Clean water dries at $3.75 to $7 per square foot, gray water costs $7 to $12, and Category 3 runs $12 to $25 or more because materials are removed rather than dried. A whole claim typically lands between $1,300 and $5,900, and mold remediation of a contained area adds $1,100 to $3,400.
Every figure here carries its source and the date it was checked. Ranges are national; local pricing varies with labour rates and how far a crew has to travel.
| 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 in Houston, TX. Ranges are national and a range is never a quote.
Four things account for most of the variation between two quotes on the same house.
Ask for the water category in writing before you sign a work authorisation. Category is what sets the price, and a scope that does not name it can be revised upward later without ever contradicting itself.
Ask whether the drying target is a moisture reading or a number of days. Ask who issues the clearance test if mold is involved, and whether that firm is the same one doing the remediation - in several states it legally cannot be.
Because pricing depends on the water category and the affected area, both of which need a visit to establish. That is a fair reason for a range rather than a fixed number, but it is not a reason to publish nothing, which is what most of the industry does.
Not on its own, but check what category it assumes. A quote priced as Category 1 on water that is actually Category 2 will be revised upward once work starts, and by then the equipment is in your house.
Insurers pay against their own schedules, commonly Xactimate pricing. A crew that bills insurance directly is quoting against that schedule rather than the retail ranges above.
Not directly. Insurers pay against their own schedules, commonly Xactimate pricing, so a crew billing insurance is quoting against that rather than these retail ranges.
Because a range you can check beats a number you cannot. Most of the industry publishes nothing, which leaves a homeowner with no way to tell a fair quote from an opportunistic one.
Compiled August 2026 from Angi and operator-published rate cards. Every table on this site carries its source and the date it was checked, so you can tell when a figure is going stale.
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.
