Restoration Services in St. Louis

ProCraft Exteriors has been serving property owners across the St. Louis metro from its Chesterfield base since 2005. When water backs up through a basement floor drain, smoke settles into plaster walls after a kitchen fire, or storm debris tears through a roof, the call comes to (314) 965-2353 — and a crew heads into the city with the equipment and knowledge to start reversing the damage the same day.

Restoration emergencies common in St. Louis

St. Louis sits at the confluence of two major river systems, and the metro’s weather reflects that geography. Summers bring heavy convective storms — fast-moving cells that can drop two or three inches of rain in under an hour, overwhelming sewer laterals and window wells before a homeowner realizes water is moving through the foundation wall. Winters cycle repeatedly through the freeze-thaw range, which is harder on masonry, gutters, and exterior cladding than sustained deep cold would be. Ice dams form on older rooflines with minimal attic insulation, and when they release, the meltwater finds its way behind fascia and into wall cavities.

The city’s housing stock amplifies these risks. Much of St. Louis was built before 1950, when basements were standard and drainage systems were designed for lower impervious-surface ratios than the metro now carries. Aging clay sewer laterals collapse or root-intrude, sending sewage back through floor drains. Flat-roofed brick two-flats and bungalows — common across the city’s older neighborhoods — collect standing water when drains slow. Fire risk follows the density: wood-framed interiors behind brick facades mean that a fire that looks contained from the street has often traveled through balloon-framed wall cavities.

Services we provide in St. Louis

Water damage restoration

Water damage in St. Louis frequently starts below grade. A backed-up sewer lateral or a sump pump that loses power during a storm can leave several inches of standing water across a finished basement in hours. ProCraft Exteriors extracts standing water, places drying equipment calibrated to the humidity levels typical of a Missouri summer, and monitors moisture in walls and subfloors until readings confirm the assembly is genuinely dry — not just dry at the surface.

Fire and smoke damage restoration

Smoke behaves differently in older St. Louis construction. In balloon-framed homes, smoke travels vertically through wall cavities and deposits residue on framing and insulation far from the fire’s origin. Plaster walls absorb odor compounds that drywall does not. Restoration here involves more than cleaning visible surfaces — it means tracing the smoke path and treating the materials it actually reached.

Mold remediation

St. Louis summers are reliably humid, and a water intrusion that goes unaddressed for more than a day or two creates conditions where mold can begin colonizing porous materials. Remediation work follows established industry protocols for containment, removal, and clearance — and any scope involving older materials needs to account for the possibility of asbestos-containing compounds before work begins.

Storm damage and reconstruction

Hail and straight-line wind events move through the metro regularly. ProCraft Exteriors documents storm damage for insurance claims, performs emergency tarping and board-up to stop further loss, and carries the scope through to full reconstruction — roofing, siding, windows, and interior finishes.

Coverage and how fast we can get there

ProCraft Exteriors operates from Chesterfield, which puts the crew on I-64 or I-40 heading east into the city. The central corridor — Midtown, the Central West End, Tower Grove — is roughly 20 to 25 miles from the shop. South City neighborhoods and the areas along the river sit a bit farther, but all fall well within the team’s regular service area. Property managers overseeing buildings in the city’s denser residential corridors can call (314) 965-2353 during business hours to schedule an assessment or arrange emergency response.

Building stock, site conditions, and permits in St. Louis

Most of St. Louis’s residential building stock dates from roughly 1880 through the 1950s, with brick exterior walls, plaster-and-lath interiors, and full basements the norm rather than the exception. Those basements sit in clay-heavy soil that expands when wet and contracts when dry — a cycle that works mortar joints loose and opens pathways for water intrusion over decades. Drain and supply lines in pre-1960 construction are typically cast iron and galvanized steel, both prone to corrosion and root intrusion at joints. Any restoration scope in a home built before 1980 should be planned with lead paint in mind, and pre-1978 textured finishes and pipe insulation may contain asbestos-containing materials requiring testing before disturbance.

Structural repairs and rebuilds in the City of St. Louis require permits issued through the city’s building division; work in St. Louis County municipalities goes through the relevant county or municipal department depending on the jurisdiction. What triggers a permit varies by scope, but any work touching structural framing, electrical, or plumbing typically requires one. A restoration contractor familiar with the local AHJ process can help property owners understand what documentation the carrier and the building department will each need.

ProCraft Exteriors is ready when you need to move quickly. Call (314) 965-2353 to speak with someone who knows the city’s buildings and can walk you through next steps.