Water Damage Playbook

flood cleanup companies in Austin

flood cleanup companies in Austin should treat street or creek water as Category 3 until an assessor says otherwise. Isolate the area, use PPE, and discard porous materials that the water touched. Water-only work is not a TDLR mold license. 16 Tex. Admin. Code § 78.30 lists 25 contiguous square feet if growth follows the flood.

Last updated: August 25, 2026

Austin flood versus clean-water hire

LossFirst-24h actionLicense signal
Creek, street, or sewage floodDo not shop-vac; isolate; photograph from the doorIICRC WRT plus Category 3 protocol
Supply-line burst (not flood)Shut water, extract, dry in place if salvageableIICRC WRT / ASD
Flood plus visible moldStop demo until a protocol existsTDLR assessor ≠ remediator at 25 contiguous square feet
Rebuild after dry-outSeparate contractor, city permits as requiredNot the extraction ticket

Burst-pipe query: burst pipe water damage cleanup in Austin. Cost map: water damage restoration cost.

ClaimURLListed
Texas mold exemption / cease thresholdlaw.cornell.edu/regulations/texas/16-Tex-Admin-Code-SS-78-3025 contiguous square feet
Texas mold licensee CGL floorlaw.cornell.edu/regulations/texas/16-Tex-Admin-Code-SS-78-40$1 million per occurrence
EPA DIY mold-size thresholdepa.gov/mold/mold-cleanup-your-homeless than about 10 square feet

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I hire flood cleanup companies in Austin?

Street or creek water is usually Category 3 work: isolate, PPE, discard porous contacts, then dry. That is not the same ticket as a burst supply line. Verify IICRC WRT or ASD for the water, then TDLR if visible mold hits 25 contiguous square feet.

Do flood cleanup companies in Austin need a TDLR mold license?

Not for water extraction alone. 16 Tex. Admin. Code § 78.30 lists 25 contiguous square feet as the mold threshold. Occupations Code § 1958.102 lists the same phrase. If the flood sits and growth appears, hire a Mold Assessment Consultant and a different remediator. Search TDLR before anyone bags wet drywall as “flood demo.”

What should I do in the first 24 hours after an Austin flood?

Get people and pets out of contaminated water, photograph rooms from the doorway, and do not shop-vac sewage or creek mud. Ask the crew for a Category 3 protocol in writing. File flood versus homeowners coverage as two different products. EPA’s less than about 10 square feet DIY mold note does not cover a flooded room.

What insurance must a Texas mold follow-on crew carry?

If the job becomes licensed mold work, 16 Tex. Admin. Code § 78.40 lists $1 million per occurrence. Water-only flood extraction still needs liability insurance you can call back. Keep flood cleanup, mold remediation, and rebuild as three readable tickets. A single “we handle everything” sentence is not a scope.