(586) 277-1069
24/7 Emergency — Tap to Call
Services
Water Damage Help
Service Area
Company
13854 Lakeside Circle, Suite 558
Sterling Heights, MI 48313
The first 48 hours after a fire are about stabilization: board-up, tarp, secure contents, and document. Rebuild decisions should not be made in those first two days. Get the scene secured, get the insurance inspection done, then write the scope.
IICRC-Certified · Insured & Licensed · 24/7 Emergency Dispatch
Clarkston’s small historic village is surrounded by upscale Independence Township subdivisions — restoration projects here range from historic home preservation to modern finished-basement cleanups.
Housing here is predominantly Historic village center plus 1980s–2010s upscale subdivisions in Independence Township. The most common restoration-related issues in Clarkston are historic home plumbing, sump pump failure, freeze damage. Our crews treat each property as its own project — scope, drying time, and rebuild needs are written based on what we measure on site, not a generic playbook.
Clarkston's small historic village is surrounded by upscale Independence Township subdivisions, so restoration projects here range from historic home preservation in the village core to modern finished-basement cleanups in the newer surrounding areas. Crews working here have to switch between conservation-first drying on original plaster and hardwood and more typical modern-construction drying scopes, sometimes across the same week.
Fire and smoke restoration in Clarkston is shaped by the local building stock — the same factors that make historic home plumbing a common local concern also affect how soot and odor migrate through a home during and after a fire event.
Seasonal pattern — Clarkston
Historic home plumbing failures run year-round; winter freeze events and summer thunderstorms drive the concentrated annual spikes.
Soil & Water Table
Clarkston's small historic village sits on terrain that varies from rolling to low-lying near small streams and lakes. Independence Township subdivisions around the village core have better modern drainage, but village core homes often have stone or brick foundations that predate any modern waterproofing standard.
Building Stock
Clarkston features a historic village center with 1800s-early-1900s homes alongside 1980s-2010s upscale subdivisions in surrounding Independence Township. Village homes are conservation projects; subdivision homes follow standard modern approaches. Crews here switch between the two regularly.
Dispatch & Access
Historic village homes have compact access; surrounding Independence Township subdivisions have generous modern access. Dispatches reach Clarkston in 25-40 minutes from Rochester.
Clarkston's restoration work divides between the small City of the Village of Clarkston and surrounding Independence Township, and the housing stock varies sharply between the two. The Historic Village along Main Street contains mid-19th century frame and Greek Revival structures with original plaster, hand-hewn timber framing, and stone-and-mortar foundations that complicate moisture mapping and demolition decisions. The Deer Lake area to the north and west carries lakefront residential with seawall-adjacent finished basements, boathouses, and estate-scale construction. The Pine Knob area near Pine Knob Music Theatre and Pine Knob Ski Resort contains 1970s-1990s wooded subdivision stock with walkout basements, cathedral ceilings, and complex roof geometry affecting storm-loss scoping. Neighborhoods along Sashabaw Road and near Clintonwood Park reflect 1990s-2010s construction with poured walls and engineered floor systems. Outlying parcels toward Springfield Township include older farmhouse stock with crawlspaces and fieldstone foundations.
Clarkston's loss history reflects historic-village vulnerability and lakefront exposure. The December 2013 Michigan ice storm placed northwest Oakland County, including Clarkston and Independence Township, among the hardest-hit areas, with DTE outages stretching past a week and generating widespread frozen-pipe ruptures, ice-dam intrusion through older village roofs, and outbuilding losses on wooded parcels. The June-July 2021 Metro Detroit flooding produced sewer backup, sump failures, and Category 3 basement losses across the township and village. The April 15, 2026 windstorm caused tree-fall, roof, and tree-on-structure losses across the heavily wooded Pine Knob and Deer Lake areas, with extended cleanup work on lakefront and estate parcels. Deer Lake and Parke Lake shoreline erosion, ice push, and seawall damage produce recurring seasonal lakefront losses. Historic Village structures sustain disproportionate ice-dam and plaster-saturation damage during winter events.
