Charleston, Mount Pleasant, James Island and Summerville
Water damage and mold help in Charleston, SC
A leak, a flooded floor or mold in the crawl space? Send one request instead of calling around. One local restoration company that serves your ZIP calls you back, looks at the damage and puts the price in writing before any work starts.
- Water extraction and drying, mold removal, crawl spaces
- A written scope before work, so you can compare
- Free to you, no obligation
Free to youNo cost, no obligation
Written scope firstPrice in writing before work
Moisture readingsPhotos at start and finish
Local to the LowcountryCharleston, Berkeley, Dorchester
Water coming in right now?
Call or text us, then do these three things while you wait.
- Stop the water. Close the valve under the fixture, or the main shutoff where the line enters the house. For a water heater, close the cold inlet on top.
- Stay safe around power. Don't walk through water near outlets or cords. Turn off breakers for wet rooms only if you can reach the panel while standing somewhere dry.
- Photograph before you move things. Get wide shots and the source. Then lift rugs and furniture off wet floors.
Flooding from a storm or a king tide? Stay out of standing water outdoors. The first 48 hours, step by step.
The local numbers
51.5
days a year the harbor reached minor flood stage, 2016-2025 average. It was 26.3 over 1992-2020.
140
days a year at the airport with an average dew point of 65°F or more (2016-2024), the air that keeps crawl spaces damp.
20,687
federal flood insurance claims filed in Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester counties, $337 million paid.
12.52 ft
the harbor crest in Hurricane Hugo, September 22, 1989. Minor flooding starts at 7 feet; the gauge passed 9.8 feet twice since 2017.
NOAA CO-OPS station 8665530 through September 30, 2026; NOAA NCEI station 72208013880; OpenFEMA NFIP redacted claims. Method and full data.
What we can help with
Six kinds of jobs, one request
Homes and rentals across the Charleston area. For a business or a large commercial loss, say so in your request.
- Water damage restorationBurst pipes, roof leaks, failed water heaters. Extraction and drying, then the repairs.How it works
- Flood and storm cleanupTidal flooding, hurricane water, sewage backups. What can be dried and what has to go.How it works
- Mold removal and remediationContainment, removal of moldy material, and fixing the moisture that caused it.How it works
- Mold inspection and testingWhen a test helps, when it doesn't, and keeping the tester separate from the remover.How it works
- Crawl space encapsulationSealed vents and humidity control for raised Lowcountry houses.How it works
- Crawl space dehumidifiersWhat it takes, and costs, to keep a crawl space below 60 percent.How it works
How it works
One call instead of five
- Tell us what got wet, or what you found. Use the form or text photos. Say how long it has been wet if you know.
- A local restoration company calls you back. They ask a few questions and set a time to look at it.
- You get a written scope and price before work starts. You decide. If insurance is involved, ask how they document the job.
What we ask of every company we refer
The four things to expect
Restoration jobs go wrong in the same few ways: a vague scope, no proof the house is dry, a form signed in a hurry. We ask for these up front. If a visit falls short, tell us at (854) 540-1514.
- A written scope and price before work starts. What gets removed, what gets dried, and for how long.
- Moisture readings and photos. Taken at the start and the end, so any adjuster can see the job was finished.
- No pressure to sign on the spot. You can read anything before you sign it, including any form that mentions your insurance.
- The cause fixed, not only the symptom. Mold comes back when the moisture source stays.
Before anyone quotes you
What this work usually costs
These are published national price ranges, not a Charleston quote. The company prices your job in writing before work starts.
Already holding a quote? Check it against the published ranges and the usual upsells.
| Job | Published range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Mold remediation | $1,500 to $9,000, $3,500 average | Fixr, Aug 2025 |
| Mold removal, crawl space | $500 to $2,000 | Fixr, Aug 2025 |
| Mold inspection | $450 to $800, $500 average | Fixr, Jan 2025 |
| Water damage restoration | $1,200 to $5,000, $3,000 average | Fixr, Jan 2025 |
| Water extraction | $3.75 to $7.50 per square foot | Fixr, Jan 2025 |
| Crawl space encapsulation | $1,500 to $15,000, $5,500 typical | This Old House, Mar 2026 |
| Crawl space dehumidifier, installed | $800 to $2,000 | This Old House, Mar 2026 |
National published figures from Fixr and This Old House, not local averages and not our quote. Sources and dates are listed in the cost guide.
Original analysis of NOAA data
Why Charleston houses take on water, and keep it
Two things set the Lowcountry apart. The first is the tide. The NOAA gauge in Charleston Harbor reached the National Weather Service minor flood stage of 7 feet on an average of 26.3 days a year over 1992-2020. Over 2016-2025 it was 51.5, and 2019 had 75. Tidal flooding is mostly streets and yards, but it backs up storm drains and pushes water toward low crawl spaces and slabs.
