How often have you heard people say that “I am a water animal”?

I have heard people say it several times. So, when it is time for rain, people enjoy it thoroughly. However, what they tend to forget is that rain sometimes comes with its drawbacks. And not just the rain, but water, no matter in which form, also comes with a thousand headaches.

No matter how much you enjoy the water, it comes with a boom and destroys a lot when in a massive quantity. Anything, when it comes to a huge number, can cause problems. And, so does water.

Well, you already know that I am talking about floods when I say a large amount of water. Floods are not a new idea to describe, but flooded basements are. Yes, you are thinking, right! It is incredibly irritating and annoying when there is a flooded basement after a rain, or a season change or even from other internal sources.

You then have to get rid of it no matter what because if you don’t, you know you will be calling for severe damage. But, most might not know how much cost can a flooded basement be to clear everything. So here we are, to inform you about the cost that is required to repair your basement.

Causes and problems of a flooded basement

Basements can be flooded due to many different reasons. One of the significant reasons is heavy rainfall. Then a water pipeline burst can also cause waterlogging in the basement. There can be many other reasons as well, such as water leak from home appliances, failed sump pumps, sewage backups, an overflowing river, etc.

Now coming to the problems, so there are numerous problems connected to a flooded basement. Starting from the dangers of electrical appliances to damaged furniture. In the US, 98% of the basement are estimated to suffer from some water damage during their lifetime.

For the past few years, storms have been hitting Chicago, with heavy rains. They deposit 2 inches or deeper per hour in a neighborhood. Hence, basement flooding in Chicago is increasing with time increasing damaging problems. For such water overflow problems, there are certain plumbing helplines to evacuate all the water.

Cost to fix flooded basement depending on situations

Water removal from basements can cost you a deal if not dealt with in time. However, there is a different cost for it depending on different situations. Some of these situations are given below with the cost alterations along with changes in conditions.

1. Basic cost

According to insurance stats, a 1000 square foot home flooded with a mere 1″ of water can lead to over $10,000 worth of damage. Hence the most basic cost is also $500-$1,500 when you call for expert help. This is for a common leak in which only a little amount of water is there, as the amount of water increases, the budget rises with it.

The cost increases up to $2,000-$10,000 or more. Therefore, it is expert advice, which I can give as I have been through the same situation that whenever there is a water sewerage problem, and the basement gets drowned, never delay its work.

2. DIYs cost

Another cause can be when you are doing the fixing work yourself. So, in DIY (Do It Yourself), the price of a portable utility pump can vary from $70 to $250 each, with the addition of $50-$100 large-diameter discharge hose, which is used to deposit the water out.

Now I know you may be thinking that the cost of the ‘do it yourselfers’ is not much, but if you look on the bigger picture, you will know that this kind of work is only temporary and won’t work permanently. This also can be taken as an avoidance of the problem. Moreover, it is also time-taking. Hence, expert help is sometimes essential.

3. Size-wise cost

People tend to look for properties and houses with large basements as they would be useful for storing material and also increases the worth of the property at the time of sale. However, the tables turn’s around at the time of a flood in the same basement, and the joke is on you only.

The reason is that the more significant is the size of the basement, the higher will it cost you. The cost varies from $2,000 to $10,000. This is because flooded basement cleanup agencies cost according to the square footage of the area because of a larger area call for more workforce and consume greater time.

3. Flooded heating system cost

When a heated system is flooded, it adds additional charges to the basic cost. The reason is that the insurance company would look into the matter and verify if a professional cleaning the heating system before reusing it. Hence it is necessary to make sure that it is cleaned by professionals, which may cost you up to $50-$150 or more. This can add your total cost up to $10,050-$10,150.

Hence, it is better to keep a check on your heating systems, especially the ones installed in the basement or near it. This can help you save up some money for yourself, or else every ignorance comes with a price itself.

4. Furnace tune-up cost

Just like a heating system can bring you additional charges, a furnace tune-up can also add to your expenses. Its cost can be lesser or higher depending on the type being used. E.g., pleated-material filters can cost $4-$30 each.

A professional furnace tune-up can cost up to $70-$200 or more, but usually, it is almost $100-$125, depending on the location of the furnace. The cost also depends on the size and thickness of the furnace. It also depends on the fact of whether or not it is coming in the form of packs and how many packs. There can be one, two, six, or 12 packs. This expense cannot be avoided during water flooded basement issues.

5. Clean water cost

Now the rate of flooded basement cleanup also alters with the type of water, like how much the water is clean or contaminated. Clean water comparatively costs lesser than unclean water. This is because it is much easier to get rid of clean water in comparison with dirty water.

The cost is about $500-$1500 for an inch. Clean water includes water from broken pipes, leaky faucets, etc. Easily, this water is cleaned as it does not carry with it infectious diseases, and thus, does not require much protocol to be evacuated.

6. Blackwater cost

Like clean water has a cost; similarly, black water also has a different cost. Blackwater is the water from sewage backups and overflowing rivers. It contains infectious diseases, hazardous impurities, sewage, and toxic fragments. In short, it is contaminated water and hence needs more attention than clean water. Therefore, it costs more.

Only a professional can handle such a case properly. The curative cost is much more and may rise to $10,000 or more. Special care is required here that all the contaminated materials and affected parts of the building are supplanted. This one can be a headache for the house owner as well as the cleaners.

7. Gray water cost

This water is more dangerous than clean water but lesser than black water. It is caused by malfunctioning of electrical appliances, such as dishwashers and washing machines, which contain small amounts of cleaning agents, detergents, and other harmful chemicals. Hence water leaking from such appliances is minutely dangerous in comparison to black water.

The remediation cost is from $3,000 to $5,000. Although it is not as perilous as black, still, it requires a significant amount of work to be resolved. It involves fixation of the problem that caused the flooding, removing of the excess water, cleaning up of any messiness that may be left there, and freshening the basement.

Wrapping up

It is not very difficult to take care of a flooded basement. If you take a step on time and do not delay it, and then maintain it properly, you might never have to face it. But still, if, in any case, you might have to come across this, you will know the cost.

There are also discounts as your insurance will cover up such damages. Also, in any emergency, few residential fire departments help to pump out water.