Water Damage Restoration

We dispatch from our Greenwich HQ at 12 Livingston Pl C within minutes of your call. Typical arrival times: Greenwich and Old Greenwich 15-25 min, Stamford and Cos Cob 20-30 min, Darien and Westport 30-45 min, Norwalk and New Canaan 30-50 min, broader Fairfield County 45-60 min. Westchester arrival times depend on traffic but generally 30-60 minutes from our HQ. During major storm events, response can be slower due to road conditions — we factor this into dispatch and give you a realistic estimate.

Most homeowner policies cover sudden-and-accidental water damage as a standard peril. Common causes — burst pipes, appliance failures, sudden storm intrusion, ice-dam interior water — are covered. Gradual leaks, surface flood from rivers or rising groundwater, and pre-existing damage are typically excluded. We bill 18 carriers directly. See our insurance/direct-billing/ page for the complete carrier list and our CT Water Damage Insurance Claim Guide for the full claim process.

Category 1 (clean water) single-room loss: 3-5 days of drying. Category 1 multi-room or basement-scale: 5-7 days. Category 2 (gray water): 5-10 days including antimicrobial dwell time. Category 3 (black water / sewage): 10-21 days minimum with biohazard demolition, full IICRC S520 containment if mold is involved, and third-party clearance verification. Reconstruction phase (if demolition was required) is an additional 1-4 weeks depending on scope. Final claim payment typically lands within 7-14 days of scope approval.

For limited-area Category 1 losses confined to a basement or single room, no — you can remain in the home. For multi-room losses, Category 2 or Category 3 events, or losses combined with active fire or smoke restoration, displacement is often necessary. Your homeowner policy typically pays for temporary housing, restaurant meals, and other displacement costs under Additional Living Expense (ALE) coverage — keep all receipts. We help document ALE expenses for your claim.

IICRC S500 classification of water by source and contamination. Category 1 (clean): water from a sanitary source — supply line, rain, refrigerator. Category 2 (gray): water containing significant contamination — washing machine discharge, dishwasher overflow, sump pump discharge. Category 3 (black): grossly contaminated water — sewage backup, toilet overflow, rising surface water from rivers or storm drains. Higher categories require more PPE, demolition of porous materials, antimicrobial treatment of all remaining surfaces, and biohazard disposal — significantly increasing scope and cost.

For very small losses — a kitchen leak caught immediately, perhaps — homeowner DIY drying with rented consumer equipment is feasible. For anything multi-room, multi-day, or involving Category 2 or 3 water, the equipment and documentation requirements quickly exceed what consumer rentals deliver. The bigger issue: insurance carriers generally do not accept undocumented DIY drying as proof of S500-compliant mitigation, which can complicate or void coverage on any follow-on mold claim. If the loss is covered, professional restoration billed to your carrier is almost always the right path.

Signs include: musty smell, peeling paint or wallpaper, ceiling stains, warped or cupping hardwood, soft drywall when pressed gently, elevated water bills suggesting an active leak, efflorescence (white powder) on basement walls indicating water moving through the foundation, condensation on water pipes, mold spotting on baseboards or behind furniture. We offer free on-site assessment using FLIR thermal imaging and calibrated moisture meters across Fairfield and Westchester to identify hidden moisture before it becomes a mold problem.

Highly variable based on water category, affected square footage, materials involved, and finish quality. Typical residential ranges: Category 1 single-room, $1,500-$4,000. Category 1 finished basement, $4,000-$12,000. Category 2 multi-room, $6,000-$18,000. Category 3 sewage backup, $15,000-$50,000+. High-end Greenwich, Darien, or Westport homes with premium finishes (plaster walls, custom hardwood, slate trim) restore at a 15-25% premium because the matching materials and craftsmanship cost more. Our cost calculator at /cost-calculator/ gives a localized estimate using Xactimate-style pricing.

We handle the full water damage restoration scope — mitigation, drying, antimicrobial treatment, demolition where required, and reconstruction back to pre-loss condition. We bill the entire scope directly to your carrier. For specialty trades outside our scope (plumbing repair of the originally failed pipe, electrical work, custom millwork on premium finishes), we coordinate with established Fairfield and Westchester trades and the scope is invoiced through your claim as a unified project.