Water Damage Restoration in Placer County and the Sierra Foothills

Which Placer, El Dorado, Yolo and Alpine cities and ZIP codes do you take requests from?

Requests for water damage restoration in Placer County and the neighboring foothill and valley counties come from Roseville to the Tahoe shore. The Roseville page covers the county's largest city. Check your address in the ZIP finder for Placer, El Dorado, Yolo or Alpine County.

Wikipedia lists Auburn, Colfax, Lincoln, Rocklin and Roseville as Placer County cities, plus the town of Loomis. El Dorado County has only two cities, Placerville and South Lake Tahoe. Yolo County's four are Davis, West Sacramento, Winters and Woodland.

Alpine County requests are taken too. On a mountain road, ask the restoration team early whether it serves your address. Homes in the capital and its suburbs are on the Sacramento County page, and the northern foothills continue on the North State page.

How do South Placer, the foothills and the Sierra differ?

They differ in elevation, weather and distance. Wikipedia's Placer County article says the county stretches roughly 65 miles from Roseville to the Nevada border and the Lake Tahoe shore, and divides into South Placer, the Gold Country foothills and the Sierra Nevada.

About three quarters of residents live in South Placer, according to the article, with Roseville as the main job and retail center. Everything east of Foresthill and northeast of Colfax counts as the Sierra, Tahoe region included.

How do Roseville and South Placer homes fail differently?

Roseville's homes are mostly newer, and its weak points are creeks, roofs and plumbing. Wikipedia counted 147,773 residents in 2020 across 42.26 square miles, and says several streams cross the city: Dry Creek, Linda Creek, Secret Ravine and Cirby Creek. Ask your city where those channels run.

The same article says Roseville's wet season runs October through April, with slightly more rain than Sacramento because the city sits farther east and higher.

The 2020 census counted 34.4 percent of Roseville housing units as renter-occupied, per Wikipedia. Renters can read the renters, landlords and condos guide.

Can mountain freezes burst pipes and flood a second home?

Yes, and an empty house is the riskiest. The American Red Cross says pipes most at risk are supply lines in unheated areas such as crawl spaces, attics, garages and kitchen cabinets. A split can run for days before anyone arrives to find it.

When you leave in cold weather, the Red Cross advises keeping heat no lower than 55 degrees and letting cold water drip from faucets on exposed pipes. It also warns against open flames to thaw a line. A heating pad, a hair dryer or hot towels are the safer options.

Cabin and vacation owners can read our second home leak monitoring guide. If a pipe has already split, burst pipe water damage explains what to shut off and photograph first.

What does the Caldor Fire mean for El Dorado County homes?

It is a reminder that burned slopes shed water and debris differently. Wikipedia says the Caldor Fire started August 14, 2021 near Pollock Pines, grew to 30,000 acres by August 17 and burned nearly to U.S. Route 50. By August 30 it had reached Echo Summit, less than five miles from South Lake Tahoe.

The El Dorado County article says most residents live in a narrow strip along U.S. 50, between El Dorado Hills and Pollock Pines. The county is hills and mountains, and the Eldorado National Forest covers about 43 percent of it.

If you live below a burned slope, watch for storm alerts and read about post-wildfire flood and mudflow damage. Cleaning up debris can involve hazardous material, so ask whether a restoration team handles it.

How does the Yolo Bypass change a water loss in Yolo County?

It signals that this land was set aside to hold floodwater. Wikipedia's Sacramento article says much of the land west of the city, in Yolo County, is reserved for the Yolo Bypass flood control basin because of the capital's history of floods. Davis, West Sacramento, Winters and Woodland sit around it.

Yolo County had 216,403 residents in 2020 and about 1,024 square miles, Wikipedia says. Rural addresses follow a numbered county road grid, so have your road number ready when you call.

Water that rises from the ground or a channel is flood, not a pipe loss. Read flood damage restoration and the storm and flood damage page. In a heavy-rain year, a roof can fail before any river rises, so see roof leak damage.

Does insurance pay for flood and storm water in Placer County?

Usually not for flood. The California Department of Insurance says homeowners policies do not cover flood damage but do cover other water damage, such as rain through a hole in a roof caused by a covered event. A separate flood policy is what covers rising water.

Under 10 CCR 2695.5 an insurer must acknowledge a claim within 15 calendar days, and under 2695.7 it has 40 days after proof of claim to accept or deny.

Our insurance claim guide covers documentation, and California flood insurance explains the separate policy.

What should I do first when water enters a foothill or valley home?

Stop the water first, then start the drying clock. The EPA says to dry water-damaged areas and belongings in 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold, and to hold indoor humidity below 60 percent, ideally between 30 and 50 percent, so call a restoration team quickly.

1. Close the main water valve, or the meter box valve if the house valve is stuck.
2. Photograph the damage and list what was wet before moving anything.
3. Call your insurer and ask what it needs before repairs.
4. If you are in the hills, tell each restoration team your road and any gate or snow conditions.
5. Ask how each restoration team will measure and record that the structure is dry.

More detail is on the emergency page, and mold after water damage covers what to watch for afterward.

Is this a restoration company, and do I have to hire anyone?

No. This site is the local water damage restoration line and information resource. A request reaches a local water damage restoration team that serves your address, and sending one creates no duty to hire. The team sets its own availability, scope and price, so confirm them on the call.

Check any contractor's license with the Contractors State License Board before you sign. The guide to choosing a restoration company lists questions to ask.

Sources: Wikipedia articles on Placer County, Roseville, El Dorado County, Yolo County and Sacramento; American Red Cross, frozen pipes; California Department of Insurance, residential property claims guide; 10 CCR 2695.5 and 2695.7; EPA, mold and moisture.