The second is the air. On about 140 days a year the airport's average dew point is 65°F or higher. In July and August it averages about 73.2°F. The EPA says to keep indoor humidity below 60 percent. In a vented crawl space under a raised house, summer air that humid can condense on cool ducts and floor framing.
Put the two together with older housing and you get the jobs restoration companies see most here: wet subfloors, musty crawl spaces, and mold behind walls after a leak nobody caught. Charleston humidity and mold.
Days per year the harbor reached minor flood stage (7 ft)
Average muggy days (dew point 65°F or higher), by month
Older houses on low ground
About 17% of the 352,574 homes in the 27 ZIP codes we cover were built before 1980 (Census ACS 2020-2024). On the peninsula the median home was built in 1938. Older houses mean older supply lines, cast iron drains and crawl spaces that were never sealed.
The federal flood insurance program has recorded 20,687 claims in Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester counties. The most are in 29401 (Downtown Charleston, 3,215), 29451 (Isle of Palms, 2,691), 29412 (James Island, 2,454), 29407 (West Ashley, 2,261). Hurricane Hugo in 1989 alone produced 9,591. Since 2015 there have been 7,133 more.
About 12% of paid claims were on properties rated outside the high-risk A and V zones. Flood and homeowners coverage in South Carolina.
Read before you call
Plain answers, with sources
Written for Charleston homeowners and renters. Every number links to where it came from.
- What restoration costsPublished price ranges for mold and water damage work.
- Is this quote fair?Upsells and insurance paperwork. What to check before you sign.
- The first 48 hours after water damageStop the water, then start drying before mold does.
- How long restoration takesDrying days, the wait for insurance, and the rebuild.
- Insurance claims in South CarolinaHomeowners vs flood policies, and what you sign.
- Where Charleston floodsThe streets residents name, why rain at high tide does it, and what to do.
- Charleston humidity and moldWhy a Lowcountry house grows mold, and the 60 percent rule.
- Mold in a rentalWhat South Carolina law says about repairs, and how to ask in writing.
- Choosing a restoration companyNational franchise or local shop, and the questions that sort them.
Areas we cover
Charleston and the neighborhoods around it
- Mount Pleasant29464 29466
- James Island29412
- West Ashley29407 29414
- Johns Island29455
- Folly Beach29439
- Daniel Island29492
- North Charleston29405 29406 29418 29420
- Hanahan29410
- Goose Creek29445
- Summerville29483 29485 29486
Also downtown Charleston (29401, 29403), the beach towns of Isle of Palms and Sullivan's Island, and outlying towns from Moncks Corner to Awendaw.
Questions Charleston homeowners ask
How much does mold removal cost in Charleston?
Fixr puts most mold remediation jobs at $1,500 to $9,000, with a $3,500 national average, and $10 to $30 per square foot. Bob Vila gives a lower range of $1,125 to $3,439. A crawl space job is often $500 to $2,000; mold in the HVAC system runs $3,000 to $10,000. Charleston prices vary by company and by how much material has to come out, so get the scope in writing.
What is the average cost of water damage repair?
Fixr lists water damage restoration at $1,200 to $5,000, with a $3,000 national average. Bob Vila gives $1,305 to $5,707. Clean water from a supply line costs less per square foot ($3.75 to $4.25) than sewage or flood water ($7 to $7.50), and rebuilding is extra.
How long does water damage restoration take?
Drying usually takes at least three days, according to Fixr, and Bob Vila puts it at about 72 hours for most areas. Rebuilding can take several more weeks to months, depending on how much was removed. Waiting on an insurance adjuster or on materials adds time.
Is mold considered uninhabitable in South Carolina?
South Carolina's landlord-tenant law doesn't mention mold by name. It does require landlords to follow building and housing codes that affect health and safety, and to keep the home fit and habitable (S.C. Code 27-40-440). If a landlord doesn't fix a serious problem after written notice, the tenant may be able to end the lease after 14 days (27-40-610). This is general information, not legal advice.
Will my homeowners insurance pay for this?
Usually when the water is sudden and accidental, like a burst pipe, and usually not when it comes from flooding, which needs a separate flood policy. The SC Department of Insurance says a standard homeowners policy doesn't cover flood damage, including storm surge. Slow leaks and long-term seepage are often excluded. Read your policy and ask your agent.
Who will come to my house?
An independent restoration company that serves your ZIP. Lowcountry Restoration Pros is a referral service; we pass along your request so you don't have to call around. Before you agree to anything, ask the company how it documents moisture, and for proof of insurance.
Get the house dry, and keep it that way
One request, one local company, a written price before any work.