What to do if your basement floods.

A flooded basement makes you want to run downstairs and start saving things. Please do not. The first few minutes are about keeping everyone safe, and the next few hours decide how much you can save and who ends up paying.

This guide gives you the first steps in order, then shows you how to work out which of the four common causes you are dealing with, because the cause decides who pays and how the cleanup has to be done.

What to do if your basement floods

1. Stay out until the power is off. If you can turn off the main power from a dry location, do it. If you would have to enter standing water to reach the switch, call an electrician instead. The CDC is clear that you should never turn power on or off, or use an electric tool or appliance, while standing in water. Have an electrician check the system before the power goes back on.
2. If you smell gas, leave. The CDC says to turn off the main gas valve, open the windows and leave immediately, then call the gas company, the police or the fire department from outside. Do not turn on lights or do anything that could cause a spark. Do not go back until you are told it is safe.
3. Keep people out of the water. The EPA warns that flood water can contain raw sewage and other hazardous substances. Wear rubber boots and gloves. Ready.gov advises that children should not help with cleanup, and that people with asthma, other lung conditions or a weakened immune system should stay out of buildings with leaks or mold.
4. Stop the water if you safely can. For a burst pipe or a failed appliance line, shut off the main water valve. For the other causes, use the signs below to work out what you are dealing with.
5. Photograph everything before you move it. Take pictures or videos of the water, the source and your damaged belongings. Michigan's insurance regulator, DIFS, also says not to get rid of damaged items until your insurance company tells you to.
6. Call your insurance company and describe what happened. DIFS advises against simply saying it was a flood, because there may be other causes, like a sewer backup or a failing sump pump, that your policy covers. Say what you saw, like “water came up through the floor drain.” DIFS also says to contact your insurer before hiring a contractor and to check the contractor's credentials. Our basement flooding insurance guide explains why. If you think the city sewer caused it, Grand Rapids requires a written claim within 45 days.
7. Get the water out once it is safe. When an electrician has said the power is safe, use a wet-dry shop vacuum, a transfer pump or your sump pump. Keep any gasoline pump or generator outside and at least 20 feet from doors, windows and vents, because carbon monoxide can kill.
8. Dry it as fast as you can. Open windows and doors if the weather allows, and use fans and dehumidifiers, with fans at a window or door blowing air out. The EPA advises discarding anything that has been wet for more than 24 to 48 hours, and the CDC lists wall coverings, cloth, rugs and drywall among the things that cannot be disinfected. Because DIFS says to keep damaged items until your insurer says otherwise, call your insurer early and ask before you throw anything away.

When to call a professional: if the water smells of sewage, if it has reached outlets or appliances, if the basement is finished, if you cannot get it dry within two days, or if you can see or smell mold. Call us on (616) 822-1978, day or night.

Which of the four causes is it?

Most basement floods come from one of four causes. The water can look much the same, but the cause decides who pays, how urgent it is and how the cleanup has to be done.

Cause 1 — Sump Pump Failure

Often a spring problem in West Michigan. The pump has little to do all winter, then the thaw arrives and the discharge line is frozen, the float is jammed or the check valve has cracked.

How to identify it: the water is usually highest near the sump pit, and the pit is full to the rim. The pump is silent, or you can hear it humming without moving water.

Insurance outcome: usually excluded under a standard homeowners policy. It usually needs a water backup endorsement. If you have one, the loss is covered up to the endorsement’s limit, minus your deductible. Our guide to whether homeowners insurance covers basement flooding explains each case. Full sump pump failure guide here.

Cause 2 — Sewer Backup

Sewer backups happen because the city main is overloaded, tree roots have got into your line, or grease and wet wipes have blocked it. Water rises through the lowest drain in the house, usually the basement floor drain or toilet. Treat it as a biohazard (Category 3).

How to identify it: the smell of raw sewage is hard to miss. Water comes up through floor drains and toilets rather than the sump pit, and it is often dark or has visible solids.

Why this one is more serious: sewage carries germs, and porous materials it touches, like carpet and drywall, often cannot be saved. This is not a job to do yourself. See our Grand Rapids sewage cleanup page.

Insurance outcome: same as sump pump. It usually needs a water backup endorsement, so check that your limit is high enough. If a public sewer caused it, you may also be able to claim against the city, but the 45-day written deadline is strict.

Cause 3 — Foundation Seepage

This one catches many homeowners out. After heavy rain or snowmelt on wet ground, water finds its way through the joint between the wall and the floor, through cracks in the wall, or up through the slab. The homeowner often thinks the sump pump failed, but the pump is running fine.

How to identify it: the water is wettest along the outside walls, especially at corners and where the wall meets the floor. The sump pump is running normally, and it started after heavy rain.

Insurance outcome: usually not covered. Standard homeowners policies exclude ground and surface water, and a backup endorsement does not help. Flood insurance only applies if there was a wider flood covering at least two acres or two properties, so seepage alone is often covered by neither.

Cause 4 — Burst Supply Line

A copper line, a PEX fitting or a washing machine hose ruptures. The water starts out clean and the source is usually obvious. Category 1 at the start, but it can get worse the longer it sits.

How to identify it: water is dripping or pouring from the ceiling, a wall or a plumbing fixture. It is clear with no smell.

Insurance outcome: sudden water from a burst pipe is usually covered by a standard homeowners policy, minus your deductible. This is the one of the four most likely to be covered without an endorsement.

Costs vary a lot with the cause and how much of the basement is affected. Our pricing guide gives typical ranges.

What the Restoration Actually Does

Whatever the cause, professional water damage restoration follows the same basic order under IICRC S500. The cause changes which materials can be saved and how we protect the crew.

Phase 1 — Inspection & Categorization

We document the source, classify the water, map wet surfaces with a thermal camera and moisture meter, and write the scope. Photos go into the Xactimate file so your insurance company can see the damage before anything is removed.

Phase 2 — Extraction & Material Decisions

Truck-mount extractors pull out the standing water. Then we decide what can be dried in place and what has to go. Fast response on clean water usually saves more. Porous materials touched by sewage usually cannot be saved.

Phase 3 — Structural Drying

Commercial dehumidifiers and air movers are placed to suit the space. We take daily moisture readings until the wet materials match the dry areas of the home.

Phase 4 — Reconstruction

Once everything is confirmed dry, reconstruction begins: drywall, insulation, baseboard, paint and flooring. Because we hold a Michigan Builder License (#2101187907), the rebuild can be contracted through us with no separate contractor handoff.

If your contractor is not taking daily moisture readings, they cannot show you the structure is dry. Ask to see the numbers.

Two Mistakes That Make Things Worse

1. Running a flooded furnace. If your heating and cooling system got wet, the CDC says to have it checked and cleaned before you turn it on. Turning on a mold-contaminated system spreads mold through the house.

2. Running gas equipment inside. Never run a generator, gasoline pump or pressure washer in the basement, or anywhere in the home or garage, even with the windows open. Carbon monoxide builds up quickly, and you cannot see or smell it.

If Your Basement Is Dry Right Now

Look at your insurance declarations page for a water backup or sump discharge endorsement. If it is not listed, ask your agent about adding it. The CDC also suggests a sump pump with backup power, and backflow valves or plugs on drains and other sewer connections. In Grand Rapids, call 311 and ask whether your home qualifies for the city's backwater valve program.

Have your sump pump checked before the spring thaw. Our Grand Rapids water damage restoration page explains what to expect on a typical job, and our general water damage page covers the rest of West Michigan.

Frequently Asked Questions