For Fresno County homeowners
For water damage restoration in Fresno County, California, shut off the main valve, photograph every wet room and begin drying in the first 24 to 48 hours. Outside water is Category 3 and standard homeowners policies exclude flood. A call reaches a local water damage restoration team.
On this page (8)
- Which Fresno County cities and ZIP codes do you take requests from?
- How do canals and ditches change what happens when water arrives?
- Has the San Joaquin River flooded this area before?
- How do Fresno's heat, dry spells and tule fog lead to water damage?
- How do homes in central Fresno, Clovis and the farm towns differ?
- Do foothill and mountain homes near Shaver Lake need other precautions?
- Will insurance pay for flood or storm damage in Fresno County?
- What should I do in the first hour after water damage?
Which Fresno County cities and ZIP codes do you take requests from?
Requests come from across Fresno County, from the city of Fresno and Clovis to Sanger, Selma, Reedley, Coalinga and the Sierra foothill towns. The Fresno County ZIP finder lists the codes covered. Each restoration team sets its own driving range, so the first call settles whether your street is inside it.
For the county seat itself, start with water damage restoration in Fresno. Wikipedia reports 1,008,654 residents in the 2020 census, and it ranks Fresno as the fifth-most populous city in California.
Tulare, Kings, Madera and Merced counties sit on the Central Valley hub. To the south is Kern County, to the north Stockton and Modesto, and over the Coast Range San Benito and Santa Cruz counties.
How do canals and ditches change what happens when water arrives?
They decide where a large volume of water goes. Wikipedia lists the Friant-Kern, Helm, Madera and Delta-Mendota canals among Fresno County's major watercourses, next to the San Joaquin and Kings rivers. Water that reaches a house from a ditch or canal is outside water, not a plumbing leak.
The county's irrigation roots go back to Moses Church, whose "Church Ditches" were the first canals, according to Wikipedia. His work led to the Fresno Canal and Irrigation Company, a predecessor of the Fresno Irrigation District. The same article says the county drew 3.7 billion gallons of fresh water a day in 2000, more than any other U.S. county.
If a ditch runs along your lot line, ask the irrigation district who maintains it and whom to call when it spills. IICRC S500 puts outside surface water in Category 3, grossly contaminated. Our flood damage restoration page explains what that changes.
Has the San Joaquin River flooded this area before?
Yes. Wikipedia says the San Joaquin River flooded on December 24, 1867 and inundated Millerton, the first county seat. That same winter floods destroyed Scottsburg on the Kings River, and the town was rebuilt on higher ground as Centerville, so the valley has a long memory of rising rivers.
Railroads and dams reshaped the map after that. The county seat moved to Fresno after a March 23, 1874 election, and Friant Dam was finished in 1944. The Millerton townsite now lies under Millerton Lake.
The 2022 to 2023 floods hit other parts of the valley harder. Wikipedia's account names Tulare Lake, Allensworth, Alpaugh and Merced, not Fresno city. Those places are covered on our Central Valley page, and the atmospheric river guide explains how such storms build.
Old floods do not map your street. For your own address, ask your county and your insurance agent which flood maps apply.
How do Fresno's heat, dry spells and tule fog lead to water damage?
Heat works air conditioners hard, dry years loosen roofs and a rare big storm tests both. Wikipedia says Fresno normally sees 38 days at 100 degrees or higher and 113 days at 90 or higher, with about 11 inches of rain in a typical year. Its record for one day is 3.55 inches, set on November 18, 1885.
A cooling system that runs for months produces a lot of condensate. If the drain line clogs, the pan can overflow into a ceiling below an attic unit. Read about an AC condensate leak before you assume the roof is to blame.
Winter brings tule fog. Wikipedia says December gets only 42 percent of possible sunshine because of it, so damp air lingers. The EPA advises drying water-damaged areas within 24 to 48 hours, which holds in July and in December.
Roofs that sat dry through a long summer can leak at the first hard rain. See roof leaks, and slab leaks if your house sits on a concrete slab and a floor feels warm.
How do homes in central Fresno, Clovis and the farm towns differ?
