Gulf Coast storms can leave your house looking fine from the street and still take on water in places you won't notice for weeks. A five-minute walk-around the morning after can save thousands in drywall, flooring, and mold remediation. This is the checklist our crew uses when we're called out for a post-storm inspection in League City, Clear Lake, Friendswood, and the rest of the Bay Area.
1. Start at the roof
You don't need to climb up. From the ground with binoculars, look for missing or curled shingles, especially on south-facing slopes where wind usually hits hardest. Any dark patch where the mat shows through is a soft spot that'll leak the next time it rains. Also check your ridge vents and plumbing stack boots — those rubber collars crack in the Texas sun and a storm will find any gap.
2. Walk the gutters and downspouts
A single clogged downspout can dump hundreds of gallons against your foundation in one storm. Check that every downspout drains at least four feet away from the wall; those cheap plastic extenders pop off in high wind. If you see water pooling against the foundation now, that's a leak path for the next storm — reroute before it rains again.
3. Check seals around windows and exterior doors
Run your hand along the weatherstripping on every exterior door and the bottom edge of every window. If the rubber feels brittle, flat, or sticky, water came through. Same for the caulk line where siding meets the window frame — a hairline crack is enough. These are 15-minute fixes if you catch them fast.
4. Open the sump pump pit (if you have one)
Pour a 5-gallon bucket of water in and listen to the pump cycle. It should kick on within a few seconds and drain the pit cleanly. A pump that chatters, hums, or runs dry is one storm away from a flooded living room. Backup batteries for sump pumps sit at about $150 and are worth every penny.
5. Look at the HVAC condensation line
The small PVC pipe sticking out of your outdoor unit or a bathroom wall drains water your AC pulls from the air. A storm can clog it with leaves and dirt, and when it backs up, the overflow pan under your indoor unit floods — usually in an attic, over a drywall ceiling. Pour a cup of water into the access tee and make sure it drains fast.
Find something that doesn't look right? Call us at 832-317-9247 or book a free visit online. We'll come take a look and tell you honestly whether it needs a crew now or can wait until next weekend.
Admin-Super
Published November 8, 2026