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Guides

What drying out a basement costs

Bob Vila puts one inch of clean water in a basement at $500 to $1,500, and two feet of black water at $2,800 or more.1 Whole jobs in three national guides run roughly $1,200 to $5,700.2,3,1

Last reviewed October 24, 20269 sources, numbered in the textSee sources

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Published ranges

National figures to sanity-check a quote

We found no sourced price list for Salt Lake City. These guides disagree a little and measure slightly different things.

Typical total, three published guides

  • Thumbtack2 Oct 2026$1,215–$4,387
  • Fixr3 Jan 2025$1,200–$5,000
  • Bob Vila1 May 2023$1,305–$5,707

Accent mark = the guide's stated average. They include different work, which is why they disagree.

Per square foot, by water category

Bob Vila1Thumbtack2
Category 1, clean$3–$4$3.75
Category 2$4–$6.50$4.50
Category 3$7–$7.50$7
$450–$600Drying and cleanup only, national benchmark, not a quote.

Category is the biggest lever on price, so ask any company what it assigned and why.1,2

For scale only: the average paid US water-damage and freezing claim was $15,400 across 2019 to 2023, including repair and rebuilding.4

Checking out whoever answers

Ask these before work starts

Salt Lake City's own flood page recommends hiring contractors who hold a license and insurance.5

  1. Their Utah contractor license number, verified with the Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL). Utah law prohibits acting as, or representing oneself to be, a contractor without the required license or an exemption.6
  2. Which license covers the work. We found no source that settles whether drying-only work needs a license in Utah, so ask them and confirm with DOPL.
  3. The water category they assigned, and what they found.7
  4. A written, line-item estimate before work starts.8
  5. That permanent repairs wait until your insurer has inspected.9

Look up a license: Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL)

How this works

What happens when you call

It is free to call, and calling commits you to nothing.

  1. A woman on the phone at the foot of the basement stairs, looking at a wet patch on the carpet.
    1

    You call

    Tell them what happened and where. Have the address ready.

  2. 2

    We connect you

    A call network puts you through to an independent local restoration company that serves Salt Lake City and is taking calls.

  3. A technician crouches by a basement floor drain, explaining what she sees to the homeowner beside her.
    3

    They assess and quote

    If you want a visit, they look at the damage and quote their own price. Ask for it in writing.

We are a free referral service, not a contractor. The company that answers sets its own prices. How this service works

An older couple on the front step of their brick rambler talk with a technician, the Wasatch peaks behind them.

Want a local company to look at it?

Free to call. An independent restoration company that serves Salt Lake City answers, and you decide what happens next.

Call (801) 577-3288

Salt Lake Water Damage Advice is a free referral and information service, not a contractor. Calls go through our call-tracking line to independent local restoration companies, and we may be paid when a call qualifies. We do not do the work and do not set prices or availability. How it works

Sources

Each numbered note on this page points here. We read every page on October 24, 2026. Where sources disagree we say so; where we could not find a source we left the claim out. We are not affiliated with any of these organizations.

  1. Bob Vila, Rochel Maday, "How Much Does Water Damage Restoration Cost?". Last updated May 30, 2023. www.bobvila.com/articles/water-damage-restoration-cost/
  2. Thumbtack, 2026 Water Damage Restoration Cost. Last updated October 23, 2026. www.thumbtack.com/p/water-damage-restoration-cost Thumbtack is a marketplace that sells leads to contractors. Its per-square-foot figures are attributed to National Flood Services.
  3. Fixr.com, Water Damage Restoration Cost. Updated January 31, 2025. www.fixr.com/costs/water-damage-restoration Fixr's range includes drywall and ceiling repair, not only drying.
  4. Triple-I (Insurance Information Institute), Facts + Statistics: Homeowners and renters insurance. Figures for 2019-2023 (citing ISO). www.iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-homeowners-and-renters-insurance
  5. Salt Lake City Corporation, Rose Park Neighborhood Flooding. Storm of October 3-4 (year not shown in the text we read). www.slc.gov/em/rose-park-neighborhood-flooding/
  6. Utah Legislature, Utah Code 58-55-501, Unlawful conduct (version effective May 12, 2020). Version effective May 12, 2020; the site labels it superseded January 1, 2027. le.utah.gov/xcode/Title58/Chapter55/C58-55-S501_2020051220200512.html
  7. IICRC, ANSI/IICRC S500 Consensus Body Issues Position Statement on Category of Water Damage and Weather-Related Events (press release). March 16, 2026. iicrc.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Weather-Related-Water-Damage-Position-PR_March-2026.p…
  8. Triple-I (Insurance Information Institute), Settling insurance claims after a disaster. No date shown (page copyright 2026). www.iii.org/article/settling-insurance-claims-after-a-disaster
  9. Utah Insurance Department, Home Claims Information. No date shown. insurance.utah.gov/consumers/home-insurance/home-claims-info/
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