Overview: Damage Restoration Services
Water damage keeps spreading while you decide what to do. A pipe freezes and splits in an outside wall, an ice dam pushes meltwater under the shingles, or a summer storm backs the sewer up through the floor drain. Within a day, the drywall has wicked it up and the subfloor has begun to swell. Crews in this trade are paid to move fast: pump it out, dry it and tear out what can't be saved.
Drying is a measured job. Expect moisture readings on the first visit, a target taken from dry material elsewhere in the house, and a daily log until the wet areas match. Health Canada notes that a house dried fast is less likely to grow mould. It also says to skip bleach and not to test the air for mould.
Your insurance decides a lot of what comes next, so sort out the coverage early. Fire is its own trade, with soot that eats at metal and smoke odour that lives in the framing.
Our listings show what each company states on its own website about water, fire and mould work. Browse your province, then your city, to find cleanup crews that serve your area.
Damage restoration costs in Canada
Match the price to the loss: local water mitigation, sewage cleanup, smoke treatment and rebuilding are different stages and scopes.
| Service | Planning budget | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Local clean-water extraction and drying | C$1,500–C$3,500per small affected area | A localized supply-pipe or appliance leak, with extraction, drying and necessary limited tear-out specified.This is initial mitigation. Confirm the equipment days, monitoring and tear-out included; repairing the leak and rebuilding finishes are separate. A mitigation package may already include call-out, equipment and monitoring. Do not add those charges again without checking the written scope.What this estimate coversIncludes in this budget: Agreed extraction and drying work; Necessary limited removal within the mitigation scope Budget separately or confirm: Reconstruction and upgrades; Sewage contamination or wider hidden damage |
| Localized sewage-backup cleanup | C$1,500–C$4,000per small affected area | A minor localized sewage backup, with removal of contaminated water, sanitizing and the required drying scope.A flooded basement or sewage-soaked walls need a larger assessed scope. Drain repair, contents work and rebuilding are separate.What this estimate coversIncludes in this budget: Specified extraction and sanitizing; Agreed drying work Budget separately or confirm: Full-basement contamination and extensive material removal; Sewer repair, contents restoration and rebuilding |
| Smoke and soot cleanup | C$2,000–C$15,000per assessed cleanup project | Clean smoke-affected surfaces and treat residual odour, with the affected rooms and treatment method listed.The affected rooms and penetration of smoke drive the total. Confirm whether ducts and belongings are included; this does not rebuild fire-damaged structures.What this estimate coversIncludes in this budget: Specified surface cleaning; Agreed odour treatment Budget separately or confirm: Structural rebuilding and suppression-water repairs; Unlisted ductwork, contents and storage services |
| Wallboard reinstatement after drying | C$2–C$4.50per square foot of wallboard surface | Supply and finish replacement wallboard after the affected assembly is dry and ready to close.Measured wallboard area, not floor area. Small jobs have minimum charges; demolition, insulation, painting and structural repairs are separate.What this estimate coversIncludes in this budget: Standard board supply and hanging; Taping, mudding and sanding Budget separately or confirm: Removal, disposal, paint and texture; Insulation, flooring, cabinetry and structural repair |
| Major fire or flood reconstruction | Scope-based quoteper assessed reconstruction project | Rebuild damaged rooms or structures after mitigation, with the repair boundary, trades and finish schedule agreed.Get a separate reconstruction estimate after the damage scope is agreed. Cleanup or rebuild preparation is not the price of a finished home. A complete rebuild needs a room-by-room damage scope, structural and trade assessments, salvage decisions and an agreed finish schedule. Ask for mitigation and reconstruction totals separately.What this estimate coversIncludes in this budget: Itemized rebuilding scope; Named structural, trade and finish allowances Budget separately or confirm: Unlisted upgrades or hidden damage; Temporary accommodation and separately insured contents |
What changes the price
- Clean water, sewage or smoke and the rooms or materials affected
- Equipment days, contents handling and concealed contamination
- Structural damage, trade repairs and the agreed rebuilding finish
Ask before accepting a quote
- What emergency work am I authorizing, and what is its spending limit?
- Which equipment days, monitoring visits and disposal are included, and what stops further billing?
- What separate totals cover mitigation, belongings and reconstruction, and what approvals does my insurer require?
Keep each stage visible
- Approve the immediate mitigation scope and spending limit, then obtain a separate rebuilding estimate once damage is assessed.
- Keep equipment logs, moisture records and approved changes; direct billing does not establish what your policy covers.
Canadian context
Coverage depends on the policy and cause of damage; confirm the deductible, limits and approvals with your insurer.
Planning amounts in Canadian dollars. Published tax treatment varies; confirm applicable taxes and the final total in your written quote. Rows can be different services, alternative packages or separately priced extras. Add only work that is needed and not already included in your quote.
Frequently asked questions
What matters in the first hours?
Stop the water, cut power to wet areas if you can do it safely, and get standing water out. Photograph every damaged item before it moves, and keep every receipt from the cleanup, as the Insurance Bureau of Canada advises. Call your insurer early. Then pull up soaked carpet and baseboards so air can reach the walls.
Does home insurance cover a flooded basement?
Only if you have the right coverage. The Insurance Bureau of Canada says a standard home policy typically doesn't cover sewer backup or overland flooding. Both are optional, and overland coverage may be limited or unavailable in high-risk flood areas. Ask your broker which kind of water your loss counts as before the crew writes its scope of work.
What has to be thrown out?
Anything porous that floodwater soaked. Health Canada's flood cleanup list includes insulation, drywall, carpets, particleboard furniture, mattresses, box springs, pillows and stuffed toys. Clean water caught early leaves far more to save. Skip the bleach, which Health Canada says isn't needed. Children, pregnant women and people with breathing problems should never handle sewage-soaked material.
Do I have to use the restoration company my insurer suggests?
No. The Insurance Bureau of Canada is plain about it: you're not obligated to use a company your insurer recommends. Insurers suggest their own contractors partly because they can vouch for the work, and many guarantee it. If you pick your own, talk to the adjuster first about how much of the estimate the insurer will cover, and get the contractor's quote in writing.
What can I do if my insurer lowballs the claim?
Start with the insurer's own complaint process and ask for its final answer in writing. If that doesn't settle it and your insurer is a member, the General Insurance OmbudService offers free, independent help with home insurance disputes. In Quebec, your insurer's final answer must tell you that you can have the file sent to the AMF, which may offer free mediation. That route doesn't take away your right to sue, and it doesn't stop the clock on a lawsuit.
