Open 24 hours, every day
San Francisco Water Damage Repair for Flats and Victorians
Leaks that drip from one flat into the next, sewer water rising through a floor drain, mold in old plaster: our East Bay crew dries it out and rebuilds under DBI permits.
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Tell us what happened and we'll call you back. In a hurry? Call (844) 623-3946.
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San Francisco, CA
Does RestoreX serve San Francisco?
Yes. San Francisco is served by our East Bay office in Hayward, which sits closer to City Hall than our Petaluma office does, at about 30 road miles. We dry out flats, Victorians and apartment buildings after leaks and sewer backups, remove what can’t be saved and rebuild it under the permits San Francisco’s Department of Building Inspection requires.
San Francisco’s homes are old, and most of them share walls. The median unit dates to 1946, per Census Bureau estimates for 2020 to 2024, and 45% predate 1940. Builders put up about 48,000 Victorian- and Edwardian-style houses here between 1849 and 1915, and many modest wood houses in the western and southern neighborhoods came through the 1906 earthquake. Only 18% of units today are detached houses, so a water damage call here often touches more than one household.
Housing: U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates. Distance is approximate.
About San Francisco
Why does San Francisco water back up through drains in a storm?
Because rain and sewage share pipes. San Francisco is the only coastal city in California with a combined sewer, so roof drains and street catch basins feed the system that carries wastewater to treatment. A hard storm can push that mix up through a building’s lowest fixtures, and creeks like Islais and Mission were culverted and built over.
Recent storms show where the water goes. On December 31, 2022, downtown logged 5.46 inches of rain, the city’s second-rainiest day on record and 0.08 inches short of the November 5, 1994 mark. National Weather Service reports from that storm include flooding that shut elevators and exits at BART’s Montgomery Station and cars stuck on a flooded San Bruno Avenue onramp to US-101 (NWS storm reports). In October 2021, 1 to 2 feet of water stood near 31st Avenue and California Street, with 2 to 3 feet along Marina Boulevard.
The Inner Mission around 17th, 18th and Folsom streets sits low and has historically flooded in moderate to heavy storms. The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission’s Folsom Area Stormwater Improvement Project adds new sewer pipe, large box sewers on Florida, Treat and Harrison, and a 12-foot-diameter tunnel about 4,000 feet long that runs to 7th and Berry streets. Construction runs from 2023 to 2030, and the utility says the area will still be at risk in heavy rain afterward.
Owners whose buildings took in combined-sewer water through plumbing fixtures during a past storm, or floodwater from the adjacent public right-of-way, can apply for the SFPUC’s Floodwater Grant. Under its November 2025 terms it reimburses eligible costs such as materials, permit fees and contractor work, up to $100,000 per property, first come, first served.
Permits & rebuilding
What does DBI require for water damage repairs in San Francisco?
It depends on how far the repair goes. DBI exempts minor repairs to existing interior plaster or wallboard unless they’re needed for fire protection, along with painting and floor coverings outside bathrooms. Its exemption summary lists nothing for plumbing or electrical work, so check with DBI before any pipe, fixture or circuit gets replaced.
Before the first wall opens up in San Francisco
- Call DBI customer service at 628-652-3200, or visit the Department of Building Inspection at 49 South Van Ness Avenue, where Permit Services is on the 2nd floor.
- Read DBI’s exemption list, which follows Building Code Section 106A.2, before assuming a wallboard repair is exempt.
- Plan to file online: since September 14, 2026, most over-the-counter construction permits are available only through the PermitSF portal.
- If you’re applying for the Floodwater Grant, sign the grant agreement before any work starts and keep your City permits, because payment requests have to document them.
- Report a structural defect in your sewer lateral through 311, or call (415) 701-2311 from outside the city.
Services in San Francisco
How does RestoreX help San Francisco owners and tenants?
We clean up sewer backups that rise through a building’s lowest drains and toilets, dry leaks that travel between stacked units, and remove mold from damp plaster. When tenants have to move out, we handle the pack-out, then do the rebuild under DBI permits.
FAQ
San Francisco Questions
Does my San Francisco building need a backwater valve?
Most buildings don’t, according to the SFPUC. Extra protection is usually needed when the drain of your lowest fixture, such as a shower, floor drain or toilet, sits below the air vent on your sewer lateral. The valve shuts by itself when water flows toward the building. DBI’s Plumbing Division can confirm whether you need one, and the SFPUC suggests checking it before every rainy season.
Which flood map covers my San Francisco property?
Possibly two. FEMA’s map, effective March 23, 2021, shows only coastal flooding from the Bay and ocean, in places like Mission Bay, Treasure Island and Ocean Beach. The SFPUC’s separate 100-Year Storm Flood Risk Map covers rain runoff, and city law requires sellers and landlords to disclose when a property sits in that zone. Map questions go to RainReadySF@sfwater.org or (415) 695-7326.
Why does one leak affect so many San Francisco homes?
Because so much of the city is stacked. Only 18% of housing units are detached houses, while 20.1% are in two-to-four-unit buildings and 30.8% in buildings of 20 or more. With 61.8% of occupied homes rented, a single leak can involve several tenants, an owner and a manager, so we keep moisture readings and photos separate for each unit.
Why does San Francisco get its crew from Hayward?
Because it’s our nearer office. San Francisco City Hall is about 30 road miles from our East Bay office in Hayward and about 38 from our main office in Petaluma, and Hayward is closer in a straight line too. Phone (844) 623-3946 and have the street address and unit number ready.
Nearby
Where else does RestoreX work around San Francisco?
Several, from both of our offices. The Hayward crew also covers Oakland and Hayward across the Bay and San Mateo down the Peninsula, while Petaluma handles San Rafael and the rest of the North Bay. Each of those cities has its own page below. Not sure which office covers your block? Call (844) 623-3946.
Talk to RestoreX
Sewer water or a leak in your San Francisco building?
Call (844) 623-3946 for our Hayward office, the nearer of our two.