It’s the one thing no homeowner wants to hear. It causes a sense of panic regarding the fixing and the cost of that Water damage.
It may be partially due to how devastating water damage can look to a homeowner who hasn’t seen it before. Water could be running like a river through the heart of your shelter and place of peace, whether it’s a pipe that breaks open or a severally damaged roof. Yet fear not because it’s not a typical situation to happen to your home, and when we look at the actual costs, maybe a little bit of that panic fades away.
Knowing the costs means you can also save up a little bit in case the worst scenario happens, so you’ve budgeted accordingly. You can also check if your home is more prone to this damage type based on your location or the age of the home itself.
What does the average cost of water damage repair and restoration look like?
First, understand that you want to tackle this as soon as possible. Leaving parts of your home damp will only increase the damage done and start mildew or mould to grow.
“You’re looking at anywhere between around $1,000 to over $5,500 for water damage restoration. It may seem expensive at the time but will save your home and additional costs in the long run. But, of course, this all depends on the type of water too.” Owner of Ford Restoration, Benedict Ford.
Water Damage Category and Costs
Three major types of water damage can significantly affect the price of water damage restoration, so it’s always a good idea to see the differences.
Clean water – Level 1
This is your faucet that leaks, an overflowing toilet, or maybe just a burst water heater. This water hasn’t come in contact with any type of biohazard or chemicals.
“Damage like this means the water comes from your home, from one of your appliances or toilet. This is the lowest cost, with the highest typically being about $4 per square foot.” Ross Restoration water damage specialist Zak Anderson
This comes in at a lower cost because it’s really about helping to dry everything, less than having to do a deep clean with it. It can get everywhere, though; some items are harder to dry than others.
“Carpets, for example, that are affected by water damage can go as high as $11 per square foot because of how it absorbs. Your walls may be affected too and add up to an additional $3 per square foot to fix up”, Duraclean estimator Alessandro Mccoy.
Gray Water – Level 2
This is what you may consider runoff water, like the water that is produced during a washing machine or dishwashing cycle. The water is mixed with detergents and/ or food substances. These leaks happen when appliances aren’t closed or the toilet bursts out but are contaminated with cleaning solutions and/or urine.
“Now we have contamination risk. Water damage restoration can go up to $7 per square foot” – the owner of Emergency Restoration, Kyron Wood.
This will also affect the pricing of those additional items and costs mentioned above when you get water that was clean.
“Hardwood Flooring will be affected and need to be replaced, which is upwards of $15 per square foot, and there’s the drywall, of course, with that $3 per square foot amount typically.” – water damage restoration expert at DryForce, Sabella Johnson.
Black Water – Level 3
The one you want to avoid or not have happen is black water, something such as groundwater or sewage, which is heavily contaminated.
“The costs jump to $7.50 per square foot of water damage restoration at the start.” Before restoration expert Inayah Strickland
This is where it starts because depending on the level of contamination, just drying it may not be enough and items and parts of the home will need complete replacement. That can be everything from the total floor to furniture to drywalls everywhere. It can affect even clothing as well. There’s no simple estimation possible here because of how rampant the damage can be.
Different classifications of water restoration damages
Besides the type of water, it also matters how big the water damage was and the size of the affected area. Therefore, the classification will come with its own pricing and water damage cleaning needs.
Class 1
This is for the smallest leaks and those you can handle yourself. For example, maybe your faucet leaked on the kitchen floor, or your toilet overflowed (with the clear water). It’s already contained in one area, and the homeowner can handle it with some mops and paper towels.
Class 2
Here you’re better off getting a professional because they will do it better and faster. The level of damage here is about the size of an entire room, inclusive of the walls. It might affect some furnishings or go through the flooring, so that’s why having an expert comes in handy.
Class 3
Here every part of an entire room, even the ceiling and walls, or several rooms have been affected. In addition, the structure may need to be replaced after the water damage restoration, such as the subflooring, which increases the costs.
Class 4
This is where your home has suffered significant damage, such as those provided by nature, either through a flood or massive hurricane.
” Your whole home gets affected by class 4 damage. Everything is touched, and there’s damage to be cleaned up everywhere. Class four damage averages start at around $20,000 and can go all the way up to $100,000 easily.” PuroClean restoration professional Mark Conner.
Locations also affect the costs
Where the water damage has affected can also affect what price you pay.
Roof
Roof damage needs to be a priority when it comes to fixing up your water damage issue.
“It always depends on the root cause and the leak’s source, but be prepared to pay upwards of $1,700 when the damage is extensive and you need to repair your roof.” GHI Restoration water damage restoration expert Maisha Garrett.
Flooring
Most floors don’t do well with water, especially extensive water damage, such as hardwood floors and carpets. Hardwood flooring average costs are a couple of hundred dollars to just over $500 based on the size of the damaged area.
Ceiling
When the ceiling starts to leak, there’s more damage to look at above that ceiling.
“Just for the ceiling to be fixed can vary from just above $500 to over $1200.” – Dallas Restoration LLC owner Isobelle Welsh.
Drywall
Drywall is a breeding ground for mould and mildew. So when it gets wet through water damage, it’ll need to be replaced completely more often than not.
“The job is usually no more than $3 per square foot. However, that’s just the replacement, and not including paint.” SERVPRO estimator Ameer Frazier.
Always go with a professional water damage restoration company when possible
You want to make sure that water damage is fixed up correctly the first time and doesn’t lead to any lasting or lingering issues or growths, such as mould happening later on. That’s why you want to get the pros involved when the water damage is serious.
