San Diego, from La Jolla to Chula Vista
Water and fire damage help in San Diego
A burst pipe, a slab leak, a flooded room or smoke through the house? Send one request instead of calling around. One local restoration company that serves your ZIP calls you back, looks at the damage and puts the price in writing before any work starts.
- Water extraction and drying, fire and smoke cleanup, mold
- A written scope before work, so you can compare
- Free to you, no obligation
Free to youNo cost, no obligation
Written scope firstPrice in writing before work
Moisture readingsPhotos at start and finish
CSLB license checkAsked of every repair job
Water coming in right now?
Call or text us, then do these three things first.
- Stop the water. Close the valve under the fixture, or the main shutoff, often in a box by the curb or where the line enters the house. For a water heater, close the cold inlet on top.
- Stay safe around power. Don't walk through water near outlets or cords. Turn off breakers for wet rooms only if you can reach the panel while standing somewhere dry.
- Photograph before you move things. Get wide shots and the source. Then lift rugs and furniture off wet floors.
After a fire, stay out until the fire department clears the house. The first days after a fire, step by step.
The local numbers
6
days of rain bring half of an average year's 9.8 inches at the airport (1991-2020). Roofs and drains go untested for months, then get it all at once.
2.73 in
fell on January 22, 2024, the wettest day in the airport's daily record since 1939. Chollas Creek overflowed into Southcrest and Shelltown.
213
federal flood insurance claims in San Diego County for 2024, with $19.9 million paid. The next-highest year since 1980 had 234.
216
San Diego County wildfires on CAL FIRE's list since 2013, 88% of them starting between May and October. Smoke and ash travel well past the burn line.
NOAA ACIS station USW00023188 through October 28, 2026; OpenFEMA NFIP redacted claims; CAL FIRE incidents. Method and full data.
What we can help with
Six kinds of jobs, one request
Houses and condos across San Diego County, rentals too. For a business or a large commercial loss, say so in your request.
- Water damage restorationBurst pipes, water heaters, supply lines. Extraction and drying, with readings to prove it.How it works
- Water damage repairDrywall and flooring put back after the drying, by a licensed contractor.How it works
- Fire damage restorationBoard-up and soot cleaning, plus the water the hoses left. What can be cleaned and what has to go.How it works
- Smoke and ash cleanupWildfire smoke and ash inside the house, down to the ducts.How it works
- Flood and sewage cleanupStorm runoff and sewer backups. The dirty-water jobs.How it works
- Mold removalContainment, removal of moldy material, and fixing the moisture behind it.How it works
How it works
One call instead of five
- Tell us what got wet or burned. Use the form or text photos. Say how long it has been wet if you know.
- A local restoration company calls you back. A few quick questions, then they pick a time to look at it.
- You get a written scope and price before work starts. You decide. If insurance is involved, ask how they document the job.
What we ask of every company we refer
The four things to expect
Restoration jobs go wrong in the same few ways: a vague scope, no proof the house is dry, a form signed in a hurry, an unlicensed rebuild. We ask for these up front. If a visit falls short, tell us at (619) 389-3147.
- A written scope and price before work starts. What gets removed, what gets dried or cleaned, and for how long.
- Moisture readings and photos. Taken at the start and the end, so any adjuster can see the job was finished.
- No pressure to sign on the spot. You can read anything before you sign it, including any form that mentions your insurance.
- A CSLB license for the repairs. California requires one for any job of $1,000 or more. Ask for the number and check it.
Before anyone quotes you
What this work usually costs
These are published national price ranges, not a San Diego quote. The company prices your job in writing before work starts.
Already holding a quote? Check it against the published ranges and the usual upsells.
| Job | Published range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Water damage restoration | $1,200 to $5,000, $3,000 average | Fixr, Jan 2025 |
| Water extraction | $3.75 to $7.50 per square foot | Fixr, Jan 2025 |
| Fire damage restoration | $3,000 to $40,000, $11,900 average | Fixr, Jan 2025 |
| Smoke damage cleanup | $200 to $1,200 | Fixr, Jan 2025 |
| Soot removal and deodorizing | $400 to $1,700 | Fixr, Jan 2025 |
| Slab leak repair | $1,000 to $4,000, $2,500 average | Fixr, May 2025 |
| Mold remediation | $1,500 to $9,000, $3,500 average | Fixr, Aug 2025 |
National published figures from Fixr, not San Diego averages and not our quote. Sources and dates are listed in the cost guide.
Original analysis of NOAA and CAL FIRE data
Why San Diego houses get wet, and burn, the way they do
San Diego doesn't get much rain, and that is part of the problem. The airport averaged 9.8 inches a year over 1991-2020, 75% of it from December through March and almost none from May through September. Half of a typical year's rain falls on about 6 days. A roof, a gutter or a slider track that hasn't seen water since spring gets tested all at once, which is why leak calls come in waves after the first real storm, usually around November 29.
