Restoration
Flood Cleanup Cost Calculator
Prices flood cleanup, where the water is contaminated from the first minute.
Result
A planning estimate, not a quote. Access, the age of the equipment, what is found once it is opened up and local labour rates all move the real figure, sometimes a long way.
Get a Free Business AuditHow the calculation works
Hours times crew times rate, plus equipment, disposal and the call-out. Flooding is categorically different from a burst pipe because external flood water carries sewage, agricultural runoff, chemicals and silt, which places it in the most contaminated category from the outset rather than after a delay. That means porous materials that absorbed it come out rather than being dried: carpet and pad, insulation, drywall to above the water line, and particle board. The scope is therefore mostly demolition, cleaning and disposal rather than drying.
What moves the number
- Depth, which sets how far up the walls material has to be removed.
- Silt and sediment load, which adds cleaning labour beyond the water itself.
- Disposal volume, since most porous material becomes waste.
- Whether the building can be entered safely, including electrical and structural checks.
Where this one goes wrong
Do not enter standing water in a building until the electrical supply is confirmed isolated, and treat flood water as contaminated throughout, with the protective equipment that implies. Beyond safety, the practical rule is that porous material that absorbed contaminated water is removed rather than dried, however salvageable it looks: drying it leaves the contamination in place. Drywall is typically cut above the visible line because water wicks upward. In a flood zone there may also be substantial-improvement rules affecting how the building may be repaired, which is worth checking before committing to a reconstruction approach.
Before you quote
- Confirm the electrical supply is isolated before entering standing water.
- Treat flood water as contaminated and use appropriate protection.
- Remove porous materials rather than drying them.
- Cut drywall above the visible water line to allow for wicking.
Where the rules come from
Questions
About this calculator
Why can't flood-damaged carpet be dried and saved?
Because external flood water carries sewage, runoff and chemicals, so it is contaminated from the start rather than after sitting. Drying porous material that absorbed it leaves the contamination in the building. Carpet, pad, insulation and particle board come out rather than being dried.
How far up the wall does drywall have to be removed?
Above the visible water line, because water wicks upward through the material beyond where it shows. How far depends on the material and the duration, which is why moisture readings rather than the tide mark determine the cut line.
Is it safe to go into a flooded basement?
Not until the electrical supply is confirmed isolated, and then only with protection appropriate to contaminated water. Standing water in a building with live circuits is a genuine electrocution risk, and that check comes before any assessment of the damage.
The formula
total = hours x people x rate + parts + call-out, then sales tax
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How to use this calculator
- Hours on site (h). Enter your own figure; the page starts at 22 h.
- People needed. Enter your own figure; the page starts at 1.
- Labour rate charged ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $135.
- Parts and materials ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $1,300.
- Call-out or diagnostic fee ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $95.
- Sales tax (%). Leave at zero if you are quoting before tax.
The result updates as you type, so you can try a figure, see what it does to estimated total, and change it back. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere or saved.
A worked example
These are the figures the calculator opens with. Every number in the results column below is produced by the same calculation the page runs, so you can follow it through before putting your own figures in.
What goes in
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Hours on site | 22 h |
| People needed | 1 |
| Labour rate charged | $135 |
| Parts and materials | $1,300 |
| Call-out or diagnostic fee | $95 |
| Sales tax | 0% |
What comes out
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Estimated total main result | $4,365 |
| Labour | $2,970 |
| Before tax | $4,365 |
| Sales tax | $0 |
About $4,365: $2,970 of labour, $1,300 of parts and a $95 call-out.
How sensitive the answer is
Holding everything else steady and changing only labour rate charged, this is what happens to estimated total. It is worth knowing which of your inputs the answer actually hinges on, and which barely move it.
| Labour rate charged ($) | Estimated total |
|---|---|
| $68 | $2,891 |
| $101 | $3,617 |
| $135 example above | $4,365 |
| $203 | $5,861 |
| $270 | $7,335 |
Every other input is held at the example value while this one changes, which is not how a real job behaves. Treat it as a guide to which number matters most, not as five separate quotes.
What each figure means
- Hours on site (h)
- Measured in h, between 0 and 400, starting at 22 h.
- People needed
- A number, between 0 and 40, starting at 1.
- Labour rate charged ($)
- A money amount, starting at $135.
- Parts and materials ($)
- A money amount, starting at $1,300.
- Call-out or diagnostic fee ($)
- A money amount, starting at $95.
- Sales tax (%)
- Leave at zero if you are quoting before tax.
What the results tell you
| Result | What it is |
|---|---|
| Estimated total | The headline result. A money figure. |
| Labour | A money figure. |
| Before tax | A money figure. |
| Sales tax | A money figure. |
Estimating is the easy part
The jobs you never hear about cost more than the ones you mis-measure. BDEVY builds the marketing, systems and automation that bring them in.