Flood Restoration near you

Get Prepared advises not returning home until authorities say it's safe, because flood-damaged buildings may be structurally unsafe. Once you're allowed back, electricity is the main danger. Ontario's Electrical Safety Authority says not to enter a basement where the water is above the outlets, baseboard heaters or furnace, or near the electrical panel, and to have the local utility disconnect the power. It then advises hiring a Licensed Electrical Contractor to check the system and decide whether the utility can restore service. In Quebec, Hydro-Québec's rules for flooded installations apply, as explained on our water damage restoration page.

In a flooded basement, extraction means more than water. Floodwater leaves mud and silt behind, and it has to be shovelled and washed out before any drying can start. When the ground outside is still waterlogged, crews usually lower a deep flood in stages rather than all at once, since pressure from saturated soil can push on foundation walls once the water inside is gone.

Moisture mapping is how a crew proves the house is dry. The technician sketches each affected room, takes readings in drywall, framing, subfloor and concrete, marks the wet zones and repeats the readings through the drying period, comparing them with unaffected parts of the house. Concrete slabs and block walls hold a lot of water and give it up slowly, which is why a flooded basement often needs longer drying than a leak upstairs. Health Canada recommends professional help when floodwater has reached wall, ceiling or floor cavities that ordinary methods can't dry out.

Floodwater picks up sewage, fuel, farm and road runoff and debris on its way in, so everything it touched is treated as contaminated. Health Canada's flood clean-up advice is to remove and discard water-soaked flooring, to take out finished walls completely if the water was several feet high or the walls stayed wet for 48 hours or more, and to dispose of furniture and household items exposed to floodwater that can't be dried.

A flood claim turns on how the water got in. The Insurance Bureau of Canada describes flood coverage and sewer backup coverage as optional additions to a home policy, so a basement filled by a rising river and one filled through a floor drain can be handled very differently. Ask your broker which coverage applies before you sign a restoration contract.

The Insurance Bureau of Canada also notes that your policy requires you to act to limit further damage. During a regional flood the adjuster may be days away, and pumping and tear-out can't wait that long, so the answer is to document as the work goes.

Quebec's General Financial Assistance Program Regarding Disasters covers owners and tenants of a principal residence after flooding from torrential rain, ice jams or snowmelt. It is last-resort help: Québec.ca says to contact your insurer before applying, to identify yourself as a disaster victim with your municipality, and to keep receipts and photos of the damage. A sewer backup or water infiltration qualifies only when a nearby watercourse overflowed, and households whose insurance covers the disaster aren't eligible.

In Ontario, Disaster Recovery Assistance for Ontarians opens only after a sudden natural event, such as a flood, that causes costly and widespread damage, and only in the areas where it has been activated. Eligible costs include cleanup, repairing or replacing essential property and basic emergency expenses such as evacuation travel. Other provinces run their own disaster financial assistance programs, so check your provincial emergency management website after a declared flood.

With walls open and floors bare, the rebuild after a flood is the easiest time to add protection. Pair the restoration with the upgrades that address how the water got in, and confirm with your insurer whether they affect your coverage.