Water damage restoration costs

Two things set your price: how contaminated the water was, and how much of the building it reached. Fixr's per-square-foot extraction figures are $3.75–$4.25 for clean water, $4.10–$6.50 for gray water and $7.00–$7.50 for black water. The jump is not arbitrary — contaminated water means protective equipment, disposal, and replacing porous materials rather than drying them.

Severity is priced by class of damage. Fixr's ranges run from $150–$400 for a Class 1 (minimal) loss up to $20,000–$100,000 for Class 4, where deeply saturated low-evaporation materials like hardwood, plaster and concrete are involved. By room, Fixr puts a bathroom at $500–$4,500, a kitchen at $1,750–$8,000 and a basement anywhere from $2,000 to $85,000.

Then the follow-on costs. Mold remediation is a separate bill — Fixr puts it at roughly $10–$30 per square foot and a national average of about $3,500. Fixr also puts professional labor at $70–$200 per hour and notes emergency surcharges of $100–$200 for rapid response.

How to avoid being overcharged: get the scope in writing before work starts, ask whether drying equipment is billed per unit per day (it usually is) and for how many days, and ask for daily moisture readings. Equipment left running longer than necessary is one of the easiest ways for a bill to inflate quietly.

How to choose

Ask which category and class they're pricing

Category is contamination (1, 2 or 3); class is how much material is saturated. Both should appear in the scope and both drive your number.

Ask how equipment is billed

Air movers and dehumidifiers are typically charged per unit per day. Get the daily rate, the number of units and an expected number of days in writing.

Demand daily moisture readings

This is the only objective evidence for how long the equipment needs to stay. It also protects you if the insurer questions the duration.

Price reconstruction separately

Drywall, flooring and paint are normal contracting work. Get competitive quotes rather than accepting the mitigation company's rebuild price by default.

Expect emergency premiums

Fixr notes $100–$200 emergency surcharges for rapid response and hourly labor of $70–$200. Reasonable — but it should be stated, not discovered later.