Emergency Water Damage Restoration
This is the call for water that's coming in right now. We get a local specialist on the way to stop the source, pull the water out and start drying the same day.
Call Now: (888) 596-0163Water Damage Restoration in Exeter, MO
Water where it shouldn't be gets stressful fast, and it keeps spreading while you work out what to do. If it's a burst pipe, a soaked ceiling or storm water at the door in Exeter, Missouri, call us. We'll get a specialist from our network of local restoration companies moving toward you, with extraction equipment and dehumidifiers.
Call Now: (888) 596-0163Someone picks up, day or night.
Water in Exeter by the numbers
Barry County, Missouri. Public records, linked in each box.- Source: ACS 2023 5-year, table B25035
- 1985Half of the housing around Exeter went up before this
That's newer than 75% of the 28,807 US places we track. Newer doesn't mean leak-proof, though. It only changes what's likely to fail.
- Source: NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals, station US1MOBY0005
- 44.9 inInches of precipitation in a normal year, rain and snow together
62% of the 30,291 places we track come out drier. It's enough that a clogged gutter or a poor slope by the wall will show itself sooner or later.
- Source: NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals, station US1MOBY0005
- MAYThe wettest part of the year here: May
If you've been meaning to clear the gutters, do it before May comes around.
- Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2, 2016-01-01 to 2026-10-31
- 7Federal weather or water disasters in Barry County since 2016, out of 9 declarations in all
- Severe Storm4
- Flood3
Severe storms come first here. If one has been through lately, it's worth a look in the attic, even if your ceilings look fine. We've left out 2 for other causes, such as fire or the pandemic.
Before anyone arrives
What to do right now in Exeter
Go through these in order and skip anything that doesn't feel safe. None of it is worth getting hurt over.
Shut off the water
Look for the main valve near the meter or where the line comes into the house, and turn it slowly, since older valves can stick. If it's one fixture, its own shutoff valve will do.
Stay clear of the power
If you can reach the breaker panel without stepping in water, switch off the wet rooms. If you can't, leave it alone, stay out of the water and tell us when you call.
Take pictures first
Before you clean up, photograph the water, where it came from and whatever it damaged. Your insurance company will ask, and you only get one chance at those shots.
Rescue what you can
Move rugs, papers, photos and electronics to a dry room, and prop furniture up off the wet floor. Everything else can wait.
Let the air move
If the water is clean and the power's safe, open interior doors and run the fans you have. Stay out if it's sewage or floodwater, and keep that air away from the rest of the house.
Call Now: (888) 596-0163
Mold can get started within 24 to 48 hours, so it's worth calling even if the worst seems over.
Typical build year
Where to look first in a Exeter home of this age
Homes from these years often had plastic plumbing put in, and one type stands out. Polybutylene, usually gray and often stamped PB, was widely used until the mid 1990s and is known for failing without warning, usually at the fittings.
Check the exposed lines near your water heater and under the sinks. While you're there, look at the tank's age on its label. Eight to twelve years is about all you can expect, and when one fails, it fails on the floor.
Call Now: (888) 596-0163
How we can help in Exeter
Water Damage Cleanup & Extraction
The more water that comes out at this stage, the less has to be dried later. Pumps and extraction units clear carpet, pad, hardwood and tile, then everything the water touched gets cleaned.
Call Now: (888) 596-0163
Flood Damage Restoration
Floodwater is never clean. It carries soil and sewage, so mud and silt get cleared, soaked drywall and insulation get cut out, and what stays gets disinfected.
Call Now: (888) 596-0163
Basement Water Damage Restoration
If your home has a basement, a failed sump pump or a backed-up drain can fill it fast. It gets pumped out, the concrete and block get dried, and someone finds out how the water got in.
Call Now: (888) 596-0163
Structural Drying and Dehumidification
Air movers and dehumidifiers run until the meters say your walls, subfloor and framing are back to normal. Not until they look dry. Until the readings prove it.
Call Now: (888) 596-0163
Water Damage Repair and Restoration
Once the structure is dry, the drywall, flooring, trim and paint go back. You'll have photos and notes for your claim along the way.