Big days do happen. 2.73 inches fell at the airport on January 22, 2024, the wettest day in its daily record since 1939. That storm filled homes along Chollas Creek with several feet of water and produced 213 federal flood insurance claims in the county that year.
Then there is fire. CAL FIRE lists 216 wildfires in San Diego County since 2013, most of them in late spring and summer, and the county has had 28 federal fire declarations on record. A house doesn't have to burn to need help: smoke and ash get in through vents and gaps miles away. Smoke and ash cleanup.
Rain per wet season at the airport (inches, July to June)
San Diego County wildfires by month they started
Older houses, and a lot of renters
About 29% of the 1,030,441 homes in the 59 ZIP codes we cover were built before 1980 (Census ACS 2020-2024). In Clairemont the median home dates to 1965, and in Point Loma to 1958. Houses from that era have aging copper or galvanized supply lines, cast iron drains and, on a slab, plumbing you can't see until it leaks. Slab leaks.
About 48% of occupied homes are rented. In apartments and condos, a leak often starts in the unit above, and the job involves the owner, the HOA and two insurers. Mold and leaks in a California rental.
The federal flood insurance program has recorded 2,442 claims in the county. The most are in 92014 (Del Mar, 139), 92109 (Pacific Beach and Mission Beach, 139), 92113 (Logan Heights and Southcrest, 125), 92054 (Oceanside (coast), 120). Where San Diego floods.
Read before you call
Plain answers, with sources
Written for San Diego homeowners and renters. Every number links to where it came from.
- What restoration costsPublished price ranges for water damage and fire damage work.
- Is this quote fair?Line items, drying days and the forms to read before you sign.
- The first 48 hours after water damageStop the water, then start drying before mold does.
- The first days after a fireSafety, the insurer, board-up and what not to clean yourself.
- Slab leaks in San Diego homesWarm floors, a spinning meter and what a slab repair involves.
- The first storm of the seasonWhy San Diego leaks show up all at once, and what to check in fall.
- Insurance claims in CaliforniaWater vs flood, fire claims, living expenses and what you sign.
- Where San Diego floodsJanuary 22, 2024, Chollas Creek and the ZIP codes with the most claims.
- Mold in a California rentalWhat state law says about mold, and how to ask for repairs in writing.
- Choosing a restoration companyCSLB licenses, franchises and the questions that sort them.
Areas we cover
San Diego and the cities around it
- Clairemont92117
- Pacific Beach92109
- La Jolla92037
- Point Loma92106 92107
- North Park92104 92116
- Mira Mesa92126
- Rancho Bernardo92127 92128
- Scripps Ranch92131
- Southeast San Diego92113 92114 92102
- Chula Vista91910 91911 91913 91914 91915
- El Cajon92019 92020 92021
- Escondido92025 92026 92027 92029
- Oceanside92054 92056 92057 92058
Also downtown, Hillcrest, Mission Valley, City Heights, the College Area, Coronado, National City, La Mesa, Santee, Poway, Carlsbad, Encinitas, Del Mar.
Questions San Diego homeowners ask
How much does water damage restoration cost in San Diego?
Fixr lists water damage restoration at $1,200 to $5,000, with a $3,000 national average. Bob Vila gives $1,305 to $5,707. Clean water from a supply line costs less per square foot ($3.75 to $4.25) than sewage or flood water ($7 to $7.50), and rebuilding is extra.
How much does fire damage restoration cost?
Fixr puts fire damage restoration at $3,000 to $40,000, with an $11,900 national average, or $4 to $6.50 per square foot. Smoke cleanup alone runs $200 to $1,200, and soot removal with deodorizing $400 to $1,700. A small kitchen fire sits at the low end; a fire that also brought hoses and water damage sits at the high end.
How long does water damage restoration take?
Drying usually takes at least three days, according to Fixr, and Bob Vila puts it at about 72 hours for most areas. Rebuilding can take several more weeks to months, depending on how much was removed. Waiting on an insurance adjuster or on materials adds time. A fire job takes longer, because smoke cleaning and odor work come before any rebuild.
Will my homeowners insurance pay for this?
Usually when the water is sudden and accidental, like a burst pipe, and usually not when it is flooding from outside, which needs a separate flood policy (FloodSmart). Slow leaks that went on for weeks are often excluded. Fire and smoke damage are covered by most homeowners policies. Read your policy and ask your agent.
Does the company need a California license?
California has no separate state license for mold remediation that we could find. Contractor work does need one: any job of $1,000 or more in labor and materials, or any job that needs a permit, requires a license from the Contractors State License Board (CSLB AB 2622 bulletin). Check a license at cslb.ca.gov before you sign.
Who will come to my house?
An independent restoration company that serves your ZIP. San Diego Restoration Desk is a referral service: we hand your request to a local company so you don't have to phone around. Before you agree to anything, ask for the company's CSLB license number, proof of insurance and how it documents moisture.
Get the house dry and clean, and keep it that way
One request, one local company, a written price before any work.