Cost guide
What water, mold and fire remediation costs in the DC area
Every price range from our service pages in one table. Filter by the kind of damage, sort by price, and open any service to see what drives its cost.
Most water damage jobs in DC homes fall somewhere between a few hundred dollars for a small, clean leak and five figures for a flooded, finished basement with sewage. Mold remediation follows the size of the containment, and fire jobs follow how far smoke traveled. The ranges below are typical DC-area figures, not quotes; we price each job after we see it and take readings.
Price ranges for every service
Tap a kind of damage to narrow the list, or sort by price. Each service name opens its page with the full breakdown.
Showing all 148 price ranges.
| Service | Job size or scope | Typical range |
|---|---|---|
| Water Damage Restoration | One room, Category 1, carpet or vinyl | $1,240-$3,480 |
| Water Damage Restoration | Finished basement, Category 2, partial flood cuts | $3,150-$7,860 |
| Water Damage Restoration | Two floors wet from above, Class 3, ceilings opened | $6,720-$14,850 |
| Water Damage Restoration | Category 3 basement, full tear-out and sanitizing | $8,390-$21,600 |
| Emergency Water Removal | Small area under 200 sq ft, hard floors | $385-$960 |
| Emergency Water Removal | One room of wall-to-wall carpet and pad | $720-$1,840 |
| Emergency Water Removal | Basement with 1 to 3 inches of standing water | $1,460-$3,880 |
| Emergency Water Removal | Multi-room basement with heavy contents to move | $2,270-$5,190 |
| Burst Pipe Cleanup | One wall cavity and the floor beneath it | $940-$2,380 |
| Burst Pipe Cleanup | Kitchen exterior wall, cabinets pulled | $2,360-$5,640 |
| Burst Pipe Cleanup | Second-floor break, ceiling below opened | $3,280-$8,170 |
| Burst Pipe Cleanup | Rear addition or crawl space, insulation out | $2,870-$6,920 |
| Flooded Basement Cleanup | Unfinished basement, clean groundwater | $1,380-$3,260 |
| Flooded Basement Cleanup | Finished basement, stairwell overflow, carpet out | $3,640-$8,270 |
| Flooded Basement Cleanup | English basement apartment, sewer backup | $7,850-$18,900 |
| Ceiling Leak Damage | Small stain, cavity dried in place | $480-$1,290 |
| Ceiling Leak Damage | Drywall ceiling section removed and dried | $1,170-$2,840 |
| Ceiling Leak Damage | Plaster ceiling taken down in one room, lead-safe | $2,640-$6,350 |
| Ceiling Leak Damage | Top-floor ceiling plus wet attic insulation | $3,180-$7,460 |
| Condo Water Damage | One unit, ceiling and one wall from above | $1,320-$3,740 |
| Condo Water Damage | Bathroom and hallway, floating floor removed | $2,450-$6,180 |
| Condo Water Damage | Leak through two or three stacked units | $5,860-$15,300 |
| Appliance Leak Cleanup | Washer or dishwasher leak, one room, no ceiling below | $1,180-$2,940 |
| Appliance Leak Cleanup | Water heater failure in a finished basement | $2,460-$6,350 |
| Appliance Leak Cleanup | Upper-floor leak reaching the ceiling below | $2,870-$7,420 |
| Appliance Leak Cleanup | Attic condensate overflow into a bedroom ceiling | $1,640-$4,280 |
| Wet Carpet Drying | One bedroom, clean water, dried in place | $640-$1,580 |
| Wet Carpet Drying | Finished basement rec room, clean water | $1,420-$3,360 |
| Wet Carpet Drying | Gray water, carpet and pad removed, subfloor dried | $1,870-$4,640 |
| Wet Carpet Drying | Whole floor with walls and ceiling below involved | $3,250-$8,180 |
| Storm & Flood Cleanup | Window well or areaway flood, part of one basement room | $1,540-$3,870 |
| Storm & Flood Cleanup | Full basement flood with outside floodwater | $4,260-$11,950 |
| Storm & Flood Cleanup | Roof breach with emergency tarp and two ceilings dried | $2,930-$7,680 |
| Storm & Flood Cleanup | Wind-driven rain through a wall, framing and drywall dried | $1,360-$3,540 |
| Structural Drying | One room, drywall and wood subfloor, three to four days | $1,280-$3,140 |
| Structural Drying | Plaster walls and ceiling in two rooms | $2,650-$6,230 |
| Structural Drying | Basement brick or block walls, two to three weeks | $3,480-$8,960 |
| Structural Drying | Whole floor of a rowhouse with cavity injection | $4,870-$12,340 |
| Hardwood Floor Drying | One room of oak strip, clean-water leak | $1,160-$2,840 |
| Hardwood Floor Drying | Two connected rooms with subfloor dried from below | $2,240-$5,170 |
| Hardwood Floor Drying | Whole first floor of a rowhouse, mats plus dehumidification | $3,690-$8,420 |
