Flooded basement cleanup runs $12 to $25 or more per square foot when floodwater is involved, because that is Category 3 and the materials come out rather than being dried. Standard homeowners policies exclude rising water entirely. Pump-out should start the same day, since standing water degrades by the hour.
does not have many basements, so the flooding problem here is a ground-floor and slab problem instead. The scale is not in question: about 136,000 Harris County structures flooded during Hurricane Harvey in 2017, and 68% of them were outside the mapped 100-year floodplain.
First Street's model puts 57.6% of Harris County properties at some flood risk over the next 30 years. Being outside a flood zone is a statement about a map, not about your house.
Source: Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research on Harvey flooding in Harris County.
| Job | Typical US range |
|---|---|
| Water damage restoration, whole claim | $1,300 to $5,900 |
| Clean water (Category 1), drying without demolition | $3.75 to $7 per sq ft |
| Gray water (Category 2), partial drywall and flooring removal | $7 to $12 per sq ft |
| Black water (Category 3), full demolition and structural drying | $12 to $25+ per sq ft |
| Mold remediation, contained area | $1,100 to $3,400 |
Source: Angi and operator-published rate cards compiled August 2026, cross-checked against local operator pricing , TX. Ranges are national and a range is never a quote.
This is where homeowners are most often caught out. Standard homeowners cover excludes rising water. Flood damage needs NFIP or private flood cover, bought separately, and NFIP policies carry a waiting period, so it cannot be arranged once a storm is named.
Water that comes through the roof in wind-driven rain is usually a homeowners claim. Water that comes in across the threshold is usually a flood claim. The same storm can produce both in the same house, and they are documented differently.
Structural repair after flooding is permitted through the Permitting Center, and floodplain rules can apply to the reconstruction itself, not only to new builds. If the property is in a regulated floodplain, substantial-improvement rules may govern how it can be rebuilt.
Check before demolition rather than after, because the answer can change what is worth removing.
Generally not. Rising water is excluded from standard homeowners policies and needs separate NFIP or private flood cover. Given 68% of the homes flooded in Harvey sat outside the mapped floodplain, being told you do not need it is worth verifying.
Floodwater is Category 3, so it sits at the top of the range: $12 to $25 or more per square foot, because contaminated porous materials are removed rather than dried. A typical US restoration job overall runs $1,067 to $5,169.
Structural work is permitted through the US Permitting Center, and properties in a regulated floodplain can face additional substantial-improvement requirements. Ask before demolition, because the rules can change what gets removed.
It helps with ground water, not with a blocked drain or a burst supply line. Fixing the recurrence means identifying which of those caused it, which is what the first visit should establish.
It depends entirely on where the water came from. A burst pipe is usually covered; ground water rising through the floor is a flood exclusion needing separate NFIP or private cover.
For clean water, sometimes. For anything that came in from outside, no: that is Category 3, carrying pathogens, and it needs containment, protective equipment and a disposal route.
Emergency Response
Call and a crew is dispatched - extraction the same day, drying equipment set the same visit, and the documentation your claim needs from the first hour.
