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How much does water damage restoration cost?

Water damage restoration costs $1,384 to $6,387 in 2026. What changes your price is below.

HomeAdvisor's 2026 data puts the average at about $3,867. The type of water sets the price. Clean water from a supply line is $3 to $4 per square foot. Gray water, like a washer overflow, is $4 to $6.50. Sewage and flood water is $7 or more. Waiting a day can move clean water into the gray water price.

Water damage restoration costs $1,384 to $6,387 in 2026

Estimate your water damage restoration cost

Pick what you need and add your ZIP. The price updates as you go. Got a price already? Check it in the last step.

1Which one do you need?
2Water type
3What is your ZIP?
Local prices not added yet.
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Is this price fair?

A fair price is $1,375 to $6,375.

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Low$3,875High
Your estimateUS average
$1,375to$6,375

Middle of the range: $3,875

$0$4,310$8,620
Normal range Middle

What you are paying for

Typical jobUS range for this job.$1,375 to $6,375
Clean water, caught fastWater type.Base price
US averageLocal prices not added yet.US price
Middle of rangeHalfway between low and high.$3,875
How we calculate this

    Prices are for the United States in 2026 from published cost guides, checked September 2026. This is an estimate, not a quote.

    Middle $3,875$1,375 to $6,375

    Cost by water type and size

    Category 1, clean water$3 to $4 per square foot. Broken supply lines, faucets, a water heater.
    Category 2, gray water$4 to $6.50 per square foot. Washer or dishwasher overflow.
    Category 3, black water$7 to $7.50 or more per square foot. Sewage and outside flood water.
    Class 1, part of one room$150 to $400.
    500 square foot basement, clean waterAbout $1,750 for extraction and drying.
    LawnStarter 2026 range$1,270 to $5,376, about $3,250 on average, or $3.15 to $7.40 per square foot. Extremes run $430 to $20,400.

    What pushes a quote up

    Water categoryClean, gray or black. It sets the safety gear and what must be thrown out.
    TimeClean water left 24 hours can become gray water as bacteria grow.
    Area and depthMore rooms and water in the walls means more drying.
    MaterialsCarpet pad and drywall usually come out after gray or black water.
    MoldMold can start within a day or two and adds remediation.

    Water damage restoration cost by region

    Lower cost states$1,100 to $5,100. Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, West Virginia and most rural areas.
    Average cost states$1,384 to $6,387. Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and most mid size cities.
    Higher cost states$1,800 to $8,300. California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Washington, plus big metros such as Chicago, Denver and Washington DC.

    These rows are our estimate. We took the typical national range and adjusted it for local labor costs, which run about 20 percent lower in the cheapest states and about 30 percent higher in the dearest ones. Flood and hurricane prone areas see price spikes after big storms, when every crew is booked.

    The first 24 hours decide the bill

    One 2026 example in a restoration industry guide: a washing machine hose burst while the owner was at work. Caught right away, the cleanup would have been about $1,500. Eight hours later the water had spread through the first floor and into the subfloor, and the final bill was $8,200. The same guide notes that a clean water leak left 24 hours can become gray water, and the price per square foot moves from about $3.50 to $6.50.

    What to do first: shut off the water, cut power to wet areas if it is safe, take photos for insurance, and call a restoration company and your insurer the same day.

    Insurance

    Sudden events like a burst pipe are often covered. Slow leaks and outside flood water often are not, unless you have flood insurance. Ask your insurer before you sign a restoration contract, and ask the company whether it bills the insurer directly.

    Why this costs more in 2026

    Restoration crews run fans, dehumidifiers and trucks for days. Fuel and power are part of the bill.

    Diesel passed $6 a gallon on the AAA national average for the first time on September 11, 2026 (CBS 8 reporting AAA). Builders also paid 4.8 percent more for materials in a year (Roofing Contractor). Ask how long your quote is good for.

    How to judge the quote in your hand

    Ways to pay less