Roof and attic water
Rain through a damaged shingle or tile area usually soaks attic insulation first and shows up later as a ceiling stain. The roof leak page goes into tarping and ceiling cleanup in detail.
Urgent? Phones answered 24/7
Storm Damage Restoration in Port St. Lucie and the Treasure Coast
Tarping or boarding the opening, then removing and drying the water a storm pushed into a Treasure Coast house.
- Phones answered 24/7
- Storm water, slab leaks, A/C condensate
- Estimate approved before work
- Moisture readings documented
Get a fast quote
Fastest: call (833) 490-5225. Or send this and we call you back.
Storm Damage
Storm Damage Restoration: what it covers
Quick answer
Storm damage restoration in Port St. Lucie has two jobs: close the opening the weather found, then dry what got wet. A crew can tarp a roof or board a window, remove water, and monitor drying with meters. Port St. Lucie Water Damage Restoration answers 24/7, and a crew is dispatched as fast as one is available.
A summer thunderstorm on the Treasure Coast can drop an inch or two of rain in under an hour, and a tropical system can keep it coming for a day. Water finds the weak points in order: a lifted shingle or cracked tile, a window seal, a slider track, the gap under an entry door, a garage door that was never meant to resist wind-driven rain. By the time you notice the stain, the water has usually travelled sideways through the attic insulation or down inside a block wall.
Start with safety, not with the mop. If ceiling drywall is bulging with water, stay out from under it. Stay out of standing water near outlets and the panel, and if the area is wet and a breaker is involved, leave it alone and let an electrician look. Shut off power to a room only if the panel is dry and easy to reach. A tree on a roof, a hanging power line or a gas smell is a call to the utility or 911 before it is a call to us.
This page covers what comes after the weather: stopping the water coming in, then removing and drying what it soaked. It does not cover roof replacement or structural carpentry. A roofer or contractor handles that, and the crew works around them so wet materials do not sit in the meantime.
- Service area
- Port St. Lucie & St. Lucie County
- Availability
- Phones answered 24/7, emergencies first
- Typical cost
- about $1,200–$5,500 (estimate)
- Phone
- (833) 490-5225
What should I do first when a storm lets water into my house?
Make the area safe, stop more water if you can do so without climbing onto a wet roof, and take photos before moving anything. Then call your insurer and call for a crew. Do not stand under a bulging ceiling or wade through water near outlets.
Photos matter more than most people expect. Take wide shots of each wet room and close ones of the source, a stained ceiling, a wet wall or a failed window seal. A few minutes of video walking through the house is useful too. Do this before towels, buckets or furniture change the picture.
If you can do it safely from inside, move small valuables off the floor, put foil or blocks under wet furniture legs and open closet doors so air can circulate. Do not go on the roof to look for the hole; a wet tile or shingle roof is slippery, and a fall is a far bigger problem than a stain.
Can a crew tarp my roof or board a window, and what does it not do?
Yes. A crew can tarp a leaking roof section or board an opening so no more rain gets in. That is a temporary measure. Replacing a roof, a window or a door is separate work for a roofer, glazier or licensed contractor, and the crew does not offer it.
The point of a tarp or board-up is to stop the clock. Wet drywall and insulation that keep getting rained on never dry, no matter how many fans are running. Closing the opening first means the drying work that follows is actually measuring progress.
Keep every receipt and photo of the temporary cover. Many policies expect the homeowner to take reasonable steps to prevent further damage, though what is covered, and how, is decided by your insurer under your own policy. Ask your agent before you throw anything away.
How fast do wet materials need to dry after a storm in Florida?
The EPA advises drying water-damaged materials within 24 to 48 hours to limit mold. That is a guideline, not a deadline. In warm humid air mold can start sooner on some materials, and it can grow even if materials later dry out, so a dry reading does not mean mold never began.
Storm season is also the humid season here. The air indoors holds a lot of moisture before the storm ever arrives, and an A/C system that lost power for a day or two lets that moisture settle into walls and furniture. A dehumidifier does the heavy lifting; fans alone just move damp air around.
If you see or smell mold after a storm, do not assume the drying equipment caught everything. Look at the mold inspection page for how Florida separates mold assessment from mold removal, and at structural drying for how readings decide when a wall is done.
Is storm damage covered by homeowners insurance or flood insurance?
