lot of water and should not be poked.
Any visible standing water needs to come out fast. The longer it sits, the deeper it soaks into subfloors, cabinet bases, and drywall.
Every water loss moves through the same three phases: extraction, drying, and rebuild. Pros in the network handle all of them, which keeps one person accountable from the first moisture reading to the last coat of paint.

The first job on an emergency call is to stop the water and make the space safe. After that, the pro photographs everything, takes moisture readings, and starts pulling water with truck-mounted or portable extractors. On carpeted floors, weighted extraction tools squeeze water out of the pad, which shortens the drying phase and gives the carpet a much better chance of being saved.
Houses fail in predictable ways: supply lines under sinks, water heaters at the end of their life, dishwasher hoses, ice maker lines, and toilet fill valves. Independent pros in the network handle the full arc, from removing wet drywall and insulation to drying the framing, treating for microbial growth, and rebuilding with new drywall, paint, baseboards, and flooring.
A flooded office, restaurant, or retail floor costs money every hour it is closed. Commercial jobs often need larger crews, desiccant dehumidifiers for big open spaces, and drying plans built around business hours. The contractor can stage work in sections so part of the space keeps running, and keep drying logs your property manager or insurer can review.
Drying is a science, not a box fan in the doorway. Pros set up a closed drying chamber, place air movers to push air across wet surfaces, and run low-grain refrigerant dehumidifiers to pull moisture out of the air. They check readings every day and adjust until framing, subfloor, and drywall reach dry standard, which is the moisture level of unaffected materials in the same home.
Mold can begin growing within 24 to 48 hours on wet drywall, wood, and carpet backing. Contractors apply EPA-registered antimicrobials to affected surfaces, remove porous materials that cannot be dried in time, and use HEPA air scrubbers when there is a risk of spores spreading to other rooms.
Some losses need extra care. Sewage backups and outside floodwater are Category 3 water, which means full protective gear, removal of affected porous materials, and thorough disinfection. Slab leaks call for leak detection and careful flooring removal. Crawl spaces need vapor barriers checked and dried properly. Tell dispatch what you are seeing so you are matched with a pro equipped for it.
Do not wait for the morning. Independent pros can start extraction tonight.
You should not have to research restoration companies while water is spreading across the floor. The process is simple and moves fast.
When you call +1-877-637-9008, you will be asked a few quick questions: what failed, which rooms are wet, and roughly when it started. Those answers help route you to the right local contractor.
You will hear from the contractor directly with an arrival time. In the meantime, they can tell you how to find the main shutoff and which breakers to switch off for safety.
On site, the pro maps moisture with meters and thermal imaging, classifies the water category, photographs the damage, and gives you a written estimate before any work begins.
Once you approve, extraction and drying begin. The contractor monitors daily until materials hit dry standard, then handles repairs. You get the moisture logs and photos for your insurance claim.

When you are dealing with a flood, you want someone who answers, someone who shows up, and someone who explains the bill. That is the standard independent contractors in the network are held to.
Every contractor runs an independent, licensed and insured business. Ask for proof before work starts. A reputable pro will not hesitate.
The phone line is open 24/7, including holidays. Because the contractors are local to Marin County, the drive time is usually short, and many can be on site within the hour depending on traffic and call volume.
Pricing is discussed and written down before work begins. Many pros bill using the same estimating software insurance adjusters use, so the numbers line up and your claim moves faster.
Calls go to contractors who already work cities and towns throughout Marin County. They know the local building styles, the usual trouble spots, and how weather affects homes in the area.
There is no fee for the referral and no commitment from you. You decide whether to hire the contractor after you see their written quote.
Contractors document the loss with dated photos, moisture maps, and daily drying logs. That paper trail is exactly what adjusters look for, and it protects you if a claim gets questioned later.
Every water loss is different, but the feedback tends to circle back to the same things: someone answered, someone showed up, and the price matched the quote.

Our water heater split on a Sunday night and flooded the garage and half the laundry room. I called the number, and the contractor was at the house in about fifty minutes. He had the water out that night and set up dehumidifiers before he left. Nothing pushy about it.
Dana R.Water heater failure, garage and laundry roomThe thermal camera picture is what got me. The wall looked fine, but it was soaked two feet up. They cut out the bottom section, dried the framing in about four days, and showed me the meter readings every visit.
Marcus T.Supply line leak behind hallway wallWe run a small dental office and a pipe burst over a weekend. The contractor worked in sections so we only lost one day of appointments, and the drying logs made our insurance claim painless.
Priya S.Commercial office, burst pipeSump pump died during a storm and we had three inches in the basement. The pro pulled up the carpet pad, saved the carpet, and treated the walls so we would not get mold. Fair price, written up before they started.
Jim and Carla W.Basement flood, failed sump pumpDishwasher leaked under the kitchen floor for who knows how long. The laminate was cupping. The contractor found moisture spreading under the cabinets, pulled the toe kicks, and dried it without ripping out the whole kitchen.
Alicia M.Hidden dishwasher leak, kitchenWater from the upstairs bathroom came through the dining room ceiling. The pro drained the bulge safely, dried the joists, then patched and painted. The ceiling looks brand new.
Ben K.Toilet overflow, ceiling damage
These are the questions that come up on almost every call. For anything else, the line is open.
Arrival times vary with distance and demand, but local contractors often reach you within an hour or two. You will get an arrival estimate when the contractor calls you back.
The contractor gives you a written quote after inspecting the damage and before any work starts. The referral is free, and you choose whether to move forward.
Common emergency services include water extraction, drying setup, sewage cleanup, tarping, and board-up. Describing the situation clearly helps match you with a pro who has the right equipment.
Most policies cover sudden and accidental water damage, like a burst pipe or a failed water heater, but not gradual leaks or outside flooding unless you carry flood insurance. Contractors provide photos, moisture readings, and drying logs to support your claim. Check your own policy details with your agent.
Most structural drying jobs take three to five days. Dense materials like hardwood, plaster, and concrete can take longer. The contractor checks readings daily and removes equipment only when materials reach dry standard.
Turn off the water at the main shutoff, kill power to affected rooms at the panel, lift furniture and electronics off the floor, and photograph everything. Avoid sagging ceilings and never use a regular vacuum on water.
It depends on the source. Clean water from a supply line is Category 1. Water from a dishwasher or washing machine is Category 2 and can make you sick. Sewage and outside floodwater are Category 3 and should only be handled with protective gear. When in doubt, stay out of it.
Not always. If the water was clean and the carpet is extracted and dried quickly, it can often be saved, though the pad usually gets replaced. Carpet soaked by sewage or floodwater should be removed.
Watch for a musty odor, black or green spotting, or new allergy symptoms indoors. The contractor can take moisture readings, and an independent mold assessor can test the air if needed.
No. We are a referral line that connects callers with independent local contractors. The contractor you hire handles the work, the pricing, and the warranty. Please verify their license and insurance before work starts.
Calls are routed across Marin County, including smaller towns. Check the city and zip code list at the bottom of the page for common service areas.
Describe what you are seeing and the contractor will tell you what makes sense.
Calls from anywhere in Marin County are routed to an independent contractor working nearby, whether you are in the largest town or out past the city limits.
Check the city and zip code table below. Common service zip codes include .
