Frequently Asked Questions

Call 911 only if there is immediate danger to life or property. Otherwise, shut off your home's main water valve if you can reach it safely, then contact Public Works & Engineering at 281-420-5300 to report the problem at your address before calling your insurer and a restoration provider.

Use your home's main shut-off valve if you can reach it safely. Do not force a valve you cannot operate; seek qualified help instead. If you cannot stop the water yourself, call Public Works & Engineering at 281-420-5300 during business hours, or 911 if there is immediate danger.

The City's Public Works & Engineering page lists an email option for reporting a water or wastewater problem. The department's general office line, 281-420-5300, can also help during business hours. For a life-threatening emergency, call 911 instead of waiting on either.

All development within Baytown requires a permit, and the City treats floodplain development without permits as illegal. Whether your specific repair needs one depends on the scope of the work, so call Building Services at 281-420-6537 and ask before you begin any part of the job.

Baytown is mostly in Harris County, with part of the city reaching into Chambers County. Inside city limits, the same Baytown departments handle permits and floodplain questions either way; outside city limits, the county office for your address takes over.

Public Works & Engineering, 281-420-5300, serves as the City's floodplain administrator for every Baytown address. The department's Assistant Director also holds the City Engineer and Floodplain Manager role and can answer detailed questions about elevation and rebuilding rules under Chapter 110.

Enter your address into the FEMA Flood Map Service Center to see the official flood zone for your property. Baytown participates in FEMA's Community Rating System as a Class 5 community, and Public Works & Engineering can answer follow-up questions about your specific result.

Under Texas Insurance Code §542.055(a), the insurer must acknowledge your claim, start investigating, and request the documents it needs not later than the 15th day after it receives notice of the claim — or the 30th business day if the insurer is an eligible surplus lines insurer.

Under §542.056(a), the insurer must notify you in writing of acceptance or rejection not later than the 15th business day after it receives all the items, statements, and forms it requires. If it needs more time, §542.056(d) gives it until the 45th day after that notice.

Under §542.057(a), the insurer must pay the claim not later than the fifth business day after the date it notifies you that it will pay. If a weather-related catastrophe applies, §542.059(b) extends this and the other chapter 542 deadlines by an additional 15 days.

Texas insurers generally draw the line at how the water arrived. A sudden and accidental discharge, like a pipe that bursts all at once, is commonly covered under most standard homeowners policies, subject to terms and deductible. Water that leaks slowly before anyone notices is treated as continuous seepage, which is commonly excluded. That distinction usually matters more to your claim than which room the pipe failed in.

A company you hire needs a TDLR mold remediation license once the affected area reaches 25 contiguous square feet or more. You can assess or remediate mold on your own residential property without a license regardless of area, under Occupations Code §1958.102(e).

No. A public adjuster's commission is capped at 10 percent of the settlement, but that fee is not allowed at all if the insurer pays or commits in writing to pay the policy limit within 72 hours of the loss being reported, under §4102.104(b).

Contact your insurer directly and reference the specific chapter 542 deadline you believe applies to your claim. If the issue is still not resolved after that call, the Texas Department of Insurance consumer help line, 800-252-3439, handles complaints about insurer delays.

Water damage restoration covers extracting water, drying structures and contents, and repairing damage caused by the water itself. Mold remediation specifically addresses mold growth that can follow, and Texas requires a TDLR license for a hired company once the affected area reaches 25 contiguous square feet.

It depends on the trade involved. Plumbing work generally requires a state plumbing license, electrical and HVAC work require separate licenses, and mold remediation above 25 contiguous square feet requires a TDLR mold license. Ask the provider for proof of any license the job requires.

There is no official price list for restoration work in Baytown. Cost depends on the water category, the affected area, and the materials involved. Your insurer's adjuster estimate is generally the reference point for what a covered repair should cost. This page does not quote prices for any provider.

Photograph and video every affected room, water lines on walls, and damaged contents before cleanup begins, while it is safe to do so. Keep receipts for any temporary repairs made to prevent further damage. This record, made before a provider starts work, gives both your insurer and the provider a clear picture of the damage.

No. This site is an independent, referral-based guide for Baytown homeowners; it connects you with information and available providers that serve your address, but it does not send a crew or perform restoration work. A restoration provider you choose, or are connected with, does the actual drying, cleanup, and repair.

No. Hiring a public adjuster is optional, and most homeowners work directly with their insurer's own claims adjuster instead. If you do hire one, Texas law caps the fee at 10 percent of the settlement and requires the adjuster to hold a state license. A public adjuster is not the same as a restoration provider.

Storm surge is a form of flooding, and most standard homeowners policies generally exclude flood damage, including storm surge, according to the Texas Department of Insurance. A separate National Flood Insurance Program policy is typically needed to cover storm surge damage coming off Galveston Bay or the Houston Ship Channel.

A standard National Flood Insurance Program policy covers up to $250,000 for the structure and up to $100,000 for contents, according to FEMA. Coverage normally begins 30 days after purchase, with some exceptions, such as loans that require flood insurance at closing.

FEMA says wet items holding moisture can develop mold within 24 to 48 hours. EPA says mold generally will not grow if wet items are dried within that same 24-to-48-hour window, and CDC recommends drying affected areas fully and quickly within it as well.

It can, depending on the damage and the location. For a substantial improvement or post-flood reconstruction in the regulatory floodplain, Chapter 110 requires the lowest finished floor to be 24 inches (2 feet) above the 500-year flood elevation. Building Services, 281-420-6537, can confirm whether your specific rebuild falls under this rule.

Only if you can do it safely. FEMA says to turn off electricity at the main breaker or fuse box only when it is safe, and never to touch wet electrical equipment or stand in water while doing it. If the panel is wet or hard to reach without entering water, wait for qualified help instead.

Goose Creek and Cedar Bayou are the waterways the City names alongside local flooding, and storm surge from Galveston Bay and the Houston Ship Channel adds a separate risk during hurricanes. Which one affects a given address depends on its location relative to each.

Photograph and inventory items first, room by room, while it is safe to do so. Do not discard wet belongings unless they present a health or safety hazard, or until your insurer or adjuster has had a chance to review them and note what happened to each item.