| Mold Remediation | Small contained area, 10-30 sq ft (closet, under a sink) | $1,180-$2,940 |
| Mold Remediation | One room or wall section with drywall removal | $2,860-$6,450 |
| Mold Remediation | Basement level or several rooms | $5,900-$14,700 |
| Mold Remediation | Attic sheathing or crawl space framing | $3,400-$9,150 |
| Mold Inspection & Testing | Condo or apartment inspection with moisture map | $285-$465 |
| Mold Inspection & Testing | Rowhouse or single-family inspection, all levels | $395-$690 |
| Mold Inspection & Testing | Air sample set: indoor rooms plus outdoor control | $145-$215 per sample |
| Mold Inspection & Testing | Tape-lift or swab surface sample | $85-$135 per sample |
| Black Mold Removal | Tape-lift identification of a dark stain | $85-$135 per sample |
| Black Mold Removal | Drywall section, one wall cavity, with containment | $1,640-$3,870 |
| Black Mold Removal | Ceiling cavity under a condo or bathroom leak | $2,240-$5,180 |
| Black Mold Removal | Basement wall run with bottom plate replacement | $3,950-$8,620 |
| Basement Mold Removal | Unfinished basement: clean masonry, joists and stored items | $1,890-$4,350 |
| Basement Mold Removal | Partial finished basement, one wall run flood-cut | $3,120-$6,840 |
| Basement Mold Removal | Full finished basement or English basement apartment | $6,750-$15,900 |
| Basement Mold Removal | Whole-basement dehumidifier after remediation | $1,480-$2,960 |
| Attic Mold Removal | Localized area around a bath fan, plus duct reroute | $1,260-$2,780 |
| Attic Mold Removal | One roof slope sanded or brushed and HEPA cleaned | $2,950-$5,670 |
| Attic Mold Removal | Full attic, soda or dry-ice blasting | $4,780-$9,340 |
| Attic Mold Removal | Insulation removal and replacement, typical attic | $1,870-$4,420 |
| Bathroom Mold Removal | Ceiling and upper wall growth, cleaned, fan airflow checked | $460-$1,180 |
| Bathroom Mold Removal | Vanity or toilet area subfloor opened and dried | $1,340-$2,870 |
| Bathroom Mold Removal | Tub or shower wall opened behind tile, cavity cleaned | $2,180-$4,960 |
| Bathroom Mold Removal | Full bath floor and walls, failed shower pan | $4,350-$8,790 |
| Crawl Space Mold Remediation | Partial crawl space, up to about 400 sq ft | $1,460-$3,280 |
| Crawl Space Mold Remediation | Full crawl space under a 1,000 to 1,400 sq ft rambler | $3,870-$7,640 |
| Crawl Space Mold Remediation | Heavy growth with insulation and vapor barrier tear-out | $6,920-$12,450 |
| HVAC & Duct Mold Cleaning | Condo fan coil unit, cleaned and treated | $420-$960 |
| HVAC & Duct Mold Cleaning | Air handler: coil, drain pan, blower and condensate line | $640-$1,480 |
| HVAC & Duct Mold Cleaning | Air handler plus HEPA cleaning of a metal duct system | $1,270-$2,860 |
| HVAC & Duct Mold Cleaning | Replacing moldy duct board or flex runs | $2,340-$6,750 |
| Mold Behind Drywall | Small opening, under 10 sq ft of growth | $780-$1,690 |
| Mold Behind Drywall | One wall or a closet, about 10 to 30 sq ft | $1,840-$3,960 |
| Mold Behind Drywall | Several walls in a room, or plaster on lath | $4,120-$8,350 |
| Mold Clearance Testing | One work area, two indoor samples plus outdoor | $385-$640 |
| Mold Clearance Testing | Multi-room job, four to six samples | $590-$1,140 |
| Mold Clearance Testing | Retest after a failed clearance | $260-$520 |
| Fire Damage Restoration | Board-up and roof tarp only | $640-$2,350 |
| Fire Damage Restoration | Small fire, one room, light smoke elsewhere | $3,150-$9,400 |
| Fire Damage Restoration | Moderate fire with hose water, 2 to 4 rooms | $12,800-$38,600 |
| Fire Damage Restoration | Major fire, whole-house cleanup before rebuild | $41,500-$126,000 |
| Emergency Board-Up & Roof Tarping | One or two windows or a single door boarded | $385-$1,140 |
| Emergency Board-Up & Roof Tarping | Flat rowhouse roof opening tarped and weighted | $680-$1,870 |
| Emergency Board-Up & Roof Tarping | Pitched slate or shingle roof tarped after a limb | $940-$2,760 |
| Emergency Board-Up & Roof Tarping | Wall opening from a vehicle framed and sheathed | $1,480-$4,320 |
| Smoke Damage Cleanup | One or two rooms, light dry residue | $880-$2,640 |
| Smoke Damage Cleanup | Whole floor or condo unit, mixed residue | $3,470-$9,850 |
| Smoke Damage Cleanup | Neighbor fire smoke through party wall and attic | $4,260-$14,700 |
| Smoke Damage Cleanup | Duct cleaning add-on after smoke exposure | $590-$1,780 |
