Water Damage Restoration
Extraction, structural drying and moisture verification after burst pipes, appliance failures and basement flooding.
Learn more →Three different water problems
Boulder produces three distinct water losses and they are handled, and paid for, differently.
Flood water from Boulder Creek, the canyon drainages, or a burn-scar debris flow above town. Category 3 by classification — it has run over roads and ground and is contaminated regardless of how it looks. Porous material is removed rather than dried. Coverage comes from a separate flood policy, not your homeowners policy. Detail is on the flood cleanup page.
Burst supply lines in winter. Clean Category 1 water, usually covered, and the best case for material salvage if extraction starts fast. Boulder's altitude produces an aggressive freeze-thaw cycle, and the older housing on University Hill and in the core has the least protected plumbing in the city.
Snowmelt and groundwater in spring. Slow, persistent, arriving through slab cracks and cove joints rather than as a visible flood. Usually excluded from coverage, and usually the one that produces mold because it sits unnoticed for weeks.
What the work involves
Inspection and classification first — IICRC category and drying class, which set both the method and the price. Then extraction, then structural drying with air movers and dehumidifiers sized to the space and daily moisture readings taken against a baseline from unaffected material.
For flood and sewage water, decontamination replaces drying for anything porous: carpet and pad out, drywall cut above the high-water line, wet insulation out, particleboard out. Hard surfaces cleaned and disinfected. Only the framing and substrate that remains gets dried.
Verification before close-up, then rebuild.
Boulder-specific timing problems
The winter break gap is the big one. University Hill and the surrounding rental stock empties out over exactly the weeks when hard freezes are most likely. A line that splits on December 28 in an empty house is not found until January 10, by which point it is a mold remediation job rather than a drying job — the 24 to 48 hour window closed two weeks earlier.
Landlords and absent owners should set the thermostat no lower than 55°F, shut off and drain exterior hose bibs, and have someone physically check the property. A water alarm in the mechanical room costs very little.
Cost
Boulder runs at the top of the Front Range range, typically $1,500 to $10,000 or more, driven by home values, finish levels and older housing stock. Burst pipe cleanup typically $1,000 to $4,000 plus plumbing repair; finished basement flooding $2,500 to $10,000 or more. Full tables are in the cost guide.
Coverage
All Boulder ZIP codes are covered, and other local services are listed on the Boulder hub. Insurance detail is in the claims guide. Neighboring cities: Longmont and Westminster.
More services
Explore our other services
Fire & Smoke Damage
Soot removal, odor control and cleanup of the firefighting water that usually does more damage than the flames.
Learn more →Mold Remediation
Containment, removal and moisture-source correction when water sat long enough for mold to take hold.
Learn more →Storm & Hail Damage
Roof tarping, water intrusion cleanup and documentation after Front Range hail and wind events.
Learn more →Sewage Cleanup
Category 3 backups handled with containment, full removal of porous materials and disinfection.
Learn more →Structural Drying
Air movers, dehumidifiers and daily moisture readings until framing, subfloor and drywall hit dry standard.
Learn more →
FAQs
Frequently asked questions
The water came from Boulder Creek. Is that a normal claim?
No, and this is the most important distinction in Boulder. Water arriving across the ground surface is a flood, and standard homeowners policies exclude flood. That claim goes to an NFIP or private flood policy if you carry one. The restoration work happens either way; who pays is a separate question.
My rental's pipes froze over winter break. What now?
Shut the main, cut power to affected areas, photograph everything before touching it, and get extraction started the same day. Then check the policy language about unoccupied properties and heating — carriers sometimes contest claims where a property was left unheated, so being able to show the thermostat setting matters.
How long does drying take at altitude?
Slightly faster than lower down, all else equal, because the air is drier. A contained clean-water room is typically two to three days, and a saturated basement five to seven. The variable that matters more is how long the water sat before extraction started.
Is snowmelt in my basement covered?
Usually not. Groundwater and surface water entering a foundation is generally excluded from standard policies, the same as flood. Sewer and drain backup needs its own endorsement. A burst supply line is the version that is typically covered.
Free, no-obligation