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What to do after water damage in Fort Myers

For Fort Myers, FL: the facts behind the questions callers ask most, in plain words.

Building payments on flood claims in Fort Myers's ZIP codes averaged $81,864 in the ten years to 2025.

Call (833) 728-2327
  • Calls answered 24/7
  • Written estimate before work starts
  • Water removal, drying and repair

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Technical drawing of water removal: basement pump-out, carpet and pad extraction and hard floor water removal.
Emergency Water Removal and Extraction covers basement pump-out, carpet and pad extraction and hard floor water removal.

What happens when you call

  1. Call (833) 728-2327

    Tell the person who answers what got wet and where the water came from. Calls are answered 24/7.

  2. Stop the source

    You get help shutting off the water or the power to a wet room while the crew is on the way.

  3. Inspection and written estimate

    Moisture readings, photos and a written estimate come before any work begins.

Call (833) 728-2327

A guide for water damage restoration in Fort Myers and the towns around it.

From 2016 to 2025 there were 64.9 federal flood insurance claims for every 1,000 homes in Fort Myers's ZIP codes.

What matters most in Fort Myers

Census figures show 18% of Fort Myers households moved in since 2021, against 12% statewide, and 51% of homes are rented. If you are new, find the shutoff before you need it. When water is spreading, close the fixture valve or the main shutoff first. In an apartment, call the maintenance line, since the main valve may sit in a locked room. Seasonal homes are 12% of the city's stock. Their owners should leave a key and a note on where the shutoff is with someone who lives here year-round.

Cut the breakers for wet rooms if you can reach the panel from a dry spot. Before moving anything, take pictures of the source, the water line and each damaged item. Then lift rugs, electronics and papers onto a dry surface and warn the unit below. With 43% of homes in buildings of 5 or more units, that neighbor may already have water in the ceiling.

Speed matters in this humid climate. Water wicks up drywall from the baseboard, soaks under tile and swells cabinet bases. The EPA advises drying wet materials within 24 to 48 hours, before mold can start. After a storm, outside water is Category 3, so keep clear of it and leave removal to the restoration crew. Call once the water is stopped and the photos are done.

Before the crew arrives

Do these in order, and only what is safe to do.

  • Shut off the water at the main valve or the fixture valve.
  • Turn off power to wet rooms at the breaker if you can reach it without stepping in water.
  • Photograph every wet room, the source and the water line.
  • Lift furniture off wet carpet and move papers, photos and electronics to a dry room.
  • Call (833) 728-2327 for extraction and drying, and tell your insurer.
  • Keep people and pets away from sewage or floodwater.

Local figures for Fort Myers homes

Calls for the Fort Myers area come from 57 ZIP codes; the figures below are the city's own.

Renters live in 51% of the homes in Fort Myers, compared with 33% across Florida.

43% of homes in Fort Myers share a building with at least four other units, against 22% across Lee County. In a shared building, let the manager and the neighbors below know about a leak.

  • 64.9 Flood insurance claims per 1,000 homes, 2016 to 2025Lee County: 91.3 Fort Myers64.9Lee91.3FL19.8
  • 51% Homes that are rentedLee County: 26% Fort Myers51%Lee26%FL33%
  • 43% Homes in buildings with 5 or more unitsLee County: 22% Fort Myers43%Lee22%FL25%
  • 47,068 Housing units
  • 91,730 Residents
  • 2% Mobile and manufactured homesLee County: 9% Fort Myers2%Lee9%FL8%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019-2023 5-year estimates; FEMA OpenFEMA, FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, claims from 2016 to 2025 (not endorsed by FEMA); FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Residential Penetration Rates v1 (not endorsed by FEMA); FEMA National Risk Index v1.20, December 2025 (not endorsed by FEMA); NOAA NCEI, U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, nearest weather station; FEMA OpenFEMA, Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 (not endorsed by FEMA); NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 2016 to 2025.

Fort Myers specifics

Storm water shapes the first steps in Fort Myers. Since 2000, Lee County has seen 16 major disaster declarations for floods and storms. FEMA's National Risk Index rates yearly hurricane loss at $199 per $100,000 of building value. After a storm, do not enter standing water until the power to that area is off. Floodwater is Category 3 and can carry sewage and salt.

Apartments add a second set of steps. Here 43% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units, and 51% are rented. The shutoff for your unit may sit in a utility closet or a locked room. Call the building manager or landlord first, then check the unit above, since that is often where the water starts. Tenants should photograph their own belongings, because the landlord documents the building rather than your things.

Age matters less here. Only 25% of homes were built before 1980, so supply lines and shutoff valves are newer than in much of Florida. Water heaters and AC drain lines still fail. Seasonal homes, 12% of local housing, can leak for days unseen, so close the main before you leave for the summer. Owners across the Fort Myers area who need water removal after a storm should ask for moisture readings in walls as well as floors.

Mistakes to avoid after a leak

Some first moves make the damage worse. Stay out of water that may touch live wiring, and keep away from a ceiling that bulges or drips. A shop vacuum rated for water is fine for a small spill; a household vacuum is not. Turning the heat up does not dry a house; it moves moisture into rooms that were dry. Photograph damaged things before they go to the curb. Leave wet walls open and unpainted until moisture readings show they are dry. Clean-water carpet often comes back with carpet drying when work starts within a day or two.

First-step questions in Fort Myers

Should I run fans to dry water damage myself in Fort Myers?

Fans help the surface, but they do not dry water inside walls, under flooring or in carpet pad, and blowing air at sewage or mold spreads it. Open windows only if the air outside is drier than inside. Moisture meters show what household fans miss.

Is it safe to turn the power back on after water damage?

Keep power off to any area where water reached outlets, wiring or appliances until it has been checked. If the panel itself got wet, stay away from it and call an electrician.

Where is the main water shutoff in a Fort Myers house?

Usually where the water line enters the house: in a basement or crawl space near the front wall, next to the water heater, in a utility closet, or outside near the meter box. Turn the handle clockwise until it stops. Find it before you need it and show everyone in the house.

How long can water sit before mold starts in a Fort Myers home?

The EPA says to dry wet materials within 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold growth. After that, porous materials such as carpet pad and drywall often have to come out. Call for water removal early and keep the room ventilated if it is safe.

Can I stay in my Fort Myers home during water damage drying?

Often, yes. Clean-water drying runs with fans and dehumidifiers that are loud but not harmful, and many families stay home while it runs. Sewage, floodwater or mold change that: contaminated areas are closed off, and people with breathing problems, young children or weak immune systems may need to stay elsewhere until cleanup is done.

Related Fort Myers guides

Fort Myers guides on costs, first steps and floods

Calls answered 24/7 around Fort Myers

Answered 24/7, with a written estimate before any work starts.

Call (833) 728-2327Calls answered 24/7
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