Water Damage Restoration in Orlando
Water damage restoration means extracting standing water, drying the structure until moisture readings return to normal, and repairing what can't be saved. EPA advises drying water-damaged materials within 24–48 hours to prevent mold. In Orlando, call or text CFDR at 321-420-7274: Ryan Solberg matches you with a restoration company, which does the work.
Active loss? Call. Don't fill in a form.
Who do I call for water damage in Orlando?
If water is still running, stop it first: the main shut-off, or a plumber if you can't find the leak. Then call a restoration company, and your insurer to open a claim. Citizens policyholder? Call Citizens first (866-411-2742); with other insurers, ask about managed-repair rules before you sign a repair contract. Citizens and water damage →
Call or text CFDR at 321-420-7274 and Ryan matches you with a restoration company. Call any hour. Owner Ryan Solberg takes the calls; if he is on another call, he calls you back. You pay CFDR nothing, and CFDR does not bill your insurer.
House flooded? Who to call, in order → · Pipe burst: who to call first →
What happens in the first hour after water damage?
The order matters more than the clock. This is the usual sequence, from the moment you find the water to drying equipment running.
Stop the source
Shut off the water main (or the fixture valve) and, if it is safe, turn off power to wet rooms. If water is coming through a ceiling near light fixtures, stay out of that room.
Call
Call before you start cleaning. Tell Ryan the property ZIP and what happened. Citizens policyholders should also call Citizens, because its rules can affect which contractor you may use.
Get the company's arrival time
Ask the matched company when it can be at the property. Get a time you can plan around before you agree to anything.
Extraction
The company removes standing water with pumps and extractors. Water left in carpet, pad and cabinets keeps spreading into materials.
Moisture map
Moisture meters and a thermal camera show how far the water traveled, including inside wall cavities and under flooring. Readings and photos are recorded.
Drying set-up
Air movers and dehumidifiers go in, wet materials that cannot be dried are removed, and the company logs moisture readings until they return to normal.
- Move valuables and electronics off wet floors
- Photograph and video the damage before anything is moved or thrown out
- Keep the wet materials you remove until your insurer says you can discard them
How long does water damage restoration take?
Drying usually takes several days and ends when moisture readings return to normal, not on a set date. Rebuilding is a separate phase that starts once the structure is dry. How long water damage drying takes →
Where does water go inside a house?
Roof leaks, supply line failures and AC condensate overflows can spread water into wall cavities and adjacent rooms before any surface sign appears.
What are Category 1, 2 and 3 water?
Restoration companies sort water by how contaminated it is, following the IICRC S500 standard. The category decides which materials can be dried and which are thrown away. The summaries below are plain-language, not the standard's text. For Category 3, CDC says floodwater may contain sewage, to stay out of it, and to discard items such as rugs and drywall that can't be disinfected.
Clean water
Water from a sanitary source. Materials can often be dried in place if the water is extracted quickly. Left wet, it can degrade into a more contaminated category.
Gray water
Water that carries some contamination. Porous materials such as carpet pad and drywall near the source are usually removed, and surfaces are cleaned and treated.
Black water
Grossly contaminated water. Stay out of it. Porous materials it touched, such as carpet and drywall, are generally thrown away rather than cleaned.
What can be dried and saved after water damage?
Water doesn't stay in one place, so the company follows it into wall cavities, subfloors, crawl spaces and attics.
Can sometimes be dried in place when it is extracted quickly and the water was clean. Moisture readings at several depths decide whether it stays.
Pad is usually replaced because it holds water. Carpet itself may be cleaned and reinstalled after clean-water losses.
Tile does not absorb water, but the subfloor under it can. Grout lines let water through, so the subfloor gets checked.
Laminate swells and delaminates when it gets wet, so it is usually replaced.
More resistant than solid hardwood but still vulnerable. Whether it dries depends on how long it stayed wet.
Water-resistant, not waterproof: water gets under the planks, so the subfloor is checked even when the planks look fine.
Drywall and insulation hold moisture. Wet insulation is usually removed, and wall cavities are measured with moisture meters.
Base cabinets soak water through the toe kick. They are dried or removed based on readings, and their condition is photographed.
