Storm Damage Restoration in Colorado Springs: Who to Call

By the Colorado Springs Flood Restoration team · Updated November 2026

What to do first

1. Stay out of rooms with standing water near outlets, cords or appliances, and keep away from sagging ceilings.
2. If you can reach the electrical panel from a dry spot, turn off power to wet areas. If not, leave it alone.
3. Take dated photos and video of every wet room, damaged belongings and outside damage you can see from the ground.
4. Move rugs, furniture legs and electronics out of the water, and set damp items somewhere they can air out.
5. Call your insurer to report the damage, then call to be connected with a local storm damage restoration provider.

Who should I call first for storm damage restoration in Colorado Springs?

For storm damage restoration in Colorado Springs, call whoever stops the most damage first. If water is still coming in, that may be a roofer or someone to board a window. If water is already inside, call to be connected with a restoration provider, and report the loss to your insurer right away.

Most storms cause two kinds of damage at once. There is the opening in the house, like a cracked shingle, a broken window or a torn gutter. Then there is the water that came through it and soaked drywall, insulation, carpet pad or framing. Different trades handle each part, and they often work side by side. See our storm and flood cleanup page.

Do I need a roofer or a storm damage restoration provider?

You usually need both when a storm lets water into the house. A roofer fixes shingles, flashing, vents and the roof deck. A storm damage restoration provider handles everything under the roof: wet attic insulation, ceilings, walls, floors and the drying equipment that pulls moisture out.

• Roofer: the roof surface, gutters, flashing and anything that keeps rain and snow out.
• Restoration provider: water removal, moisture readings, drying, and removing materials that cannot be saved.
• General contractor: rebuilding drywall, trim, cabinets and flooring once things are dry.

If water got inside, do not wait for the roof to be finished before drying starts. Damp insulation and drywall can keep wicking water for days.

When can I handle storm cleanup myself, and when should I call?

You can usually handle storm cleanup yourself when only a small, hard surface got wet and it dries quickly, like a puddle on tile by a door. Call for help when water soaked carpet, drywall or insulation, reached a basement, came from outside ground runoff, or you cannot tell how far it spread.

Shop vacuums and box fans remove what you can see. They do not show what is still wet inside a wall or under a floor. A provider with moisture meters can tell you which spots are dry and which are not. Water that ran across the ground is treated as dirty water, so porous materials it soaked are often removed instead of dried.

Is it better to dry storm damage in place or tear it out?

Whether to dry storm damage in place or tear it out depends on what got wet, what kind of water it was and how long it sat. Firm drywall and hardwood soaked by clean rain water can often be dried in place. Ceilings that sag, pad soaked by ground water, and wet insulation usually come out.

Drying in place saves materials but takes careful monitoring. Tearing out is faster to see but means more rebuilding. A provider should explain the trade-off for each room. Our dry and restore vs. replace guide walks through how that choice is made.

Should I file an insurance claim for storm damage or pay out of pocket?

Whether to file a storm damage claim is your decision, and it depends on your policy, your deductible and how much damage is hidden. Before you decide, have the damage inspected and documented so you know the real scope. Small-looking stains sometimes hide wet insulation or framing.

The Colorado Division of Insurance advises contacting your insurer as soon as possible after damage, taking steps to prevent further damage, and getting the insurer's instructions before making repairs. Coverage depends on the cause. Wind and hail damage is often handled differently from flooding or slow leaks, so check your policy. Our insurance claim basics guide has a documentation checklist.

Is storm water from rain treated the same as water from a burst pipe?

No. Storm water that comes through a roof or window from above is usually fairly clean at first. Water that flows in from the yard, a window well or the street picks up soil and other contaminants, and it is handled more carefully. Burst pipe water starts clean but can get worse the longer it sits.

This matters for both cleanup and insurance. Ground water often means removing carpet pad and the lower part of drywall. It also matters for your claim, because the Colorado Division of Insurance says flooding from rain is typically excluded from homeowners policies. If your damage came from a pipe instead, see our burst pipe cleanup page.

What happens during the visit?

During the visit, a local provider walks the home, finds where storm water came in and how far it traveled, and checks walls, ceilings, floors and the attic with moisture meters. Then they explain your options and give you a written quote before any work starts.

• Inspection: a room-by-room look at wet areas, including spots you cannot see, like wall cavities and under flooring.
• Options explained: what can be dried in place, what likely needs removal, and whether a roofer or other trade should look at the outside.
• Written quote: a clear scope you can review and share with your insurer before work begins.

Ask how drying progress will be measured and recorded, since those readings are useful for your claim.

Why does storm damage happen so often around Colorado Springs?

The Pikes Peak region gets several kinds of rough weather, and each one can open a path for water into a home.

• Colorado State University's climate assessment says nearly all of Colorado's thunderstorm hazards, including tornadoes, hail and damaging winds, happen between March and October, with a peak in early June, and that most impacts fall on the Front Range and eastern Plains.
• The same assessment calls eastern Colorado, along with neighboring Great Plains states, one of the world's hot spots for large hail.
• CSU also says the Front Range from Fort Collins to Pueblo is prone to downslope windstorms that produce extreme gusts.
• Pikes Peak Regional Building Department design criteria set the ground snow load at 43 psf below 7000 feet and 57 psf at or above 7000 feet, so heavy snow sitting on roofs is part of local building rules.
• Colorado Springs Utilities says the law does not hold it liable for sewer backup damage caused by an Act of Nature, including severe storms and flooding.

Whether you are in Colorado Springs, Monument, Falcon, Black Forest, Fountain or Woodland Park, call to be connected with a provider who works in your area. See all service areas.

Related pages

• Storm and Flood Damage Cleanup
• Emergency Water Extraction
• Dry and Restore vs. Replace
• Water Damage Restoration in Falcon