A burst supply line is the most commonly covered water loss there is, and the cheapest to dry at $3.75 to $7 per square foot while it stays Category 1. Shut the water off at the main, photograph everything before moving it, then call. The rate roughly doubles once standing water degrades to Category 2.
Shut off the supply at the main before anything else, then kill power to affected circuits at the board if water has reached outlets or the ceiling below. Photograph the scene before moving anything, because that record is the claim.
Then call. A burst supply line is clean water, Category 1, and it is the cheapest case to dry - but only while it stays Category 1. Standing water degrades, and the rate roughly doubles at Category 2.
Clean water caught early is the least expensive loss in this table.
| 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. Ranges are national and a range is never a quote.
The expensive version of this job is not the dramatic burst. It is the slow leak behind a wall or under a slab that nobody sees for months, because gradual damage is where policies stop paying.
The signs worth acting on are a water bill that moves without a change in use, a warm patch on a slab floor, staining that returns after painting, and a musty smell that is stronger in one room. Any of those is worth a moisture reading before it becomes a remediation.
Shut the water off at the main, cut power to affected circuits if water has reached outlets or a ceiling, then photograph everything before you move anything. Call for extraction after that, not before the water is off.
Usually, because it is sudden and accidental. A slow leak that has been running behind a wall for months is generally treated as gradual damage and excluded.
A water bill that rises without a change in use, a warm spot on a slab floor, staining that comes back after painting, or a musty smell concentrated in one room. Any of those justifies a moisture reading.
A water bill that rises without a change in use, a warm patch on a slab floor, staining that returns after painting, or a musty smell concentrated in one room. Any one of those justifies a moisture reading.
Usually, if you took reasonable care to keep the property heated. Leaving a house unheated in winter is a common basis for reduction, so check the wording before a cold snap rather than after.
A leak in the supply line running under a concrete floor slab. It is expensive because access means cutting the slab, and it often shows up as a warm floor or an unexplained water bill before any water appears.
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.
