Editorial policy
Each guide aims to help a Houston-area household handle water damage safely and decide who to call. This page covers how guides are researched, the sources behind them and how errors get corrected.
By the Water Damage Houston Area editorial team · Last reviewed · Referral service: how it works
Who writes the guides on this site?
The Water Damage Houston Area editorial team writes and reviews every guide. That team does not do restoration work and never inspects a property. What the guides offer is general practice, taken from public standards and official sources, with a note wherever the answer turns on your own policy or on what an inspecting provider finds in your home.
What sources do the guides use?
We favor primary and official sources, and each guide links to the ones behind its facts. These are the main ones:
- Federal agencies: the EPA on mold and moisture, Ready.gov on flood safety, FEMA and FloodSmart.gov on flood maps and the National Flood Insurance Program, and the National Weather Service office for Houston and Galveston on storms and rainfall.
- Local government: the Harris County Flood Control District for bayous, watersheds and flooding history, and the City of Houston floodplain management office for local floodplain rules.
- State insurance regulator: the Texas Department of Insurance for claim deadlines and consumer complaints.
- Industry standards: the IICRC S500 standard for water damage restoration, for terms such as water categories and drying practice.
- Census figures: town population figures from the 2020 Census, as shown on each town's public record.
What will this site never publish?
- Testimonials, star ratings or customer reviews we cannot verify
- Credentials, years in business or job totals for any provider we have not checked
- Arrival times, round-the-clock availability or pledges about another business's work
- Prices, which belong to the provider who inspects the damage
- Street addresses or offices that do not exist
How are guides reviewed and kept current?
A review date appears on every guide. At each review we test the links, the facts and the local details, and we confirm the advice still agrees with the official source it cites. A guide is revised when its source changes, when a reader flags a problem, or when something has gone out of date, such as a new storm report or a revised flood map.
How do I report a mistake?
Send a note through the contact page naming the page and the sentence you think is wrong. We fix confirmed errors and move the review date forward. We do not change what a page says without moving that date too.
How does this site make money?
Water Damage Houston Area is a referral website, not a restoration contractor. We do not employ technicians or do restoration work. When you call or send a request, we connect you with an independent restoration provider who may serve your area. Prices, timing, licenses, insurance and the work itself are between you and that provider. Confirm them directly before you agree to anything. The guides do not bend to that arrangement. They would say the same things if no provider ever answered a call from this site.