Water damage restoration: the steps, the drying, and what it costs
Three rooms, 500 sq ft: about $2,150 to $2,600, typically $2,300. That's clean water on carpeted floors: the water extracted, then air movers and dehumidifiers running for three days, with the hours to set up, check and take down the equipment, plus the contractor's overhead, profit and sales tax. Tearing out and rebuilding are extra.
Anthony Hicks30+ years in construction. Updated November 5, 2026.
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What it costs
| Job | Cost |
|---|---|
| One wet room, 150 sq ft | $875 to $1,050 |
| Three rooms, 500 sq ft | $2,150 to $2,600 |
| A whole floor, 1,000 sq ft | $3,750 to $4,450 |
About $4.25 to $5.25 a sq ft of floor, everything in.
Totals include the contractor's overhead and profit (20%) and the state's average sales tax. Prices as of November 2026.
The steps
- Stop the water at its source and make the area safe: power off to wet rooms where outlets or cords are in the water.
- Document the loss: photos of every wet room, the source, and moisture readings before anything is moved.
- Extract the standing water from carpet and hard floors.
- Take out what can’t be dried: soaked pad, swollen trim, and drywall wet past saving, often cut 2 feet up the wall (a flood cut).
- Dry the rooms with air movers on the wet surfaces and dehumidifiers pulling the water out of the air, checked with moisture readings each day until the materials are dry.
- Rebuild: new drywall, paint, trim, pad and flooring where they came out.
The EPA says to dry water-damaged areas and items within 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold growth, and to keep indoor humidity below 60%, ideally 30 to 50%.
The kinds of water
Restoration estimates price three kinds of water differently:
| Kind | Where it comes from | What it means for the job |
|---|---|---|
| Category 1, clean | A broken supply line, a tub overflow of clean water | Usually dried in place |
| Category 2, gray | A washing machine or dishwasher, a toilet bowl without waste | More cleaning and more taken out |
| Category 3, black | Sewage, rising floodwater | Contaminated materials removed; a professional’s job |
The EPA’s advice for damage caused by sewage or other contaminated water is to call in a professional who has experience with it.
What drying costs
The figures in the box are a clean-water loss on carpet, dried for three days:
| Job | Air movers | Dehumidifiers | Setup and checks |
|---|---|---|---|
| One wet room, 150 sq ft | 3 | 1 | 3 hours |
| Three rooms, 500 sq ft | 10 | 2 | 5 hours |
| A whole floor, 1,000 sq ft | 18 | 3 | 8 hours |
The dehumidifiers are the 70 to 109 pint a day size. Not in the figures: tearing out pad, drywall or trim, cleaning and antimicrobial treatment, after-hours calls, and the rebuild. The drywall cost guide and the carpet cost guide price the rebuild, and the mold remediation cost guide prices mold that has already grown.
What moves the price
- The kind of water. Gray and black water cost more to extract and clean, and more of the house comes out.
- How long it sat. Water that soaked in for days wets more of the walls and floors, and the drying runs longer.
- What got wet. Hardwood, plaster, cabinets and insulation dry slower, or come out.
- After hours. Night and weekend calls cost more.
- Where you live. Pick your state in the box above.
Writing the estimate
A water loss estimate lists each room’s wet area, the extraction, the equipment by the day, the tear-out and the rebuild. BluMatrix measures every room on the phone, writes the estimate line by line at current prices for the ZIP code, and sends it as a PDF or as an ESX file that opens in Xactimate, so the adjuster and the contractor work from the same rooms.
Common questions
How long does it take to dry out water damage?
The figures above price three days for a clean-water loss. The daily moisture readings say when the materials are dry; dense materials and soaked walls take longer.
Does homeowners insurance cover water damage?
Sudden and accidental water damage, such as a burst pipe, is usually covered, subject to the deductible and the policy’s terms. Policies differ on flooding and on slow leaks; the policy says. The water damage coverage guide goes through what’s covered, what isn’t, and the claim.
Can I dry water damage myself?
A small clean-water spill caught right away, yes, with fans and a dehumidifier and the area dry within 24 to 48 hours. For sewage or contaminated water, the EPA advises calling in a professional.
How much does it cost to dry one room?
About $875 to $1,050 for a 150 sq ft carpeted room with clean water, typically $950.