38103 · 38105, open 24/7
Water Damage Restoration Downtown Memphis, TN
Water from the unit upstairs, a sprinkler head that let go, an old loft roof in a hard rain. We handle the water damage in condos, lofts, apartments and businesses across Downtown and Uptown.
- Serving Memphis since 1989
- Condos, lofts and businesses
- Free quotes
Downtown and Uptown
Downtown Is Built Up, Not Out
Downtown (38103) and Uptown (38105) are both in our area, at any hour. Tell us the building, the floor and where to unload, and we will come in through the loading dock or the garage if the building asks us to.
Only about one home in five downtown is a stand-alone house. Most people live in buildings, and more than a third of homes in 38103 are in buildings with 50 or more units. When water gets loose in a building, it does not stay in one home. Our Memphis restoration crews, serving the city since 1989, plan every building job around that.
48%
Built in 2000 or later
Newer towers and mid-rises with drywall, engineered floors and plumbing that runs through shared walls and risers. Water damage usually starts at fixtures and appliances, and it travels down.
20%
Built before 1950
Old warehouses, factories and office buildings turned into lofts and apartments, especially around South Main. Thick brick, heavy timber and concrete, with old roofs and newer plumbing threaded through them.
Share of homes in 38103 by year built. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates.
Multi-floor buildings
Floor by Floor: Where Water Damage Spreads in a Downtown Building
In a building, water follows gravity through ceilings, light fixtures and the gaps around pipes. Water that starts two floors up can show up in your living room first.
The fastest fix is almost always the building's own shutoff. That is why the first call is to the front desk or the building engineer, not to us.
- R
Roof and mechanical
Roof drains, rooftop units and flashing around them.
Call first: Building engineer
- 12
The floor above you
A washer, dishwasher, toilet supply or tub in the unit upstairs.
Call first: Front desk or building engineer, to reach that unit
- 11
Your floor
A brown ring on the ceiling, water at a light fixture or a sprinkler head, damp at the base of a shared wall.
Call first: Front desk, then your manager, then us
- 10
The floor below
The same water, one floor later. Their ceiling is next.
Call first: Let the building warn them
- G
Lobby and garage
Pipes in the garage ceiling, floor drains, the main water room.
Call first: Building engineer
Fire and mold
Fire and Mold Work in Downtown Buildings
Restaurants, condos and loft buildings bring their own kinds of smoke and mold jobs. Here is where we find them and what we do.
Directory
38103 · 38105
- Fire
Restaurant kitchen
Grease fire residue on hoods, walls and ceilings cleaned, and the dining room treated for smoke.
- Fire
Condo kitchen
Sprinkler water pulled out first, then soot cleaned with dry methods before any wet cleaning.
- Fire
Hallways and stairwells
Smoke that drifted past the unit gets a hydroxyl or fogging treatment, and no ozone is used.
- Mold
Ceiling below a wet unit
Damp drywall found with meters and a thermal camera, opened and removed under containment.
- Mold
Flooring over a concrete slab
Wet flooring lifted, the slab cleaned and dried, and the area checked again with readings.
- Mold
Empty units in 38105
Air scrubbers running while moldy materials come out, then an inhibitor coat on the bare framing.
Fire sprinklers
When a Fire Sprinkler Goes Off
A sprinkler head bumped by a ladder, a box or a curtain rod, or one that opens from heat, is one of the fastest ways to get a lot of water into a downtown building. If there is any sign of fire, get out and call 911.
Dozens of gallons a minute
One open head can flood a unit and the hallway in minutes, and the water keeps coming until the system is shut.
It does not stop on its own
Only the building can close the valve. Do not try to plug or twist the head.
One head at a time
Sprinklers open from heat or from being hit, not all at once like in the movies. Usually it is one head.
What to do
- 1. Move away from the spray and take valuables with you.
- 2. Call the front desk or the building engineer so they can shut the system.
- 3. Unplug nothing that is wet. Keep out of standing water near outlets.
- 4. Call us. Our emergency water removal crews start with the water on the floor.
What usually gets wet
- Ceiling tiles and drywall
- Carpet and pad across the unit
- Hallway flooring
- The units below
- Elevator lobbies and stairwells
South Main lofts
Brick, Heavy Timber and Concrete in South Main Lofts
Lofts in old warehouses and factories are built from heavier materials than a new apartment. They take on water differently and give it up much more slowly, which changes how the drying is done.
- Exposed brick
- Soaks up water and gives it back slowly. A wet brick wall can look dry on the face and still be damp inside.
- Heavy timber beams
- Thick old wood dries from the outside in. Rushing it can crack the beams, so the drying is steady, not fast.
- Concrete floors
- A slab holds water for a long time. Flooring laid on top of it can trap that water and cup or lift later.
- Old roofs, new interiors
- Older roofs on flat or low-slope buildings leak at drains and seams, right into a modern finished unit.
We read the moisture inside each material, not just on the surface, and run structural drying until the brick, wood and slab are back to normal levels.
38105
Uptown, the Pinch and the Medical District (38105)
North of downtown, 38105 mixes older apartment buildings, newer mid-rises, a few historic houses in Victorian Village and a lot of clinics and offices around the Medical District. Almost everyone rents, and about one home in four is empty at any time.
Empty units and offices that close at night are where water damage goes unnoticed the longest. If you manage a building here, a quick walk of the vacant units after a storm or a hard freeze catches most of them early.
- of homes are rented
- 86%
- of homes are rented
- homes stand empty
- 1 in 4
- homes stand empty
- typical year built
- 1970
- typical year built
Why choose us
A Downtown Crew That Knows How Buildings Work
Visitor pass
Water damage crew
ServiceMaster by Riverside
- Floors
- Any
- Hours
- 24/7
- Crew
- IICRC certified
- In Memphis since
- 1989
The building shutoff comes first
We send you to the front desk or the engineer before we roll a single fan.
Your building's rules, followed
Loading dock hours, freight elevator bookings and check-in with whoever the manager names.
Above, below and beside
The units around yours get checked with meters, because water rarely stops at one ceiling.
Brick and timber at their own pace
Old loft materials are dried steadily and measured over days, not rushed with heat.
Also in the building:Water mitigationWater damage cleanupSewage cleanup
FAQ
Downtown Water Damage Questions
Have a question that is not listed here? Call us and talk to a real person on our Memphis team.
Which parts of downtown do you cover?
38103 (Downtown, South Main and Harbor Town) and 38105 (Uptown, the Pinch District, Victorian Village and the Medical District).
Water is coming from the unit above and nobody is home. What do I do?
Call the front desk or the building engineer first. They can shut the water to that unit or the riser. Then call your manager and us, and take photos of your ceiling and anything that got wet.
Will my condo insurance cover it?
It depends on where the water came from and how your policies split. Usually the building's master policy covers common parts and the structure, and your own condo policy (HO-6) covers your unit's interior and belongings. Ask both agents and your HOA.
My building has loading dock and elevator rules. Can you work with that?
Yes. Tell us the building rules when you call, and we will work within them, from loading dock hours to freight elevator use. Your manager can tell us who to check in with.
Do you work on restaurants, shops and offices downtown?
Yes. We handle water damage in commercial spaces too, including after-hours and weekend calls, so you can reopen as soon as the space is dry.
Can you dry an exposed brick wall without damaging it?
Yes. Brick dries slowly and evenly with air movement and dehumidifiers. We check it with moisture meters over several days instead of rushing it with heat.
Water Coming Through the Ceiling? Call the Desk, Then Call Us
Give us the building name, the floor and where a truck can unload. Our crew comes up with the equipment, day or night.
Call now: (901) 459-6610