Emergency Water Damage Restoration in Ocala

Spring country on limestone

Marion County is built on limestone close to the surface, the same rock that feeds Silver Springs and Rainbow Springs. Rainwater drains down through it rather than running off, which is why so much of the county has no streams at all. It's also why sinkholes and depressions show up here. After a long, heavy rain, low spots that normally drain can hold water for days, and homes built at the edge of a depression can see water reach the foundation.

Florida homeowners policies must include catastrophic ground cover collapse coverage, a narrow form of sinkhole protection. Broader sinkhole coverage is usually optional, and it's worth knowing which one you have in Marion County.

Wells, septic and long service lines

Outside Ocala's city water system, a large share of homes rely on private wells and septic tanks. A failing pressure tank or buried line between the well and the house can leak for a long time before anyone notices. After heavy rain, saturated drain fields can push wastewater back into the lowest drains in the house, which calls for sewage cleanup, not just a wet-vac. Horse farms add barns, wash racks and apartments with their own plumbing, often exposed to the weather.

Manufactured homes and freezes

Marion County has many manufactured and mobile home communities. Water damage in these homes behaves differently: plumbing runs under the floor in the belly wrap, subfloors are often particleboard that swells and loses strength when wet, and a leak can soak the underbelly insulation long before it shows inside. Ocala also gets frost and hard freezes most winters, and exposed lines under manufactured homes and in pump houses are among the first to burst. See burst pipe repair.

Storms that arrive weakened, not gone

Hurricanes lose strength crossing the peninsula before they reach Ocala, but they still bring wind, fallen oaks and heavy rain. Irma in 2017 knocked out power across much of Marion County and brought down trees onto homes and barns. When power is out for days, humidity inside closed-up homes climbs, and mold can start on walls and contents even without a leak. See mold remediation.

Most-requested services in Ocala

In Ocala, most of our calls fall into three groups: sewage cleanup when septic systems back up after long rains; burst pipe repair under manufactured homes and in pump houses during freezes; and ac & hvac condensation leak damage during Marion County's long cooling season. Not sure which fits your situation? Call and describe what you see, or compare all 12 services.

Ocala neighborhoods and nearby communities

These pages cover local conditions in more detail:

• Silver Springs Shores
• Belleview
• Dunnellon
• Marion Oaks