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Flood damage · Texas

We buy flood-damaged houses in Texas

Updated October 20, 2026

Provenial buys flood-damaged Texas houses for cash as they stand, including houses in the floodplain and houses with an open flood claim.

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Direct acquisition

What happens when you submit

  1. 01

    Provenial buys flooded houses in Houston, Katy, Sugar Land and across Texas.

  2. 02

    Provenial buys with private capital.

  3. 03

    You will hear from someone within 24 hours.

  4. 04

    Sellers pay Provenial no fees or commissions.

The 50% rule

The 50% rule for flood-damaged houses

Under 44 CFR 59.1, a house is substantially damaged when restoring it would cost 50% or more of its market value before the damage. The Texas Water Development Board measures that against the structure alone, leaving out the land.

Houston

In flood Zones A, AO and AE, the City of Houston counts repairs as non-substantial only when the total cost stays under 50% of the structure's appraised value. A house found substantially damaged gets no repair permit until it is brought into compliance by elevation, and a Substantial Damage Estimate takes an on-site inspection.

Dallas

The City of Dallas applies the 50% test to the structure's value before the damage, and substantial improvements are not permitted unless the Board of Adjustment grants a special exception based on hardship.

Sugar Land

Sugar Land houses built before 1975 keep grandfathered flood insurance status only until they are substantially improved, meaning repaired or remodeled to 50% or more of market value. See our Sugar Land page.

Buyouts

Harris County flood buyouts

The Harris County Flood Control District runs a voluntary Home Buyout Program for houses several feet deep in the floodplain. Buyout areas generally need riverine flooding, houses more than 2 feet deep in the 1% floodplain plus the floodway or 10% floodplain, cost-effectiveness and at least 10 parcels or 5 acres. If your street does not qualify, a sale to Provenial is another way out.

Disclosure

What you disclose about flooding

The current Seller's Disclosure Notice, form 55-1, asks whether water from a natural flood event has entered the house, whether it sits in a 100-year floodplain, whether you have filed a flood claim with any insurer including the National Flood Insurance Program, and whether you received FEMA or SBA flood aid.

Insurance money

Insurance checks when there is a mortgage

If you owe money on the house, the insurance check for repairs is made out to both you and your mortgage company. The Texas Department of Insurance says you endorse the check and send it to the mortgage company, which usually releases money as the work gets done.

Under Insurance Code chapter 557, the mortgage company has ten days after receiving the money to list what it needs before releasing it, and ten days after a release request to pay or explain why it will not, or it owes 10% a year interest. Tell us where the claim stands, and the purchase contract will say who keeps insurance money already paid or still owed.

How it works

How selling a flood-damaged house works

Send the address

Send the address, the flood dates, photos and any insurance, FEMA or SBA paperwork.

We look at the house and the street

We review the house, the recent sales near it and the work it needs, and someone from Provenial gets back to you within 24 hours.

You get a written cash offer

Provenial is the buyer. The offer comes in writing on a Texas purchase contract, usually the Texas Real Estate Commission's One to Four Family Residential Contract, and you decide whether to sign it.

A title company handles the closing

A Texas title company holds the earnest money, runs the title search, pays off any loan or lien from the sale and records the deed with the county clerk.

What to send

What to send

  • 01

    Address and owner

    Send the address and tell us who owns the house and who signs for the sale.

  • 02

    Condition

    Tell us the year built, square footage and the repairs you know about. Photos of the house and the street help.

  • 03

    Occupancy

    Say whether the house is vacant, owner-occupied or rented, and send the lease if a tenant lives there.

  • 04

    Loans, liens and notices

    Tell us about any loan payoff, city lien, code notice or notice of sale you have received.

  • 05

    Price and timing

    Share your asking price, any offers you already have and when you want to sell.

Frequently asked questions
Can I sell a flood-damaged house in Texas?

Provenial buys flood-damaged Texas houses for cash as they stand, including houses in the floodplain.

What is the 50% rule for flood-damaged houses?

Under 44 CFR 59.1, a house is substantially damaged when restoring it would cost 50% or more of its pre-damage market value, and in Houston it then needs elevation before a repair permit.

Do I have to disclose flooding when I sell a house in Texas?

The TREC Seller's Disclosure Notice asks about past flooding, floodplain location, flood insurance claims and FEMA or SBA flood aid.

Can I sell a flooded Houston house that needs elevation?

Provenial buys flooded Houston houses as they stand, including houses the city found substantially damaged.

Does Harris County buy flooded houses?

The Harris County Flood Control District runs a voluntary buyout program in areas that meet its criteria, such as houses more than 2 feet deep in the 1% floodplain.

Compare the paths

Repair after the flood or sell as it stands?

Repair after the flood or sell as it stands?
FactorSell to Provenial as it standsRepair, then list
the 50% ruleProvenial takes the house as it standsRepairs at 50% or more can require elevation
insurance moneyThe contract says who keeps itReleased by the mortgage company as work gets done
disclosureDisclose the flood on the TREC formDisclose the flood and the repairs on the TREC form
buyersOne written cash offerEvery buyer sees the flood history on the TREC form
feesSellers pay Provenial no fees or commissionsCommission set in the listing agreement
Texas market facts

Texas market data from primary sources

Property submission

Get a cash offer on a flood-damaged house

Send the address, the condition of the house, who lives there and who signs for the sale.

Submit a property