By mid-April, 2026, West Michigan was already having an unusually wet spring. The region saw one of its rainiest starts to April on record, with more than 5.7 inches falling in the first half of the month — well above the typical total for all of April. Weeks of steady rainfall pushed rivers, including the Grand, to near-record levels and left the ground saturated across much of the area.
For homeowners, that’s often when small issues start to show up — or get worse.
For Allen Ruhf, it’s also when the phone starts ringing. Spring is peak season for Ruhf, owner of the Grand Rapids-area franchise of United Water Restoration Group. As the ground saturates and systems come back online after winter, underlying issues tend to surface — fast.
“Mechanical failure accounts for a lot of what we see,” Ruhf says. “People don’t think about it until they’re in a state of emergency.”
Pipes that froze during the winter months reveal cracks. Sump pumps kick on after months of dormancy. Air-conditioning units begin pushing condensation through lines that may have split over the winter.
“Mechanical failure accounts for a lot of what we see,” Ruhf says. “People don’t think about it until they’re in a state of emergency.”
Ruhf services the east side of Grand Rapids, as well as Holland and Grand Haven, responding to an average of 15 water emergencies a month. Calls range from obvious flooding — burst pipes, failed water heaters, sewage backups — to the more insidious moisture issues that can lead to microbial growth.
He is careful with that term.
“I stay away from the word ‘mold,’” he says. “When people hear that, they think the worst. Microbial growth is around us all the time. It comes down to the type and the concentration.”
Two common culprits this time of year: sump pump failure and undetected HVAC leaks. Ruhf recommends testing sump pumps weekly in the spring by pouring a bucket of water into the pit to ensure it activates and drains properly. He also suggests having HVAC systems inspected, especially condensation lines that may have cracked during a freeze.
“As long as the AC is working, you think everything’s fine,” he says. “But a small break in that line can create hidden moisture over time.”
Prevention, he acknowledges, is “the opposite of what the industry likes.” But Ruhf, who spent 15 years in construction before moving into restoration, sees education as part of his job.
His construction background — kitchens, bathrooms, additions — shapes how he approaches remediation. “You need to understand how a structure is put together before you decide how to dry it,” he says.
In one recent case, a homeowner had just installed a new bathroom when a pipe burst and flooded the space. Rather than tearing out the entire room, Ruhf accessed the damaged area through an adjacent wall, preserving cabinetry and countertops and reducing costs.
“Just because insurance says to remove everything doesn’t mean that’s the only option,” he says. “The homeowner has a say.”
Ruhf describes himself as a counselor as much as a contractor. A former diesel mechanic who later studied ministry and served as a college pastor in Lansing, he now fields late-night calls that ring directly to his cellphone. He and his five-person team often arrive within hours.
“When someone calls at 11 p.m., they didn’t ask for this to happen,” he says. “Our job is to stop the water, walk them through the process and advocate for them.”
That includes using third-party testing companies for microbial sampling to ensure transparency, as well as technology that monitors drying progress in real time.
His motto: plan for the unplanned.
“Your home is the biggest investment of your life,” Ruhf says. “If we can help people be proactive — check the sump pump, inspect the HVAC, pay attention to small leaks — maybe they never have to call us.”
But if they do, that number is:
616-326-0121.
