Water Damage Restoration Orlando: $3,868 Avg + Mold Rules

Hurricane Ian: Orlando's record rain

Orlando is inland, so its water damage comes from rain, not surge. During Hurricane Ian, Orlando International Airport got more than a foot of rain in 24 hours on September 28 to 29, 2022, and 22.42 inches for the month, its wettest September on record, Spectrum News 13 reported. Historic flooding hit the Little Wekiva River, Shingle Creek and the St. Johns River.

Homes near those waterways took on water from outside. Others got it from above, through damaged roofs. A ceiling stain that spreads after every storm needs the roof fixed first: see roof repair in Orlando and the ceiling water damage guide.

Is it an emergency? When water damage in Orlando cannot wait

Water damage is an emergency while water is still coming in, when it is near outlets or the panel, or when a ceiling sags. Even after the leak stops, start drying within 24 to 48 hours: the EPA says wet materials dried in that window usually will not grow mold.

• Power trouble with water in the house: OUC's 24-hour outage line is (407) 423-9018.
• Now: water near outlets, the panel or a light fixture. Shut off the breaker only from a dry spot, then see electricians in Orlando.
• Now: sewage or a toilet backup. It is contaminated water; see sewage cleanup.
• Today: a pipe leak you have shut off. Call a plumber in Orlando for the pipe and a restoration company for the drying.
• Can be booked: an old, dry stain with firm drywall and no musty smell. Have it checked soon so it does not become a mold remediation job.

Photograph everything and call your insurer too, and do not sign an assignment of benefits or any paper that hands your claim to a contractor.

First steps after water damage in Orlando

1. Electrical safety. Shut off the breaker only from a dry spot. OUC customers report outages on its 24-hour line at (407) 423-9018 or through a myOUC account; outside OUC's area, most of Orange County is served by Duke Energy Florida, which takes reports on its outage page. If wiring got wet, see electricians in Orlando.
2. Stop the source. Close the main shutoff for a pipe or appliance leak.
3. Photograph the damage before anything is moved or torn out.
4. Call your insurance agent before signing with anyone, then call a restoration company for a written estimate.
5. Dry within 24 to 48 hours, the EPA's window for keeping mold from growing.

Smell gas? Leave the house and call the gas utility from outside.

How much does water damage restoration cost in Orlando

We found no Orlando price, so here are national figures. HomeAdvisor's June 2026 average is $3,868, typically $1,383 to $6,369. Storm leaks through a roof often end up as ceiling and drywall work, which HomeAdvisor prices separately. The full cost guide has more.

National figures before insurance. We found no Orlando-specific price for water damage restoration in the sources we checked.

Get the price in writing: a Florida billing warning

Orlando's WFTV Action 9 reported a Florida case in 2020 in which a homeowner was billed more than $12,000 for a pipe leak while the insurer paid $3,700, and a lien followed. The Florida Association of Insurance Agents' Kyle Ulrich called restoration overbilling a tactic some companies use. The advice in that report: call your agent first and get a written estimate before work starts.

Florida has also closed the door on one part of the problem. Under Florida Statutes s. 627.7152, post-loss benefits under a policy issued on or after January 1, 2023 cannot be assigned, and any attempted assignment is void. Do not sign anything that hands your claim to the restoration company.

OUC and Orange County Utilities: leak alerts and credits

OUC, which supplies water in the City of Orlando, said in a 2019 post that it flags any customer whose water use is at least 180% of their four-month average for four days in a row, mails an Unusual Increase in Water Use notice, and often sends a conservation specialist. The same post said OUC will pay up to 50 percent of eligible repairs done by its contractors. That program may have changed since, so ask OUC. We did not find an OUC leak adjustment policy for bills.

Orange County Utilities, which serves unincorporated Orange County, takes leak adjustment requests within 60 days of the high-use period. Attach a repair invoice or receipt showing the address, date and work, or a written explanation and parts receipts for a do-it-yourself repair. You get one adjustment a year, and excess use is billed at the highest tier your 12-month average reached. Questions: 407-836-5515. For a leak you cannot find, see leak detection.

Mold after a leak: Florida licensing

Wet drywall that is not dried within 24 to 48 hours can grow mold, the EPA says. Florida's Chapter 468 Part XVI defines mold assessment and remediation as work on more than 10 square feet of mold, and requires anyone doing that work to comply with the licensing law. More on costs in mold remediation.

Local rules and contacts for Orlando, from official and news sources listed below.

Where to complain about an Orlando contractor

We could not find details for an Orange County or City of Orlando consumer office. Florida DBPR takes complaints against licensed contractors under Construction Industry, online or by mail; its Customer Contact Center is (850) 487-1395, and it cannot recover money for you. If panels on the roof are involved, see solar service in Orlando. The water damage restoration guide has the full first-48-hours checklist.

Water damage, mold and fire pages for Orlando

• Mold removal in Orlando: national cost, Florida's 10 square foot rule and the 12-month split between testing and removal.
• Fire damage restoration in Orlando: costs, first steps and how to get the Orlando Fire Department report.