Water here almost never stays in one unit. A washer hose lets go on the fifth floor of a tower off Bay St S and by the time anyone calls, it's in three ceilings and the elevator lobby. That's the job in a mile-square city built out of stacked 1970s and 80s condos. We dry the whole vertical column, not just the unit that leaked.
Calls come from associations and management companies more than owners, so we document unit by unit and keep the drying plan legible for a board that has to approve it. Ground floors, lobbies and parking garages took the surge during Helene — that's the elevation on Boca Ciega Bay, and it hasn't changed. When the wind's up and the Corey Causeway gates shut, we stage on the Pasadena Ave side near Palms of Pasadena instead of getting stranded on the beach.
Working condo towers on Pasadena Ave
Who pays when a leak from an upstairs unit damages mine?
That's set by your association documents — usually a split between the association's policy and the two owners' policies. We photograph and log the loss unit by unit so adjusters can sort it out without a second visit.
Can you dry a unit without tearing out all the drywall?
Often, yes. Caught early, we can dry inside wall cavities and under cabinets and keep demolition to the wet base. Sewage backups and water that's sat for days are a different story.