Dispatches within 15 minutes of the call, day or night.
Burst pipes, failed water heaters, storm flooding, sewer backups — the moment water gets into your home, the clock starts. Our IICRC-certified crews extract and dry, so mold and rot never get a foothold.
Water damage restoration is the process of removing water and drying the structure after a flood, leak, or pipe failure. It happens in two phases: mitigation (stopping the damage — extraction, drying, and sanitizing) and restoration.
A typical 1,500 sq ft job dries in 3–5 days. Light, contained damage can dry in 2–3 days. We give you a realistic timeline on day one and update it as drying readings come in.
Restorers classify every loss two ways — by how contaminated the water is (the category) and how saturated the structure is (the class). Together they decide what can be saved, what must be removed, and how long drying takes.
| Category | Source | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Cat 1 Clean | Supply lines, faucets, rainwater | Sanitary at the source. Most materials can be dried and saved if handled within 24–48 hrs. |
| Cat 2 Gray | Dishwashers, washing machines, sump pumps | Contains contaminants. Carpet pad and some porous materials usually removed. |
| Cat 3 Black | Sewage, river/storm flooding, toilet overflow | Grossly contaminated & hazardous. Porous materials are removed and the area is fully sanitized. |
Why this matters for your home: a clean Category 1 leak caught quickly is often a dry-in-place job. The same water left for three days can wick up drywall, soak the subfloor, and migrate into wall cavities — turning a $1,200 fix into a $6,000 one.
Category determines safety protocols; class (1 through 4) describes how much material is wet and how hard it is to dry. A small spill on tile is Class 1; saturated hardwood, plaster, and concrete is Class 4 and needs specialty low-grain-refrigerant dehumidifiers.
Mold can begin colonizing wet materials within 24–48 hours. The single biggest factor in your final cost is how quickly water is extracted and drying begins — which is exactly why we dispatch a crew while you’re still on the phone.
In Austin we see the same culprits again and again — a mix of aging plumbing, worn appliances, and our seasonal heavy storms.
Aging supply lines and cold-snap freezes split open and can release hundreds of gallons in an hour.
Washing machines, dishwashers, and water heaters fail at the supply hose or tank, often while you’re out.
Winter downpours overwhelm gutters and grading, pushing water under doors and through roofs.
Failed flashing, cracked seals, and worn shingles let water track into ceilings and wall cavities.
Clogs and main-line failures push contaminated Category 3 water back into the home.
Hydrostatic pressure and slab cracks wick groundwater into floors during the rainy season.
Once mitigation is complete, we prepare a detailed build-back estimate outlining the scope of reconstruction work needed to restore your property. From there, the project can be completed through a trusted subcontractor or one of our vetted contractor partners, and we ensure all documentation and project details are fully transferred for a smooth transition.
Most residential jobs in the Austin area fall between $1,300 and $6,000. The final number depends on the category of water, square footage affected, and how much material has to be removed. Here’s a realistic breakdown.
Minor & contained
Single room, clean Cat 1 water, caught early. Dry-in-place, no demo.
Typical home job
~1,500 sq ft, Cat 1–2 water, some drywall & flooring removed and replaced.
Major / Category 3
Multiple rooms or sewage. Full sanitation.
When the loss is sudden and accidental — a burst pipe, a failed water heater, a storm intrusion — it’s typically covered by your homeowners policy. In most cases you pay only your deductible.
We document everything in Xactimate (the same estimating software your insurer uses) and bill the carrier directly, so there are no surprises.
★★★★★
“Our water heater failed in the attic and soaked through two bedroom ceilings. Blackhill had a crew out within the hour, pulled the standing water, and kept us updated daily until the drywall passed its final moisture check. Genuinely relieved we called them first.”
★★★★★
“A supply line under our reception desk broke over the weekend and soaked half the office. Blackhill had equipment running before we even opened Monday and worked directly with our insurance adjuster. We didn’t lose a single business day.”
★★★★★
“We came home from vacation to a flooded kitchen from a burst dishwasher line. They extracted the water the same day, dried everything out properly, and the cabinet repair was seamless — you’d never know anything happened.”
VS
Supply line failed overnight, saturating cabinetry and subfloor. We extracted standing water, dried the structure to verified levels, and rebuilt to match the existing finishes.
VS
AFTER — removal
VS
Still unsure? Call us.
A typical 1,500 sq ft job dries in 3–5 days. Light, contained damage can dry in 2–3 days. We give you a realistic timeline on day one and update it as drying readings come in.
Most residential water damage restoration runs $1,300–$6,000. Minor contained jobs start around $450–$1,500; major losses with sewage or multiple rooms can exceed $10,000. When the loss is sudden and accidental, you typically pay only your deductible.
Sudden and accidental water damage — burst pipes, appliance failures, storm intrusion — is typically covered by standard homeowners policies. Gradual leaks and outside flooding (which needs separate flood insurance) are usually excluded.
Immediately. Mold can begin within 24–48 hours, and water keeps wicking into drywall, subfloor, and framing every hour it sits. Dispatches within 15 minutes of the call, 24/7. Shut off the water source if you safely can, and call.
Water is often just one part of a larger loss. No matter the situation, our team provides end-to-end mitigation and remediation services to stabilize the property and resolve the damage at its source.
Soot, smoke & odor removal
Containment, removal & clearance
Discreet, compassionate cleanup
Tarping, board-up & burst pipes
Cleaning, pack-out & storage
Everything we do, in one place
Every hour, water wicks deeper and mold gets closer. One call gets a certified Blackhill crew at your door — day or night.
Practical, plain-English answers to the questions we hear most — written by our IICRC-certified team.
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