Water Damage Restoration and Leak Repair in Santa Monica
Absolute Maintenance & Consulting provides water damage restoration and leak repair serving Santa Monica homes, apartment buildings, condos and commercial property. In Santa Monica, we plan around salt air that corrodes the metal meant to keep water out, apartment buildings built before 1979, and early 1900s houses in Ocean Park and Wilshire Montana.
Schedule an inspection in Santa Monica: call (310) 678-4345 or request an inspection online.
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Salt air or an aging building letting water in? Book a Santa Monica inspection.
Our Services in Santa Monica
Absolute Maintenance & Consulting provides all seven of its services serving Santa Monica.
Water Damage Restoration
In an older apartment building, our water damage restoration work checks the occupied units beside and below the wet one before drying and source repair. Flood and storm water are covered too.
Water Intrusion
Our water intrusion investigations use thermal imaging and moisture mapping to trace a leak back to its entry point: corroded flashing, a rusted railing post or an aging window frame.
Waterproofing
Near the beach, our waterproofing work on roofs, decks and balconies includes the metal flashing at their edges, where corrosion opens the first gap.
Stucco Repair
Our stucco repair work fixes the cracks and rust stains that form around corroded railing posts, flashing and fasteners set into the wall. Rust takes up more room than the steel it came from, so it pushes the stucco apart.
Mold Remediation
In rental units, our mold remediation work starts by finding the moisture source. It may be in a shared wall or in the unit above.
Fire Damage Restoration
In the early 1900s houses of Ocean Park and Wilshire Montana, our fire damage restoration service dries firefighting water out of plaster walls and wood floors.
Commercial Restoration and Waterproofing
Our commercial restoration and waterproofing work serves the owners and managers of Santa Monica’s rent-controlled apartment buildings and downtown’s offices, shops, hotels and restaurants, including commercial mold remediation.
Why Santa Monica Buildings Take On Water
Santa Monica buildings take on water in three local ways: salt air that corrodes metal flashing and railings, aging parts on apartment buildings built before 1979, and worn joints on early 1900s houses.
Salt Air on Flashing, Fasteners and Railings
Salt air corrodes the metal that keeps water out of Santa Monica buildings. Salt settles on flashing, nails, screws and railing anchors and holds moisture against them, and the morning marine layer keeps that metal damp longer. Once a flashing rusts through or a railing anchor loosens, rain has a path behind the stucco or down into a deck. The blocks closest to the water, along Ocean Avenue and in Ocean Park, get the most salt.
Apartment Buildings Built Before 1979
Most Santa Monica apartments are in buildings from before 1979, so many leaks start in roofs, decks, windows and railings that are decades old. The city’s rent control law, adopted by voters in April 1979, covers most rental units in buildings built before April 10, 1979: more than 28,000 units, about 70 percent of the city’s rental housing. Those units are occupied, often by long-term tenants, so a leak has to be traced and documented before the owner decides on the repair.
Early 1900s Houses in Ocean Park and Wilshire Montana
Early 1900s houses take on water at their original wood windows, trim and siding joints. Ocean Park, one of the oldest parts of the city, has Craftsman and Victorian houses and apartment buildings. The streets between Wilshire Boulevard and Montana Avenue still have Craftsman bungalows and Victorian duplexes. Where a later addition meets the original wall, water finds the seam.
Corroded flashing and old railings hide leaks. We trace yours to the entry point.
What Leak Repair and Restoration Cost in Santa Monica
An inspection in Santa Monica costs $375 to $1,500, and repairs are priced in a written estimate once we know where the water gets in.
| Santa Monica situation | What it needs | Price |
|---|---|---|
| A leak in one house, condo or apartment | Basic Inspection | $375 to $575 |
| A leak in one house, condo or apartment | Detailed Inspection | $575 to $775 |
| A leak that crosses units in an apartment building | Multi-Unit / Larger Property Inspection (up to 5 units) | $975 to $1,500 |
| Proving a leak at flashing, a railing or a window | Water Intrusion Testing | $1,275 to $1,850+ |
| A leak that needs more extensive testing | Complex Water Testing | $1,950 to $2,600+ |
| Mold in one home or unit, up to 3,000 sq. ft. | Small mold remediation, containment included | $2,275 to $2,900 |
| Mold across several units, 3,000 to 10,000 sq. ft. | Medium mold remediation | $3,000 to $10,000 |
| Replacing corroded flashing, up to 3,000 sq. ft. | Small waterproofing or weatherproofing project | $2,275 to $2,600 |
| The same on a larger building, 3,000 to 10,000 sq. ft. | Medium waterproofing or weatherproofing project | $3,000 to $10,000 |
Book a Santa Monica inspection: call (310) 678-4345 or schedule it online.
Santa Monica Neighborhoods We Serve
We serve all of Santa Monica, and its neighborhoods differ in ocean exposure and building age.
North of Montana
North of Montana has larger single-family homes on larger lots. The blocks west of 7th Street sit near Palisades Park and the ocean air.
Wilshire Montana
Wilshire Montana mixes mid-sized homes and condos with Craftsman bungalows and, at its west end, Victorian duplexes.
Mid-City
Mid-City, from 14th Street to Centinela Avenue, has many four- and five-unit apartment buildings that replaced 1940s bungalows in the 1960s.
Pico
Pico, between Lincoln Boulevard and Centinela Avenue, is home to many long-term renters in rent-controlled buildings.
Ocean Park
Ocean Park runs from the beach to Lincoln Boulevard and mixes early 1900s houses with mid-century apartment complexes, all close to the salt air.
Sunset Park
Sunset Park is mostly small one-story houses built in the 1940s for Douglas Aircraft workers, many since remodeled or rebuilt.
Across the city line to the east, West Los Angeles has its own page. The other Westside communities we serve are on our areas we serve page.
Get a written Santa Monica estimate once we find where the water gets in.
Santa Monica FAQs
Do I need a permit to repair a leak in Santa Monica?
It depends on the repair. Santa Monica is its own city, so permits come from the City of Santa Monica’s Building and Safety Division, not from the City of Los Angeles. The city says minor projects such as reroofs and facade repairs can be reviewed and approved at its public counter. Ask us at the inspection whether your repair needs one.
A tenant in my Santa Monica building reported a leak. What happens first?
We inspect the unit that reported it and the units around it, then trace the water to where it gets in. The source may be a roof, a deck or a window above, not the unit where the water shows. We document what we find for the owner or manager, who can then plan the repair.
Do you handle commercial mold remediation in Santa Monica?
Yes. We remove mold in Santa Monica apartment buildings, offices, shops and restaurants, and we start with the moisture source that fed it. Commercial jobs add containment and documentation for owners and managers. Mold remediation is priced by the size of the affected area.
Water Coming In? Call Now
Call (310) 678-4345 or book an inspection online anywhere in Santa Monica.