It depends on how the water got in. Rain through a wind-damaged roof or window is often handled under a homeowners policy, while surface water, storm surge and rising canals or rivers usually need a separate flood policy. Your insurer decides coverage, so read your policy and call early.
Florida hurricane claims can carry a separate hurricane deductible, so check your policy rather than assuming the usual number applies. Flood coverage, through FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program or a private carrier, is a separate policy and generally has a waiting period before it starts.
The crew can provide photos and moisture readings that you can hand to your adjuster. It does not decide coverage, bill your insurer for you or promise any outcome.
Warning signs
Signs you need storm damage restoration
Stay off a wet roof, stay out of standing water near outlets or the panel, and keep clear of any downed or sagging power line. If the water may have touched electrical equipment, have an electrician check it before you turn it back on.
- A brown ring or bubble in the ceiling that appeared after a heavy storm, even if the roof looks fine from the yard
- Wet insulation or a damp smell when you open the attic hatch
- Water beading on the inside of a window frame or dripping from a slider track during the rain
- A damp strip along the baseboard of an exterior wall, with paint lifting at the bottom
- Wet carpet or a swollen laminate seam near a door or lanai threshold
- Missing or lifted shingles, a shifted tile or a torn pool-cage screen after the wind
- A broken window, a damaged garage door panel or a storm shutter that failed
- Water on the floor that came from outside, not from a pipe, and could be mixed with yard runoff
Our process
How our storm damage restoration visit works
Make the scene safe
The crew checks for sagging ceilings, wet outlets and standing water that may be tied to a breaker or a low fixture. Anything that is not safe is flagged to you and an electrician before work starts.
Close the opening
A broken window or door is boarded, and a leaking roof section can be covered with a temporary tarp. It is a stopgap so more rain stays out until a roofer or glazier does the permanent repair.
Photograph and take readings
Photos and moisture meter readings are taken before anything is moved, and a thermal camera can show wet insulation and wall cavities. You can share them with your insurer; coverage is decided by your insurance policy.
Remove standing water and ruined materials
Pumps and extractors clear water from floors. Soaked insulation, carpet pad and drywall that has wicked water upward may be cut out, with your approval, so air can reach what is behind it.
Dry and re-check
Air movers and dehumidifiers run on the wet area, and the crew returns to compare readings with dry material elsewhere in the house. Repairs are quoted after the structure is dry.
Options
Types and options for storm damage restoration
Wind-driven rain through windows, doors and slider tracks
This water is usually clean when it enters, but it soaks baseboards, door casings and the bottom of block-wall drywall. It dries well when it is caught early and poorly when it sits behind paint.
Surface flooding that comes in at the door
Water that has been across a yard, a street or a canal bank counts as Category 3 under the IICRC S500 water categories, which changes what can be dried in place. The flood damage cleanup page covers it, and flood is usually not part of a standard homeowners policy.
Cost
How much does storm damage restoration cost in Port St. Lucie?
Storm jobs vary more than most, because one house may need only a tarp and a day of drying while its neighbor needs several rooms opened. The rows below are typical estimates, not a price list.
| Job | Typical range | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Whole-job water damage restoration, typical Florida home | about $1,200–$5,500 | Florida examples; a storm that reaches several rooms can run above this |
| Temporary roof tarp, small roof | $200–$1,300 | Depends on roof size, pitch and access; permanent repair is separate |
| Clean water (Category 1), per sq ft | $3–$4 | Wind-driven rain through an opening often starts here |
| Gray water (Category 2), per sq ft | $4–$6.50 | Water that crossed a floor or sat in carpet pad |
| Extraction labor, per hour | $60–$120 | Florida quotes often land at $70–$100 |
| Water-damaged drywall section replaced | $600–$1,550 | Quoted after drying, separate from the emergency stage |
Estimates for St. Lucie County in 2026. Your exact price is confirmed on site, and you approve the emergency-stage price before work starts. Repairs after drying are quoted separately.
Skip the guesswork. Call for a straight answer.
Tell us what's happening and we'll tell you honestly whether it's a quick fix, and what storm damage restoration should cost.