Clarkston's carrier mix tracks upscale northwest Oakland County exposure. Auto-Owners, Chubb, Cincinnati, Hanover, and AAA carry significant share on Deer Lake and Pine Knob area properties, with State Farm, Allstate, and Citizens covering mid-market stock through Independence Township. Lakefront homes on Deer Lake and Parke Lake commonly carry NFIP coverage or sewer/water backup endorsements layered on the homeowners contract. Historic Village structures with plaster, hand-hewn framing, and original millwork regularly trigger ordinance-or-law and matching-of-materials clauses on partial losses, and historic-district review can extend rebuild timelines. Xactimate is the standard estimating platform, with carrier large-loss desks involved on estate-scale claims.
Prime Restoration is a licensed Michigan restoration contractor. We document project scope in Xactimate so homeowners have clear line-item paperwork to submit to their carrier.
Restoration work in Clarkston splits between two jurisdictions. Properties within the City of the Village of Clarkston go through the Clarkston Building Department, with historic district commission review applying to exterior alterations in the Historic Village along Main Street, including material substitutions, windows, roofing, and siding. Properties in surrounding Independence Township route through the Independence Township Building Department. Both pull structural, electrical, mechanical, and plumbing trades separately. Lakefront work on Deer Lake and Parke Lake seawalls, docks, and boathouses involves additional EGLE review under inland-lakes permitting. The 2015 Michigan Building Code and Michigan Residential Code govern structural and life-safety scope. IICRC S500 and S700 govern restoration scope.
Fire damage restoration is more than cleaning up soot — it is a sequenced process of securing the structure, inventorying affected contents, cleaning hard and soft surfaces per IICRC S700, eliminating smoke odor at its source, and rebuilding. Every project is documented in Xactimate so homeowners have complete line-item paperwork for their carrier.
The same documented process on every project — based on IICRC S700.
Windows, doors, and roof penetrations are secured against weather and theft within hours of the fire being extinguished.
Before anything is moved, the entire scene is photographed and video-documented for the insurance inspection.
Salvageable contents are inventoried, packed, and transported for off-site cleaning. Non-restorable contents are documented and disposed of.
Water used in firefighting is extracted immediately. Affected framing and drywall are dried before soot cleaning begins.
Per IICRC S700, dry or wet cleaning methods are selected based on residue type (protein, synthetic, natural). HEPA vacuuming precedes surface cleaning.
Thermal fogging, hydroxyl generators, and sealed-surface treatments address embedded smoke odor. HVAC ducts are cleaned or replaced.
Drywall, flooring, cabinetry, trim, and paint are rebuilt. Every line item is documented in Xactimate.
5.0 Stars · 101 Verified Google Reviews
“Had a really good experience with Prime Restoration for mold remediation. They were professional, clear about the process, and actually made me feel confident about the process. Not pushy. I'd definitely recommend them around Bloomfield Hills”
Christian H.
Bloomfield Hills, MI
“Prime Restoration is a solid company in Michigan for basement floods and water damage. They're professional, knowledgeable and the kind of team you'd want handling a stressful situation.”
Nathan M.
Verified Google Review
“Prime Restoration in Bloomfield has an outstanding team for water damage restoration. Their crew is phenomenal. great people with top notch character who clearly know their stuff. Highly recommend for anyone facing water damage in Bloomfield.”
Ahmed W.
Bloomfield, MI
“Best in the game did my basement because it flooded and they left no messes clean and efficient”
Adam J.
Verified Google Review
“The Prime Restoration team was absolutely fantastic! Very professional and communicative. Completed the job in a timely manner. I would highly recommend!”
Jerome K.
Verified Google Review
“I called five different companies for restoration work, and Prime Restoration was hands down the fastest and most fair on price. They got me a quote the same day, while others were still "getting back to me." Their team works fast.”
Sean B.
