Fire & Water Damage FAQ

Shut off the water at the main valve if you can reach it safely. Cut power to the affected area if there is standing water near any electrical outlet, fixture, or panel. Move furniture, rugs, and electronics out of the wet area if it is safe to do so. Take photos and video before anything is cleaned up. Your insurance claim depends on documentation of the damage as it happened. Then call us at 469-998-7663. We respond 24 hours a day.

Not until the fire department or a structural inspector has cleared the building as safe to re-enter. After a fire, structures can be compromised in ways that aren't visible, air quality is dangerous, and utilities may still pose risk. Wait for clearance, then call us.

Mold can begin growing within 24 to 48 hours in a water-damaged space with warm temperatures and organic material. Drywall, wood framing, and carpet are all mold-friendly surfaces once wet. Fast extraction and drying is the primary way to prevent it. The longer water sits, the higher the probability of mold and the higher the remediation cost.

Not household fans, no. Consumer-grade fans move surface air but don't remove moisture from structural materials. Running them on wet carpet without extraction and structural drying can spread moisture further and, in warm conditions, accelerate mold growth rather than prevent it. Call us before running any equipment on a significantly wet area.

Yes. Slow leaks cause hidden structural damage over time: rot inside walls, subfloor deterioration, and mold growth that isn't visible from the surface. They also create insurance complications, since carriers distinguish between sudden and accidental losses (covered) and gradual damage from deferred maintenance (usually not covered). Address slow leaks as soon as you identify them.

Usually, for sudden and accidental losses: a burst pipe, an appliance failure, a roof leak from storm damage. Standard homeowner policies generally do not cover gradual damage from slow leaks, deferred maintenance, or flooding from rising water. Flood coverage is a separate policy purchased through NFIP or a private flood carrier.

Yes, in most cases. Fire damage from accidental causes is typically covered under standard homeowner and commercial property policies. The claim covers both the structural damage and contents, though the scope varies by policy. We document everything properly so your claim reflects the full extent of the loss.

A public adjuster is a licensed professional who represents the property owner, not the insurance company, in a claim negotiation. If your claim is complex, underpaid, or disputed, a public adjuster can make a significant difference in the outcome. We're not public adjusters ourselves, but we document damage the way carriers expect and can tell you honestly whether your situation warrants bringing one in.

Photos and video of the damage before any cleanup. A list of damaged contents with estimated values. Receipts or records for any emergency mitigation you paid for out of pocket. We handle the structural damage documentation (moisture readings, drying logs, scope of loss reports) to the standard your carrier requires. The most important thing you can do is photograph the damage immediately and not throw anything away before an adjuster has seen it.

You have options. You can request a re-inspection with more thorough documentation. You can invoke the appraisal clause in your policy if it includes one. You can hire a public adjuster to advocate on your behalf. We can review your damage documentation, identify where it was insufficient or where damage was missed, and support a reassessment with the moisture readings, drying logs, and scope reports carriers expect. Call us to discuss your situation.

It can, depending on your insurer, policy, and claim history. This is a question to ask your insurance agent before filing, particularly for smaller losses where the repair cost is close to your deductible. We can give you a damage assessment so you can make that decision with real numbers rather than guesses.

Most homeowner policies require prompt notification and have a formal claim filing window ranging from one to two years from the date of loss. Don't assume you've missed the window without checking your specific policy. For storm damage especially, people often delay and then discover they're still within the filing period.

Mitigation is stopping the damage from getting worse: extracting water, drying the structure, preventing mold. Restoration is putting the property back together: repairing or replacing drywall, flooring, cabinetry, and finishes. Many companies only do mitigation and hand off the restoration to someone else. We do both.

Drying a structure properly takes 3 to 5 days in most residential situations, using commercial equipment monitored daily. Reconstruction after drying depends on the scope: a drywall and paint repair might take a few days; a kitchen or bathroom affected by water damage might take 3 to 6 weeks. We give you a realistic timeline once we've assessed the damage.

Fire restoration timelines vary more than water damage because the scope is harder to predict until the full assessment is done. Smoke travels through HVAC and wall cavities into rooms far from the fire. A single-room fire in an otherwise intact structure might take 2 to 4 weeks. A fire that compromised multiple rooms and structural systems can take several months. We give you an honest estimate after the initial assessment, not before.

It depends on the scope and the type of damage. Water drying equipment is loud but most families stay home during the process. Sewage events, significant fire damage, ozone odor treatment, and major structural work may require temporary relocation. We'll tell you upfront if relocation is necessary and help you think through the logistics.

We do our best to match existing materials and finishes. For newer homes, this is usually straightforward. For older homes with discontinued flooring, custom paint colors, or unique tile, matching may require alternatives. We show you options and the cost difference before making any decisions, so you're not surprised at the end.

Contents packout is removing your belongings from the property during restoration (furniture, clothing, electronics, personal items), inventorying them, cleaning them if affected by smoke or water, storing them securely, and returning them when the property is ready. It's necessary for significant restoration jobs where the work would damage contents left in place, or where contents need treatment themselves. We handle this as part of our full restoration scope.

Yes. PSN General Contracting handles both the emergency restoration and the full rebuild and renovation that follows. You deal with one company, one point of contact, and one consistent documentation trail from the day the damage happened to the day the project is finished.

Yes. Permit pulling, inspection scheduling, and code compliance are part of our scope on any project that requires them. We don't hand that off to the homeowner.

Call us at 469-998-7663 or use the contact form. We'll schedule a site visit. We don't give numbers that mean anything without seeing the space first.

A general contractor manages the full scope of a construction or renovation project, including coordinating sub-trades like electricians, plumbers, and HVAC technicians. A specialty contractor does one trade. As a licensed general contractor, we manage the full project so you have one point of responsibility, not a different contractor to call for every phase.

We are based in Plano. Our office is at 1600 W. Plano Pkwy #106, Plano, TX 75075. When you call us for a Plano emergency, we are not routing that call to a regional dispatch hub.

Yes. We work with residential homeowners, rental property owners, commercial tenants, property managers, HOAs, and multi-family building operators. We are members of CAI and BOMA specifically because a significant portion of our work is with property management professionals.

We work with insurance carriers generally. We document damage to the standard most major carriers require, and we communicate directly with adjusters throughout the process.

If you had a damage event (water, fire, storm), you need restoration first. Remodeling can happen after the damage is addressed and the structure is stabilized. Sometimes they overlap: a kitchen flood creates a natural opportunity to upgrade finishes while the walls are already open. We'll walk you through what the insurance scope covers and where a voluntary upgrade makes sense.