Know the real cost before you call.
One room soaked by gray water, like a washing machine overflow, typically costs $3,650–$7,850 to dry out and repair. See what your job should cost near you, what insurance usually pays, and whether the quote you got is fair.
What happened?
Burst pipeOne room, same day$1,150–$2,750See costs
Leak or overflowOne 200 sq ft room$3,650–$7,850See costs
Ceiling leak100 sq ft, same day$1,100–$2,700See costs
Flooded basement800 sq ft, finished$10,850–$23,150See costs
Sewage backup500 sq ft basement$10,400–$21,900See costs
Flood from outsidePaid flood claims$11,286–$103,017See costs
What changes the price
How fast it’s caught, how dirty the water is and how much got wet. The same 200 sq ft room costs $1,150–$2,750 with clean water dried the same day and $4,700–$10,050 with sewage.
Clean water, caught the same dayOne room, dried in place$1,150–$2,750
Clean water, found days laterOne room, carpet and drywall replaced$3,950–$8,300
Gray waterOne room: an appliance or toilet overflow$3,650–$7,850
SewageOne room$4,700–$10,050- Two rooms, gray waterAbout 400 sq ft$6,100–$13,100
Finished basement, gray water800 sq ft$10,850–$23,150
Bars share one scale, $0 to $30,000.National prices, drying through repairs. Your ZIP moves them.
Got a quote? Check it line by line
Upload the quote you got and get it back marked up: the lines to ask about circled, each compared with typical prices near you, and the questions to ask before you sign. Free, no sign-up.
- 1Upload it. A PDF or up to 5 photos of the quote.
- 2Check what we read. Fix anything we misread before a single line is compared.
- 3Get it back marked up. High, fair or low overall, with the lines to ask about circled and the questions to ask.
What it flags
- Drying equipment billed for more days or machines than the job usually needs
- Unit prices well above typical rates near you
- Overhead and profit over 20%, or charged twice
- Lump sums of $300 or more with no quantity
We keep the lines you confirm and the first three digits of your ZIP to improve our ranges, never the file.
Will insurance pay?
The short answer for each kind of water damage, and what decides it.
Does homeowners insurance cover water damage?
Usually, if sudden
Burst pipes and sudden leaks, yes. Slow leaks and outside flooding, no.
Does homeowners insurance cover flooding?
No
Rising water from outside needs a separate flood policy.
Is a sewage backup covered?
With added coverage
Excluded unless you added water backup coverage to your policy.
How the homeowners claim process works
Step by step, with state deadlines and what to do if you disagree.
Where the numbers come from
We don’t copy ranges from other cost sites. Every range here is built from published prices and public data, then adjusted for the ZIP code you enter.
Published price sheets
Drying and tear-out rates from 10 published price sheets: state and county contracts and contractor price lists.
Built-up repair prices
Labor hours from the U.S. Navy’s estimating handbook, federal wage data and store prices, checked against public repair price sheets.
Local labor costs
Bureau of Labor Statistics wages for the trades that do the work, so a range fits where you live.
Words on your estimate
What the line items and insurance terms mean, in plain English.