Verified Google Review
“This company Prime Restoration in Troy, is absolutely incredible! I really hope you never have to deal with water damage, but if you do, just take a deep breath and reach out to Prime Restoration. Trust me, they're the real deal.”
Ramiz G.
Troy, MI
“One of the best, if not the best, water restoration company around. Nick is an absolute G. Helped me out and fixed everything for me.”
Gionni C.
Verified Google Review
“After I had water damage in my entire home, I gave Prime Restoration a call and they fixed it efficiently and high quality. Would highly recommend this company to anyone in Clawson. 10/10”
Luke Z.
Clawson, MI
“House got water in the basement from a storm and heavy rain. They showed up within the hour and got the water cleaned up and all dry. Now they are helping with repairing the damage. Amazing company. Best in Clawson”
Sinan S.
Clawson, MI
“Prime Restoration was fantastic. I'd highly recommend using them for anything they can assist you with. Great service and best water damage cleanup in Troy”
Andy A.
Troy, MI
“Had a water heater break. The first person I called at midnight was Prime. They came ASAP and documented all the damage. Then started the flood restoration. They wrote an estimate to price the restoration. I highly recommend.”
Yashhvardhan R.
Verified Google Review
“If I could give 10 stars I would! I can't praise the crews that respond to water damage enough! They are efficient, polite, came precisely and did a wonderful job!”
Kristian S.
Verified Google Review
“Fire damage to my house this past year, Prime Restoration stepped up and their help was felt immediately! Friendly, helpful, professional staff that made us feel like family and showed they really cared about us. My house looks incredible, could not have asked for a better experience!”
Gina R.
Verified Google Review
“Laundry pipe begins to leak at night. This company had a crew out the SAME DAY. I was referred to them and very impressed! Would highly recommend them.”
SERT C.
Verified Google Review
“Thank you Prime Restoration. I had my water line break and ruin my bathroom. Everything is fixed now. Also, the service was quick and they were very professional.”
Theo P.
Verified Google Review
“When I contacted Prime Restoration based on a friend's recommendation, I was extremely impressed with their services. The representative who arrived promptly to assess the situation was knowledgeable and addressed all my concerns.”
Kristofer K.
Verified Google Review
“My house had a flood caused by a faulty refrigerator, but Prime Restoration resolved the situation. Highly recommend for fridge-related floods in Troy, Michigan.”
Danjel P.
Troy, MI
Common questions from Clarkston homeowners before they call.
Village homes typically have 1800s-early-1900s construction with lath-and-plaster, original hardwood, and stone or brick foundations that require conservation-first approaches: slow monitored drying, surgical demo, period-materials rebuild. Newer Independence Township subdivision homes follow standard modern restoration playbooks. We regularly work both within the same week and adjust protocols per project rather than applying a single approach.
Only after the fire marshal or your insurance adjuster has authorized re-entry. Even then, limit entry to documenting and retrieving essentials — soot residue is harmful to breathe without PPE.
No. Professional contents cleaning can recover most electronics, furniture, clothing, and personal items. Items are inventoried, packed, and cleaned off-site. Only items damaged beyond restoration are disposed of, and each is documented.
With proper odor elimination — thermal fogging, HVAC cleaning, sealed-surface treatment, and replacement of porous materials that cannot be cleaned — the smell should be gone at project completion. If it comes back, there is still soot in a cavity or duct that was not addressed.
Prime Restoration is a licensed restoration contractor. We document the full project scope in Xactimate so you have clear line-item paperwork to submit to your carrier.
Fire & Smoke
Smoke residue cleaning, soot removal, and odor elimination after fire or puff-back events.
Fire & Smoke
Post-fire soot removal, HVAC decontamination, and permanent odor elimination.
Commercial & Rebuild
Full reconstruction of drywall, flooring, trim, cabinetry, and finishes after restoration.
We also serve these nearby Macomb and Oakland County communities.
24/7 emergency dispatch. IICRC-certified crews. Typical response within 60 minutes across our core service area.