How Much Does Water Damage Restoration Cost, and Will Insurance Pay?

Most jobs cost a few thousand dollars, but severe losses run far higher

Once water spreads across rooms, reaches the structure or leads to mold, totals climb quickly. HomeGuide's estimates, cited by Flume, group costs by severity.

• Thumbtack national average: $1,215 to $4,387, with a low end of $479 and a high end of $11,072.
• Minor damage (leak repair, some drywall): $1,200 to $3,500, per HomeGuide via Flume (flumewater.com).
• Moderate damage (extraction, mold removal, floor and ceiling repair): $3,500 to $7,500, per HomeGuide via Flume (flumewater.com).
• Per HomeGuide via Flume (flumewater.com), severe damage runs $7,500 to $15,000 or more and extensive multi-room damage $15,000 to $30,000 or more.
• Complete home restoration after structural compromise: $30,000 to $100,000 or more, per HomeGuide via Flume (flumewater.com).
• Flume (flumewater.com) reports the Insurance Information Institute's 2021 average water and freezing claim at $12,514.

Water category, wet area and tear-out drive the price

The same leak can cost very different amounts depending on where the water came from and how long it sat. Clean water can degrade into gray or black water over time, which raises the cleanup standard.

• Clean water (supply lines, rain): $3.75 per square foot, per National Flood Services figures on Thumbtack.
• Gray water (washers, dishwashers, toilets, sump pump failure): $4.50 per square foot, per the same figures on Thumbtack.
• Black water (sewer backup, outside floodwater): $7 per square foot on Thumbtack's figures, plus extra safety and disinfection.
• Wet drywall, ceilings, baseboards or flooring usually come out and get rebuilt, and repainting and fixtures add to the total.
• Mold remediation: $15 to $30 per square foot, per HomeGuide via Flume (flumewater.com).
• Per HomeGuide via Flume (flumewater.com), replacement carpet runs $2 to $8 per square foot and hardwood $7 to $25.

Insurance usually covers sudden damage, but your policy decides

According to the Insurance Information Institute, as cited by Thumbtack, homeowners insurance generally covers sudden damage from above, such as burst pipes, rainfall or ice on the roof. Some policies also cover drain and sewer backups. Read your policy to see what is and isn't covered before you assume either way.

How to file a water damage claim without weakening it

Document first, start mitigation, then let the paperwork follow. You don't have to wait for the adjuster's call back before emergency drying begins.

• Photograph everything before you move it.
• You have the right to start emergency mitigation before an adjuster calls you back.
• Insurance requires an estimate only for putting the house back together.
• We write that scope in Xactimate, the pricing software adjusters use, and bill your carrier directly in most losses.
• On remediation jobs, we hand photos, moisture logs and post-remediation verification to you and your carrier.
• Don't let a wall bay that still reads wet get closed up, or you may pay for the same repair next spring.

How we price a job, and how to compare quotes

We come out, look at your home, then sit down with you to go through the estimate. We won't guess a figure sight unseen. We use thermal imaging and pin-less meters to find water under LVP and inside walls, then dry it without replacing flooring that can be saved.

• Get written bids so you can compare scope and price side by side, and check references.
• Look the contractor up on Washington L&I's free Verify tool before you sign.
• Thumbtack suggests asking whether a company holds IICRC certification. Our technicians are IICRC certified.
• Let us photograph and measure first, so you have a scope to compare against the published ranges.

Common questions