Condo Water Damage in Scripps Ranch, San Diego

A plumbing failure in a top-floor condo in Scripps Ranch sent water down into the two units below it. We tested for asbestos, opened the wet ceilings and walls, and dried both units with daily moisture monitoring.

Project at a glance

Location: Scripps Ranch, San Diego (92131)
Property: condo building, built in the early 1990s; middle-floor and ground-floor units
Cause: plumbing failure in the top-floor unit
Affected: ceilings with insulation, walls, carpet, bathroom wall tile, hallway, living room, bedroom and office
Work: thermal imaging and moisture mapping, asbestos testing before demolition, controlled demolition, containment, contents protection, structural drying, antimicrobial treatment
Drying: about 12 days in the middle unit and 11 days in the ground-floor unit, with monitoring visits throughout
Standard: IICRC S500

What we found

In late August 2026, water from a top-floor unit worked its way down through two floors of a Scripps Ranch condo building. In the middle unit it soaked the hallway ceiling, carpet and bathroom first. Thermal imaging and moisture readings then showed it had spread into the living room, bedroom and office. A few days later the ground-floor unit showed the same pattern.

What we did

Started with extraction, dehumidifiers and air movers on day one to stop the damage from spreading.
Had a third-party lab test the materials for asbestos before any large demolition. The results were negative.
Removed the wet ceiling sections together with the insulation above them, the wet drywall, and the bathroom wall tile.
Set up plastic containment, and covered and moved the furniture.
Dried the open framing with low-grade-refrigerant (LGR) dehumidifiers and air movers. Air scrubbers ran during demolition.
Checked readings on every visit and adjusted the equipment as areas dried.
Logged photos and moisture readings every day so the insurance claim was fully documented.

Result

Both units reached the dry standard: the middle unit in about 12 days, and the ground-floor unit a day earlier than projected. Both were then ready for rebuild.

Photos from this project

Thermal imaging shows where the water went inside the ceiling
Living room opened up and drying, with containment on the right
Bedroom: wet drywall removed, dehumidifier and air movers in place
Hallway framing drying in the ground-floor unit
Furniture protected; zippered containment keeps dust out of the work area

Questions homeowners ask

Who pays when water comes from the condo above?

It depends on where the failure happened and on your HOA's governing documents. Often the source unit's insurance, the HOA master policy and your own HO-6 policy are all involved. We document moisture readings, photos and drying logs from day one, so whichever carrier handles the claim has what it needs.

Why test for asbestos before removing drywall?

Drywall joint compound and ceiling texture in older buildings can contain asbestos. When a job means removing a large area, we have a third-party lab test the materials first, so nobody in the building is exposed.

How long does it take to dry a condo after a leak from upstairs?

A small leak caught early often dries in 3–5 days. In this project water reached ceilings, insulation and two floors, so each unit took about 11–12 days, including demolition and daily monitoring.

Can I stay in my condo while it dries?

Often yes, if the wet rooms can be closed off. Drying equipment runs around the clock and is noisy, and demolition creates dust, so we put up containment to keep the rest of the unit usable. If a bathroom or kitchen is out of service or a large area is opened, staying elsewhere for a few days may be easier.

How do you know when the building is dry?

We compare moisture readings in the affected drywall and framing with readings from the same materials in an unaffected part of the home. The job is dry when they match — the dry standard in IICRC S500. Only then does the equipment come out and the rebuild start.