Call Now: (888) 596-0163The Midwest
What's different about water damage in Exeter
Weather
There are two seasons for water damage here. One's the storm season, when heavy rain overwhelms drains and pushes water toward your foundation. The other's deep winter, when pipes in outside walls can split and ice on the roof sends water back under the shingles.
Buildings
Most homes have full basements, and many are finished with carpet, drywall and furniture. Poured concrete or block walls can seep under pressure, floor drains can back up during storms, and a failed sump pump can put inches of water on the floor overnight.
Ground
Clay doesn't drain, so after a wet week, water builds up against your basement walls, and it will find the crack. That pressure is known as hydrostatic pressure. If the water comes in along the bottom of the wall, that's usually what you're looking at.
Drying
A basement has no real airflow and hangs on to cool, damp air. So the air has to be pushed. Air movers run low and fast over the floor, and large dehumidifiers keep pulling the water out of the bottom of your walls.
When you call
From phone call to dry house in Exeter
Don't worry about having the right words. Just tell us what you're seeing. We'll get your address and a rough idea of the damage, then put you through to a specialist in our network who works around Exeter. They handle homes and commercial property, and they'll give you a time.
Expect a walk through the house with a thermal camera and a moisture meter, because what you can see is usually only part of it. The specialist will also tell you which of the three categories you've got. Category 1 water is clean, Category 2 is dirty, and Category 3 is sewage or floodwater. That last one changes the job, with plastic containment around the work area and negative air machines pushing air through HEPA filters.
Then comes the drying, and this is the part people underestimate. Standing water comes out first, with truck-mounted or portable units. Air movers then push moist air off wet surfaces, while low grain refrigerant (LGR) dehumidifiers pull the water out of the air. If your house runs cold or the materials are dense, desiccant units can take over. Each day, readings of temperature and humidity, known as psychrometric readings, show whether the machines are keeping up.
The finish line isn't when things look dry. Readings from dry wood and drywall in your own house set the target, called the dry standard, and the equipment stays until the wet areas reach it. That's the IICRC S500 standard for water damage at work, and those daily records are what your insurance company wants to see.
What can be saved in a Exeter home
More than you'd think, if it's caught early. Carpet soaked with clean water can often be dried in place once the pad's been pulled. Hardwood is worth trying to save too, with floor drying mats and slow drying, though it may need refinishing. Drywall that's wet only at the base can be cut a little above the waterline instead of being replaced to the ceiling, which is what a flood cut is.
If it was sewage or floodwater, porous things usually can't be saved. Carpet, pad and soaked insulation go in the dumpster, and studs and hard floors get cleaned and disinfected. Keep clear of any gas appliance that was underwater, and of any floor with a bit of bounce, until a professional has checked them.
Serving Exeter and Barry County
We take calls from all over Exeter and the rest of Barry County, for houses, apartments and commercial buildings. If you're not sure you're close enough, just ask.
ZIP codes in Exeter
- 65647
Your Exeter water damage questions answered
How fast can someone get to me in Exeter?
In most cases you'll have someone on the way that day. You can ask for a time when you're connected with the specialist. It may take longer after a storm, when much of Exeter needs help at once.
Can I clean up water damage myself?
You can handle a minor spill if it's clean water and it hasn't gone anywhere. For anything that's reached the carpet pad, the walls or the floor below, professional drying really does make a difference, and floodwater or sewage should be left to people with the right protective gear.
How long does it take to dry out a house?
It depends on how much got wet and for how long. A fresh leak in one room could be dry in a couple of days, while a soaked floor and walls may need a week. You'll see daily readings, so you'll know how it's going.
Can wet hardwood floors and carpet be saved?
Hardwood is more forgiving than people think. Floor drying mats pull moisture up through the boards, and refinishing can take care of what's left. Carpet can usually stay if the water was clean, as long as the pad's replaced. If the water was dirty, it can't.
Will my insurance pay for water damage?
Many water losses are covered, so it's worth checking. The usual line is sudden versus gradual: a burst supply line is generally covered, and a slow drip often isn't. Flood damage needs a separate flood policy, and a sewer backup may need an extra rider.
Don't wait on water in Exeter
(888) 596-0163The sooner drying starts, the less has to come out. One call gets a local specialist moving toward you.