Water Damage Restoration in the Central Valley, California

Which Central Valley cities and ZIP codes do you take requests from?

Requests come from four counties south and north of Fresno: Tulare, Kings, Madera and Merced. Towns include Visalia, Tulare, Porterville, Hanford, Lemoore, Madera, Merced and Los Banos. A restoration team sets its own driving range, so the first call confirms yours.

Fresno County has its own page, water damage restoration in Fresno County. Other neighbors are Kern County to the south, Stockton and Modesto to the north and the Central Coast over the hills.

Each county seat is a good landmark when you describe your location: Visalia for Tulare County, Hanford for Kings, Madera for Madera County and Merced for Merced County, per Wikipedia.

How does Visalia's setting shape water damage in the valley?

Visalia sits on creeks and canals at the foot of the Sierra Nevada. Wikipedia counts 141,384 residents in 2020 and names four main streams through the city: St. John's River, Mill Creek, Cameron Creek and Packwood Creek. The Friant-Kern Canal runs just east of town.

The weather comes in swings. Wikipedia describes a semi-arid climate with about 10.32 inches of rain a year and a pattern of several dry years followed by one or two wet ones. Dry years leave roofs and gutters untested, and a wet winter then finds every weak spot.

Most of that rain falls from November through April. If a stain shows up after the first storm of the season, our guides on roof leaks and ceiling water damage help you judge what you are seeing.

Where creeks and canals cross a town, water can back up in odd places. Ask your city where storm drains empty before you assume a wet yard is a plumbing issue.

What did the 2023 floods do in Tulare, Kings and Merced counties?

They refilled a lake that farming had drained. Wikipedia says nearly 180 square miles of Tulare Lake flooded for the first time since 1997. Heavy rain came in waves between December 31, 2022 and March 25, 2023, after a spell of extreme drought.

The same article says a major disaster declaration for Merced County was approved on January 14, 2023. Its account of Visalia, Hanford and Madera records no flooding there, so this page makes no such claim.

See the atmospheric river guide and the after-storm water checklist for what to do once the rain stops.

How do the four counties differ for homeowners?

They share a valley floor and little else. Tulare reaches from farmland to Sequoia National Park, Kings holds the old Tulare Lake basin, Madera climbs into the Sierra and Merced stays mostly in the northern valley. The table sets each county beside what Wikipedia says about it.

Census counts of homes also differ. Wikipedia reports 54.1 percent of occupied homes in Kings County are owner-occupied, and 54.7 percent in Merced County, so renters make up close to half of households in both. Renters can read renters, landlords and condos.

Do foothill and mountain homes in Madera and Tulare counties face other risks?

They face cold, snow load and long distances. Wikipedia says Madera County takes in part of Yosemite National Park and has a climate from arid valley to alpine, and Tulare County holds Sequoia National Park and part of Mount Whitney. Homes in the high country can freeze in winter.

Supply pipes in crawl spaces, attics, garages and cabinets are most at risk, the American Red Cross says. For a seasonal cabin it advises leaving the heat no lower than 55 degrees and letting cold water drip from exposed lines. A thaw can then bring a flood from a split pipe.

Read about burst pipes and leak monitoring for second homes. If a slope above your property has burned, post-wildfire flood damage explains why heavy rain on bare ground is a separate concern.

What should owners of farm and rural homes do differently?

Tell the restoration team about your setup early. Wikipedia reports that 10.9 percent of Kings County residents and 16.8 percent of Merced County residents lived in rural areas in 2020. A well, a septic system or a long gravel road can change how a visit is planned.

If sewage is involved, the EPA says to call a professional experienced with contaminated water. Do not stand in standing water if you cannot tell what is in it, and keep children and pets out.

Barns, shops and packing sheds can also send a request, although restoration teams differ on commercial work. Read commercial water damage and sewage backup cleanup before you call.

Will insurance cover flood and storm damage here?

Usually not the flood part. The California Department of Insurance says homeowners policies do not cover flood damage but do cover other kinds of water damage, and that flood cover is bought as a separate policy. A creek over its bank is flood. A failed supply line is not.

Insurers must keep to the state's claim timelines. Under 10 CCR 2695.7(c)(1), one that needs more time must say so in writing within 40 days and then every 30 days. Once a claim is accepted, 2695.7(h) sets 30 calendar days to pay.

The Triple-I recommends photographs or video and says to hold off on major permanent repairs until the adjuster has looked. Start with the insurance claims guide and the flood insurance guide.

What are the first steps when water gets into a valley home?

Make the house safe, stop the water and begin recording. The CDC says to clean up and dry out a flooded home fully and quickly, within 24 to 48 hours, and to remove soaked carpets and upholstery that cannot be dried right away.

1. Find the main shutoff and close it. The mitigation page explains why stopping the water comes first.
2. Stay out of any water that is moving. Ready.gov says six inches can knock a person down.
3. Photograph each room, then move small valuables to a dry place.
4. Report the loss and keep every receipt.
5. Ask a restoration team how drying will be measured and recorded.

A call reaches a local water damage restoration team, with no obligation to hire. Confirm scope and price directly. For wet floors or walls, see structural drying.

Sources: Tulare County, Visalia, Kings County, Madera County, Merced County and 2022 to 2023 California floods (Wikipedia); California Department of Insurance, Residential Property Claims Guide; 10 CCR 2695.7; Triple-I, settling claims; American Red Cross, frozen pipes; EPA, mold cleanup; CDC, mold and your health; Ready.gov, floods.