| Kitchen Fire Cleanup | Stovetop flare-up, kitchen only | $720-$2,180 |
| Kitchen Fire Cleanup | Burned-pot protein residue, kitchen plus adjacent rooms | $1,640-$4,370 |
| Kitchen Fire Cleanup | Grease fire with hood, cabinets and ceiling | $3,280-$8,960 |
| Kitchen Fire Cleanup | Fire with cabinet removal and whole-unit odor treatment | $7,450-$19,300 |
| Soot Removal | Candle or fireplace soot, one or two rooms | $480-$1,370 |
| Soot Removal | Furnace puffback, whole house with duct cleaning | $2,940-$7,850 |
| Soot Removal | Exposed brick wall cleaning, per wall | $560-$1,620 |
| Soot Removal | Soot after a small fire, several rooms | $1,890-$5,730 |
| Odor Removal | Hydroxyl or fogging treatment, one room, source already removed | $380-$1,150 |
| Odor Removal | Pet urine odor with pad removal and subfloor sealing | $1,240-$3,880 |
| Odor Removal | Whole-house smoke odor treatment after cleaning | $1,960-$5,470 |
| Odor Removal | Musty basement odor with drying and source removal | $1,530-$4,690 |
| Contents Cleaning & Pack-Out | One or two rooms, pack and clean, short storage | $1,180-$3,540 |
| Contents Cleaning & Pack-Out | Condo or small rowhouse, full pack-out | $4,870-$11,600 |
| Contents Cleaning & Pack-Out | Large detached house, full pack-out | $9,350-$24,800 |
| Contents Cleaning & Pack-Out | Monthly storage after cleaning, by volume | $290-$960 |
| Sewage Backup Cleanup | Unfinished basement, floor drain backup, slab only | $1,340-$3,280 |
| Sewage Backup Cleanup | Finished basement room with carpet and drywall removed | $3,170-$7,860 |
| Sewage Backup Cleanup | Full finished basement or English basement apartment | $6,240-$14,580 |
| Toilet Overflow Cleanup | Clean tank or supply line water, bathroom floor only | $480-$1,260 |
| Toilet Overflow Cleanup | Bowl overflow with waste, bathroom cleaned and disinfected | $870-$2,190 |
| Toilet Overflow Cleanup | Upstairs overflow reaching the ceiling below | $1,640-$4,370 |
| Toilet Overflow Cleanup | Long-term wax ring leak with subfloor and ceiling drying | $2,120-$5,480 |
| Rodent Droppings Cleanup | Basement, utility room or under-sink areas | $560-$1,380 |
| Rodent Droppings Cleanup | Attic cleanup with insulation left in place | $1,240-$2,870 |
| Rodent Droppings Cleanup | Full attic insulation removal and disinfection | $3,150-$6,480 |
| Hoarding Cleanup | One room, garage or basement section | $1,180-$3,450 |
| Hoarding Cleanup | Full condo or apartment | $3,640-$9,280 |
| Hoarding Cleanup | Full house across several floors | $8,750-$23,600 |
| Basement Waterproofing | Single wall crack injection, poured concrete | $465-$890 |
| Basement Waterproofing | Downspout extensions and regrading along one side | $380-$1,640 |
| Basement Waterproofing | Stairwell or areaway drain rebuild at a basement door | $1,270-$3,480 |
| Basement Waterproofing | Interior perimeter drain with sump, typical basement | $7,850-$17,900 |
| Sump Pump Installation | Replace pump and check valve in an existing pit | $485-$1,140 |
| Sump Pump Installation | Battery backup pump and alarm added to an existing pit | $780-$1,690 |
| Sump Pump Installation | New pit, pump and discharge line, open basement | $2,680-$5,350 |
| Sump Pump Installation | New pit with short interior drain runs to the problem walls | $4,950-$9,780 |
| Crawl Space Encapsulation | Small crawl under a rear addition or porch | $1,960-$4,370 |
| Crawl Space Encapsulation | Typical crawl space, 600-1,000 sq ft | $5,840-$11,250 |
| Crawl Space Encapsulation | Large or very low crawl with drainage added | $10,900-$18,600 |
| Crawl Space Encapsulation | Crawl space dehumidifier with drain line | $1,680-$2,940 |
| Dehumidifier Installation | Whole-basement unit with gravity drain, open basement | $1,640-$2,780 |
| Dehumidifier Installation | Unit with condensate pump and line through the rim joist | $2,090-$3,360 |
| Dehumidifier Installation | Ducted unit serving a long or divided basement | $2,870-$4,920 |
| Moisture & Leak Detection | Single room or one stain, thermal scan and meter readings | $285-$540 |
| Moisture & Leak Detection | Whole floor or multiple rooms with mapped report | $495-$960 |
| Moisture & Leak Detection | Condo stack survey across units above and below | $780-$1,530 |
| Indoor Air Quality Testing | Walk-through screening: humidity, particulates, VOCs and CO2 | $310-$560 |
| Indoor Air Quality Testing | Screening plus three or four mold spore samples | $520-$890 |
