What Factors Into Water Damage Repair Costs

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Water damage repair costs depend on a variety of factors. The first factor is always measuring the extent of the damage. After that comes incidental costs. Your insurance company will ultimately have the final say in how much of the bill that you will personally have to pay.

Extent of the Damage

Water damage repair can be a quick job or a lengthy one. The extent of your damages will determine how long repairs take, and therefore, how much they will cost. The two factors below are ways to roughly gauge how extensive your damage is.

First, consider the source of the water. Dirty water (say, from sewage or unknown origins) is much more difficult to clean up. The teams will have to wear hazardous materials suits. The process for sanitizing the flooded area is more extensive. All of this adds up to a heftier price tag.

Second, consider the amount of time since the damage has occurred. If a pipe bursts while you’re on vacation and you don’t find out until a week later, you’re going to suffer some fairly serious damage. If you notice a leak within minutes, turn off the water, and immediately call a water damage restoration team, your damage will be much less extensive — even if the water was gushing out.

Incidental Costs

Incidental costs vary from job to job. You’ll have some control over them, but not always. For example, it may cost more money to repair your furniture than it would to replace it. You might be alright getting rid of some things, but almost everyone has a family heirloom they’d prefer to restore rather than toss.

Incidental costs include the costs of repairing or replacing items and features that were damaged. A full basement will cost more to repair than an empty one. Replacing your pipes and plumbing will also cost more than a flood that entered from outside your building.

Will Your Insurance Cover Your Home?

Whether your insurance will even cover the damage depends on the source of your water. Many homeowner’s insurance policies will cover things like damaged appliances and burst pipes. If your faucet starts spraying, you’re probably covered! On the other hand, standard insurance policies don’t cover flood damage. If the source of the water is outside your house, you’re probably not covered. If you want protection from rising water, storm flooding, and other situations, you have to invest in flood insurance. Though few people enjoy the extra insurance payment, it’s worth it to protect your home.

The extent of damage, the cost of incidental repairs, and how much your insurance will cover all play a part in water damage repair costs. It’s safe to say that it’s seldom a cheap experience. Do what you can to prevent water damage, and most importantly, try to control the extent of damage by calling a water restoration team ASAP after a leak.