What equipment dries a water-damaged house?
Professional drying relies on equipment and measurement, not just fans. Ask the matched company to show you its moisture readings.
Extractors and pumps
Pull standing water out of floors and carpet far faster than a household wet-vac.
Dehumidifiers
Commercial units pull moisture out of the air so wet materials can release it.
Air movers
Move air across wet surfaces so water evaporates into the air the dehumidifiers dry.
Thermal camera
Shows temperature differences that point to hidden moisture behind walls and under floors.
Moisture meters
Pin and pinless meters record readings at the start, each day and at the end, so drying is documented.
Air scrubbers
HEPA filtration can be used during demolition to capture dust and debris from the air.
Does homeowners insurance cover water damage in Florida?
Often, when the water was sudden and accidental, but your policy and your insurer decide. What Florida policies usually cover →
Often covered
- Burst or leaking supply pipes
- Appliance failures (water heater, washer, dishwasher)
- AC condensate line backups
- Roof leaks from sudden storm damage
Often not covered
- Flooding from outside the home (needs a separate flood policy)
- Gradual leaks and deferred maintenance
- Sewage backup without an endorsement (details)
Your matched company documents the loss for your claim and writes a line-item Xactimate estimate. Coverage and settlement decisions stay between you and your insurer.
In Florida, only a licensed public adjuster or an attorney may be paid to negotiate a claim for you (s. 626.854). s. 626.854
Ask your matched company how billing works on an insurance job; your deductible is yours.
What does water damage restoration cost in Orlando?
Cost depends on how much water, how long it sat, the water category and which materials are involved, so the company should give you a written, itemized estimate before work starts. Water damage restoration cost in Orlando →
What should I ask before a restoration company starts work?
- For an itemized, good-faith written estimate before you sign an agreement for repairs under an insurance claim (s. 489.147(2)(e)).
- For its Florida license number where the work needs one, its IICRC Certified Firm number and a certificate of insurance.
- Not to sign an assignment of benefits. Under s. 627.7152(13), an attempt to assign post-loss benefits under a residential policy issued on or after January 1, 2023 is void.
- For a drying log: daily moisture readings, and a statement of when drying is finished.
Where does CFDR match companies?
CFDR matches homes and businesses within about 90 minutes' drive of downtown Orlando: Orange, Seminole, Osceola, Lake, Volusia, Polk, Brevard, Sumter and Marion counties. That covers Orlando, Kissimmee, St. Cloud, Sanford, Winter Park, Apopka, Clermont, Lakeland, Winter Haven, Daytona Beach, DeLand, Melbourne, Palm Bay, Titusville, Leesburg, The Villages and Ocala. Tampa and Brandon are edge areas: Ryan matches them when a network company covers the address. Outside these counties, call about large commercial, multi-unit or whole-home losses.
- Orange County
- Seminole County
- Osceola County
- Lake County
- Volusia County
- Polk County
- Brevard County
- Sumter County
- Marion County
Who is CFDR?
Private Orlando restoration referral service, not FEMA. Call or text 321-420-7274 24/7 and Ryan Solberg matches you with a local restoration company. You pay CFDR nothing, and CFDR does not bill your insurer.
Related water damage pages
Sources
- EPA: A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home (accessed 2026-10-13)
- CDC: Floodwater After a Disaster or Emergency (accessed 2026-10-13)
- IICRC: ANSI/IICRC S500, Standard for Professional Water Damage Restoration (category definitions here are a plain-language summary; the S500 text itself was not reviewed, UNVERIFIED) (accessed 2026-10-13)
- Fla. Stat. s. 489.147 (good-faith estimate, (2)(e)) (accessed 2026-10-13)
- Fla. Stat. s. 627.7152 (assignment of benefits, (13)) (accessed 2026-10-13)
- Fla. Stat. s. 626.854 (public adjusters) (accessed 2026-10-13)
- IICRC Certified Firm verification (accessed 2026-10-13)
Water Damage Restoration Across Central Florida
Water Spreading Right Now?
Call any hour. Owner Ryan Solberg takes the calls; if he is on another call, he calls you back. You pay CFDR nothing, and CFDR does not bill your insurer.