| Indoor Air Quality Testing | Multi-day logging with a follow-up visit | $680-$1,240 |
| Damage Repair & Rebuild | Drywall patch, trim and paint in one room | $1,180-$2,960 |
| Damage Repair & Rebuild | Plaster repair matched to original, one room | $2,240-$5,870 |
| Damage Repair & Rebuild | Finished basement rebuild after flooding | $14,800-$38,500 |
| Damage Repair & Rebuild | Kitchen section: cabinets, flooring and walls | $9,650-$27,400 |
| Insurance Claim Help | Stand-alone moisture survey and photo report | $385-$790 |
| Insurance Claim Help | Itemized repair estimate for an existing loss | $460-$1,180 |
| Insurance Claim Help | Contents inventory with photos, one to two rooms | $540-$1,260 |
| Insurance Claim Help | Adjuster site meeting outside an active job | $215-$395 |
Why the same job can cost twice as much in two houses
Square footage is only the start. The kind of water matters most: a clean supply line leak can often dry in place, while water from a floor drain during a storm is treated as sewage, so carpet, pad and the bottom of the drywall come out and everything left behind gets cleaned and disinfected.
The building matters next. Plaster on lath, oak strip floors and brick walls take longer to dry than drywall over a slab, but saving them usually costs less than replacing them. Finished basements cost more than storage basements because there is more to remove and rebuild. Condo jobs add coordination with management and sometimes more than one unit.
Access and timing add the rest: a rowhouse with one narrow basement stair, equipment that has to run longer in a humid August, or contents that need to be packed out before work can start.
- Water category: clean, gray or sewage
- How long materials stayed wet before drying started
- Plaster, hardwood and masonry versus drywall and slab
- Finished space, cabinets and built-ins to remove
- Contents to move, pack out or clean
- Containment size on mold jobs
How insurance fits into the price
Sudden and accidental damage, such as a burst pipe or a failed washing machine hose, is often covered by homeowners policies, while slow leaks, surface flooding and sewer backups usually need separate coverage or an endorsement. Check your policy and talk with your agent or adjuster about your claim.
Either way, the cost of the work is documented the same way: photos, daily moisture readings and an itemized scope. Our claim documentation page explains what that record includes.
How we price your job
We price after we see the damage, take readings and know what can be dried in place. You get the scope in writing before work starts, and if the readings change the plan once walls are open, we tell you before anything else is removed. To talk through a job now, call (202) 989-3053 any time.
Questions about remediation prices
Why are these shown as ranges instead of one price?
Two jobs with the same name can be very different. A clean water leak in a slab-on-grade family room and a sewer backup in a finished English basement apartment are both water damage, but the second needs removal, disinfection and more drying time. A range shows the usual spread for DC-area homes; your price comes after we see the space and take readings.
Do the ranges include rebuilding walls and floors?
Mitigation ranges cover the cleanup and drying side: extraction, removal of materials that cannot be saved, cleaning and drying. Putting back drywall, plaster, flooring, trim and paint is priced separately because it depends on what you choose to install. Our damage repair and rebuild page has its own ranges.
Is it cheaper to wait and see if a wet wall dries on its own?
Usually not. Drywall, insulation and the back of baseboards can stay wet for weeks behind a surface that feels dry, and mold can start in a few days in warm weather. A short drying job started early often costs less than mold remediation and replacement later, and most policies expect reasonable steps to limit damage.
What makes mold remediation more expensive than water cleanup?
Mold work adds containment: plastic barriers, negative air pressure with HEPA filtration, protective gear and careful bagging of removed material. It also needs the moisture source fixed and dried before closing up, and sometimes clearance testing at the end. The size of the area under containment drives most of the price.
Want a number for your house?
Call (202) 989-3053. We answer 24/7, talk through what happened and set up a visit to take readings and price the work.