What Should You Do About a Flooded Basement?

Make the Basement Safe Before Anything Else

Water and electricity are the first danger. If the water reaches outlets, the furnace or the breaker panel, stay upstairs. Even a few inches can carry current from a live wire to anyone standing in it.

Switch off power only from a dry spot. If the panel is in the wet area, leave it alone and call the electric utility. A gas smell means leaving the house and calling the gas utility from outside.

Gas-powered pumps, generators and pressure washers never run indoors or in an attached garage, because their exhaust carries carbon monoxide. Once everyone is safe, call Basement Water Removal Team at (888) 532-8620, 24/7.

• Stay on dry stairs and out of water that touches outlets.
• Switch off power only from a dry panel.
• Leave the house if there is a gas smell.
• Keep generators and gas pumps outdoors.

Flooded Basement Services That Fit This Question

• Basement Water Pump Out and Removal

  Deep basement water goes out with pumps first, then extractors take the thin film off the floor.

• Rain Flooded Basement Water Removal

  Rain water brings dirt in through floors and window wells, so the crew cleans as well as dries.

• Unfinished Basement Flood Water Removal

  Bare slabs look dry fast, but joists, sill plates and boxes stay wet after the puddles are gone.

Find What Is Feeding the Water

Work out whether water is still arriving. A split hose or supply pipe can be closed at its valve, and the main shutoff stops the whole house. Rain, groundwater and a backed-up drain cannot be shut off, so the pump-out becomes the priority.

The source also sets the water category. Clean supply water is Category 1, washer discharge is Category 2, and groundwater, storm water and sewage are Category 3. Category 3 water calls for protective gear and removal of porous materials.

Tell the crew what the source looks like when calling. A plumber, an appliance technician or a sump contractor repairs the cause, and any of them can work while the crew pumps out.

• Close the valve on a split hose or pipe.
• Look at the sump pit and the floor drain.
• Note whether rain, a pipe or a drain is the cause.
• Tell the crew how the water looks and smells.

Document the Damage From Dry Footing

Photos and video made before cleanup make the best record for an insurance claim. Shoot wide views of each room first, then close views of the waterline, the damaged walls and any wet belongings.

Include the furnace, the water heater, the washer and the panel, and note the date and time. Write down what is damaged without lifting anything heavy or stepping into deep water.

The crew adds moisture readings and a list of removed materials. Together with the photos, those pages show an adjuster what the basement looked like and what was done. Coverage depends on the policy, so check with your own insurer.

• Shoot wide views, then close views of the waterline.
• Photograph appliances, the furnace and the panel.
• Write down the time the water was found.
• Save receipts for any emergency purchases.

Call for the Pump-Out and Start the Drying

A wet vacuum cannot empty a basement. Submersible pumps move the deep water, extractors take the last inch, and dehumidifiers dry the slab and walls. The crew sizes the equipment to the basement.

When the ground outside is saturated, the crew may lower the water in stages. The technician then maps the moisture, removes materials that cannot dry and keeps the equipment running until the readings match a dry reference.

• Call (888) 532-8620 while the water is still standing.
• Carry out only what can be lifted from dry ground.
• Keep family and pets out until the crew says it is safe.
• Ask for moisture readings and photos at the end.

More Flooded Basement Questions

• How Much Does It Cost to Clean Up a Flooded Basement?
• Does Insurance Cover a Flooded Basement?
• How Long Does It Take to Dry Out a Flooded Basement?
• Who Should You Call for a Flooded Basement?