Age and layout change where a leak hides. Wikipedia describes early twentieth-century homes in the Tower District, including California Bungalow and American Craftsman styles, set against newer tract homes in north and east Fresno. Farm towns add distance, wells and septic tanks.
| Area | What Wikipedia says | First thing to check |
|---|---|---|
| Tower District | Early twentieth-century homes, many restored | Age of supply and drain pipes |
| North and east Fresno | Newer tract homes | Slab or raised floor, water heater location |
| Old Fig Garden | Unincorporated, encircled by the city, with a homeowners association | Association rules before outside repairs |
| Coalinga and west-side towns | At the foot of the Coast Ranges | Travel distance and well or septic setup |
The 2020 census counted 338,441 housing units in the county, 54.3 percent of occupied homes owner-occupied and 45.7 percent rented. Renters should read renters, landlords and condos and apartment water damage.
If a sewage backup is involved, the EPA says to call a professional experienced with contaminated water. Details are on the sewage backup page, and farm buildings are covered under commercial water damage.
Do foothill and mountain homes near Shaver Lake need other precautions?
They face cold. Shaver Lake, Auberry and Big Creek are among the county's towns, and the Sierra Nevada forms the eastern edge of the county, according to Wikipedia. Pipes in unheated spaces can freeze, and a cabin that sits empty can leak for days before anyone sees it.
The American Red Cross lists supply pipes in crawl spaces, attics, garages and cabinets as most at risk. When you are away in cold weather, it says to keep the heat no lower than 55 degrees.
Frozen pipes split quietly and show themselves on thaw. Our guides on burst pipes, leak monitoring for second homes and preventing water damage cover the steps. If a slope above your home has burned, read post-wildfire flood damage before the rains.
Will insurance pay for flood or storm damage in Fresno County?
It depends on where the water came from. The California Department of Insurance says homeowners policies do not cover flood but do cover other water damage, such as rain through a wind-made hole in the roof. Flood cover is a separate policy.
The NAIC adds that ground water and rain runoff are typically excluded, while plumbing and roof leaks are typically covered. The Triple-I says a typical homeowners policy does not pay for sewer backups either, so check for an endorsement.
Timing rules help you hold your insurer to a schedule. Under 10 CCR 2695.5(e), an insurer must acknowledge a claim within 15 calendar days. Under 2695.7(b), it has 40 calendar days after proof of claim to accept or deny it.
Read the claim guide, the flood insurance guide and the FAIR Plan page. The department's consumer line is 1-800-927-4357.
What should I do in the first hour after water damage?
Stop the source, protect people and start recording what you see. The EPA says to dry water-damaged areas and items within 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold, and to keep indoor humidity below 60 percent, ideally between 30 and 50 percent.
- Close the main shutoff. Cut power to wet areas only if the panel is dry and safe to reach.
- Stay out of moving outside water. Ready.gov says one foot of it can sweep a vehicle away.
- Take video and photos of every wet room before you move anything.
- Call your insurer and ask what it needs, then keep your receipts.
- Ask a restoration team how they measure moisture.
This site is the local water damage restoration line and information resource. You are under no obligation to hire any team. Confirm scope and price with the team you reach. See our emergency help page, and mold after water damage if stains have started.
Sources: Fresno, California, Fresno County and 2022 to 2023 California floods (Wikipedia); IICRC S500; California Department of Insurance, Residential Property Claims Guide; 10 CCR 2695.5; 10 CCR 2695.7; NAIC, homeowners insurance; Triple-I, disasters covered by homeowners insurance; American Red Cross, frozen pipes; EPA, mold and moisture; EPA, mold cleanup; Ready.gov, floods.
Coverage
Cities and communities in Fresno County
Requests come from 39 cities and communities here, covering 99 ZIP codes. The cities with their own guide come first.
Water Damage Cleanup California is the local water damage restoration line and information resource for California. When you call or send a request, it reaches a local water damage restoration team that serves your area. That team confirms whether it can reach you and gives its own scope, price and timing. Confirm them directly before you agree to anything.