What happens when you call
-
Tell us what happened. 30 seconds - where the water is and how bad.
-
You're connected with a local restoration crew while you're on the line.
-
The crew confirms timing and sets your arrival time with you directly.
What do Nashville crews handle?
- Burst & frozen pipes
- Flooded basements & crawl spaces
- Sewage backup & extraction
- Storm & roof-leak flooding
- Ceiling leaks & appliance failures
- Structural drying & dehumidification
Common emergencies in Nashville
- Tornadoes
- Flash flooding
- Severe thunderstorms
What's different about water damage in Nashville?
Nashville floods fast - the 2010 and 2021 events proved how quickly creeks take whole neighborhoods, and ordinary thunderstorms flash-flood the low spots every year. Tornado season brings roof and structural damage, and the metro's fast-built growth stock runs slab foundations and attic plumbing that hard freezes catch off guard.
Tennessee policies treat wind and storm openings as standard perils; rising creek or street water is flood insurance, a separate policy many Nashville homeowners learned about the hard way in 2010. Freeze-bursts are covered when the home was reasonably heated.
Your call goes to a crew based in the Nashville area. Serving Nashville, Franklin, Brentwood, Hendersonville, Murfreesboro, Smyrna, and all of Davidson County.
Repairing water damage in Nashville: rules, homes, and who to call
Water damage usually means drywall, and Metro Codes' renovation chart lists drywall repair or replacement over 100 square feet, structural carpentry and moving electrical fixtures as work needing a permit; new carpet, flooring and insulation do not. If the home sits in a flood hazard area, repair cost matters. Metro Water Services' Stormwater Management Manual counts damage as substantial when restoring the structure would cost 50% or more of its pre-damage market value, or when flood repairs on two or more occasions in 10 years average 25% or more. A substantially damaged home must be brought into floodplain compliance, including raising the lowest floor four feet above base flood elevation. The manual lets the value come from the Davidson County assessor or an independent appraisal, so keep repair estimates and that valuation. For a city main break, call Metro Water Services at 615-862-4600.
Permits and licensing
Tennessee's Board for Licensing Contractors requires a state contractor's license before bidding on projects of $25,000 or more. In Davidson County, residential repair and remodeling from $3,000 to $24,999 needs a state Home Improvement license if the contractor has no contractor's license. Mold Remediation (S-F) is an environmental specialty classification on the contractor's license. Inside Metro, many interior repairs need a Codes permit, and registered contractors pull the trade permits. In a flood hazard area, Metro Water Services treats repairs costing 50% or more of the structure's pre-damage market value as substantial damage, which means meeting floodplain rules, including a lowest floor four feet above base flood elevation. Belle Meade, Berry Hill, Forest Hills, Goodlettsville, Oak Hill and Ridgetop are not bound by Metro's stormwater rules.
How Nashville homes are built
Edgefield, in East Nashville, developed from the 1850s with Italianate and Eastlake homes, from frame cottages to brick mansions. A 1916 fire destroyed nearly 648 homes; bungalows replaced many. Germantown's eight-block district has homes from the 1840s to the 1920s, per Metro Historic Zoning Commission guidelines. In both historic preservation overlays, exterior repairs need commission review; conservation overlays like Lockeland Springs-East End review new construction, additions and demolition instead.
When emergencies cluster
Floods, tornadoes and ice recur. May 1-2, 2010 brought 13.57 inches to Nashville's airport in two days. An EF-3 tornado crossed North Nashville, Germantown and East Nashville on March 3, 2020. March 27-28, 2021 brought 7.01 inches and a flash flood emergency. An EF-2 tracked through Madison on December 9, 2023, and a winter storm starting January 23, 2026 left a half inch or more of ice across the metro.
Water and gas: who handles what
In Metro's service area, water is Metro Water Services: check its outage map, then report a suspected main break to its 24/7 customer service line, 615-862-4600. Madison Suburban and Harpeth Valley utility districts serve parts of the county. Piedmont Natural Gas serves Davidson County; your bill names your gas utility. If you smell gas, leave without using anything that could spark, then call 911 and Piedmont at 800-752-7504 from outside.
Also serving nearby
Common questions
How fast can someone be here?
Our line is answered 24/7, and you're connected with a local restoration crew while you're on the call. The crew confirms timing and sets your arrival time with you directly.
Creek flooding took the bottom floor - homeowner's or flood?
Rising surface water from outside is typically covered by flood insurance, not a homeowner's policy. Wind-driven rain through storm damage, or a burst pipe, is typically a homeowner's claim. Which way the water entered often decides which policy responds, so photograph entry points and water lines.
Tornado season roof damage - what's the first move?
Photograph everything, then tarp and board up once it's safe. Most policies require reasonable steps to prevent further damage, and reasonable costs for those steps are often covered. Review your policy, including endorsements. Keep receipts.
Do I need a permit to repair water damage in my Nashville house?
Often, yes. Metro Codes' renovation chart requires a permit for drywall repair or replacement over 100 square feet, structural carpentry and relocating electrical fixtures, but not for new carpet, flooring or insulation. An owner-occupant may pull a self-permit; otherwise registered contractors pull the trade permits. In a flood plain overlay, Metro recommends checking with Metro Stormwater before work starts.
What state license should a contractor have for my repair in Davidson County?
It depends on the price. Residential repair or remodeling from $3,000 to $24,999 requires a state Home Improvement license in Davidson County, unless the contractor already holds a state contractor's license. At $25,000 or more, a state contractor's license is required before bidding. You can check any license on the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance website.
My house flooded and it's in the floodplain. Can I just repair it?
Maybe not as it was. If repairs would cost 50% or more of the structure's pre-damage market value, Metro treats the home as substantially damaged, and it must meet floodplain rules, including a lowest floor four feet above base flood elevation. Repeated flood damage within 10 years can also count. Metro's stormwater rules do not bind satellite cities such as Belle Meade, so check with that city.
Do you work with my insurance?
Many restoration contractors work with adjusters. Ask how billing works on the call, and ask the contractor about documentation and coordination with your adjuster. Sudden, accidental water damage is typically covered by homeowner's insurance. Review your policy, including endorsements.
What does it cost?
It depends on how far the water spread. Ask for a written scope and estimate before work starts. Sudden, accidental water damage is typically covered by homeowner's insurance. Review your policy, including endorsements.
What should I do while I wait?
If it's safe, shut off the water source and power to wet areas, and move valuables up off the floor. The crew handles the rest.