St. Lucie County
Why storm damage restoration is different in the Treasure Coast
The Treasure Coast has been through its share of storms. Hurricane Frances came ashore on Hutchinson Island on 5 September 2004, and Hurricane Jeanne followed on 25 September 2004 near the southern tip of the island, about five miles south-east of Stuart. More recently, news reports describe 2 to 4 inches of rain in an hour on parts of Port St. Lucie on 19 September 2024, with flooded roads near Port St. Lucie Blvd and SW Tunis, and flooding reported again in St. Lucie County on 8 October 2024 ahead of Tropical Storm Milton.
Many homes in older parts of the city, such as the 1960s and 70s General Development lots around River Park, are single-storey block-and-stucco houses on slabs. Block resists wind well, but the roof edge, the windows and the doors are where rain enters, and a slab means the water spreads across one level. Newer neighborhoods like Tradition and St. Lucie West have a similar slab layout, so the first sign is often damp baseboard or a ceiling stain rather than a flooded floor.
Rebuilding after storm damage is a different matter from drying. In Florida, water extraction and drying are generally treated differently from rebuilding, and tearing out and replacing walls is construction work, so ask any company which licences it holds and look contractors up on DBPR's licence search. Permits for repairs go through the City of Port St. Lucie Building Department, the St. Lucie County permit office outside city limits, or the building office in neighboring cities such as Fort Pierce.
Related
Related services
Roof Leak Water Damage
What happens inside the house after a roof leak: temporary tarp, wet insulation and ceilings removed, and drying before repairs.
Hurricane Water Damage Cleanup
Cleanup and drying after wind-driven rain and storm water enter through failed openings, plus what to document for your claim.
Structural Drying
How walls, slabs and subfloors are dried with dehumidifiers and air movers, and why readings, not a calendar, say when it is done.
Flood Damage Cleanup
Cleanup, removal of contaminated materials and drying after surface flooding from heavy rain, canals, the river or the lagoon.
Where we work
Storm Damage Restoration across St. Lucie County
- Storm Damage in Becker Road Corridor
- Storm Damage in Southbend Lakes
- Storm Damage in Sandpiper Bay
- Storm Damage in River Park
- Storm Damage in St. Lucie West
- Storm Damage in Torino
- Storm Damage in Tradition
- Storm Damage in Palm City Farms
- Storm Damage in North River Shores
- Storm Damage in Jensen Beach
- Storm Damage in Rio
- Storm Damage in Stuart
- Storm Damage in Ocean Breeze
- Storm Damage in Palm City
- Storm Damage in Hutchinson Island South
- Storm Damage in Sewall's Point
- Storm Damage in White City
- Storm Damage in Indian River Estates
- Storm Damage in Fort Pierce South
- Storm Damage in Lincoln Park (Fort Pierce)
- Storm Damage in Fort Pierce
- Storm Damage in Sailfish Point
- Storm Damage in Port Salerno
Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.
Guides
Read before you book
Hurricane and Tropical Storm Water Damage on the Treasure Coast: What to Do and Document
After a storm pushes water into your home, make it safe first: stay out of standing water near outlets, shut off the main water valve if a pipe is involved, and photograph everything before moving it.
FAQ
Storm Damage Restoration FAQs
Does the crew replace shingles, tile or windows after a storm?
No. A crew can tarp a roof or board a broken window as a temporary seal, then dry and clean the inside. Permanent roof, window and door repair belongs to a roofer, glazier or licensed contractor.
My ceiling is stained but the roof looks fine. Where is the water coming from?
Wind-driven rain can enter under tile or flashing and travel along trusses before it shows up as a stain a few feet away. A moisture meter and thermal camera help trace it. If it only shows up when the A/C runs, see the A/C condensate page.
Do I have to leave the house during drying?
Usually not, but the equipment is loud and the rooms are warm and dry. If the water was contaminated or the ceiling is unsafe, the crew will tell you which rooms to stay out of.
What if the storm knocked out power and the A/C?
Wet materials in a closed, warm house are more likely to grow mold, so drying matters more, not less. Dehumidifiers need power, so the crew will tell you what is needed on site, and a generator is something to discuss with them.
Can you help with hurricane damage specifically?
Yes. Wind, rain and surge each leave different water, so the first visit sorts out which one you have. The hurricane water damage cleanup page goes into what to document before and after.
Will insurance pay for the tarp and drying?
That is your insurer's decision under your policy, and the answer differs between wind, rain and flood. The crew provides photos and readings for your claim and nothing more. Call your insurer early and keep your receipts.