Ann Arbor particulars
Ann Arbor's public works page gives one number for four problems: for sanitary sewer back-ups, sewage leaks, plugged storm drains or basement flooding, call 734.794.6320 on weekdays from 7:30 to 5:30, and after hours call the Water Treatment Plant at 734.994.2840. Public Works is at 4251 Stone School Road. The same page says all stormwater is discharged untreated to the Huron River and its tributaries, which matters if you are pumping out a basement and wonder where the water goes.
The city has 121,179 residents, 64.3 percent of homes predate 1980, and the median home is worth $435,100, the highest among the 30 largest cities. Washtenaw County was named in the 2021 storm declaration, DR-4607, and again in the April 2026 one, DR-4925. Building permits come from Building, Rental and Inspection Services at 301 E. Huron St, 734-794-6263, a line the city lists among its staff numbers, so confirm it before you call.
We can cite neither a footing drain disconnection page nor a fire-repair permit rule for the city, so ask the building department. Ypsilanti, South Lyon and Wayne are the nearest places we cover.
Flooded basement in Ann Arbor: what to know
Call 734.794.6320 on weekdays from 7:30 to 5:30, and the Water Treatment Plant at 734.994.2840 after hours. The page also says all stormwater goes untreated to the Huron River and its tributaries. Washtenaw County is in the April 2026 declaration, DR-4925, as well as the 2021 one.
If sewage was involved and a public system may be at fault, written notice within 45 days of discovery is the statutory step, and the call to public works is where you start the record.
We can cite no footing drain disconnection page.
Ask the public works dispatcher for the date and time of the call and the name of the person who answered. Those details turn a phone call into a record if you later send a written notice.
Permits for flooded basement in Ann Arbor
Pumping out and drying are not licensed crafts in Michigan, and the maintenance and alteration license lists waterproofing a basement as a craft, so a company that waterproofs for pay on a one- or two-family home needs that license from $600 of work.
Many cities run their own building department, so start by asking the City of Ann Arbor building department who issues restoration permits.
When a flooded basement cannot wait
- Water is above the outlets, the furnace or the panel.
- Water came up through a floor drain or toilet.
- Water is still rising.
- You smell gas or fuel.
- A damp floor with no standing water after a storm, once the source is clear. Photograph it and start drying.
- Seepage that has stopped and left the carpet wet but nothing electrical in it.
Your first hour in a flooded basement
Try this first: call the public works line, write down who answered, then call your insurer.
- Smell gas? Leave and call 911, then DTE at (800) 947-5000 or Consumers Energy at 800-477-5050. Never go back for anything.
- Do not go down the stairs if water covers outlets, the furnace or the panel. MiReady says not to touch electrical equipment that is wet or while standing in water, and underground power lines can charge floodwater.
- If the water came up a drain or toilet, treat it as sewage, because MDHHS says floodwater can carry bacteria and raw sewage. Run no water in the house, since every flush and every load of laundry sends more down the same pipe.
- Photograph the water line from the stairs before anything is pumped, then call your insurer and say you have water damage.
- Request a company on the form next. Run generators only outdoors, away from windows, and keep children out of the cleanup.
- If you have a private well, MDHHS says to test the well water after a flood; its hotline is 844-934-1315.
What flooded basement costs
The estimate below is the Michigan-wide one, adjusted for Michigan wages and not for Ann Arbor in particular. The same table is on the flooded basement page. How we estimate costs. Prices as of Oct 19, 2026.
| Item | Figure | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated range, not a quote | $1,700 to $8,900 per job | Built from 2 national published ranges, adjusted by the Michigan hazardous materials removal worker median wage ratio (0.94). No Michigan restoration company price is shown, because none of the companies we looked at published a price we could count. |
| Estimated range per square foot, not a quote | $3 to $13 per square foot | Built from one national published range, adjusted by the Michigan hazardous materials removal worker median wage ratio (0.94). No Michigan restoration company price is shown, because none of the companies we looked at published a price we could count. |
| Hazardous materials removal worker wage, Michigan median | $22.30 an hour (middle half of workers: $19.66 to $26.65) | What the nearest federal occupation is paid (BLS May 2025, read through O*NET OnLine), not what you are charged. BLS has no water or fire restoration occupation. |
| Same occupation, Detroit-Warren-Dearborn median | $22.30 an hour (middle half: $19.83 to $27.17) | Pay, not price. Mapping to restoration crews is our inference. |
| Same occupation, Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood median | $21.82 an hour (middle half: $19.66 to $27.50) | Pay, not price. |
| DIFS flood cost illustration, 1,000 sq ft slab home | $10,600 for 1 inch of water; $20,150 for 6 inches; $27,150 for 1 foot | DIFS marks this table illustrative only, not for estimating real losses. |
| NFIP claims paid in Michigan since 2021 | 780 of 1,105 claims paid; mean about $23,800, median about $10,900 | Our own calculation from OpenFEMA records, not a FEMA statement. Insured claims only. |
How we estimate costs: the Estimated range row is a model, not a quote. It takes 2 published national ranges for this job (cost guides from third-party sites that we have not verified and do not cite) and multiplies them by Michigan's hazardous materials removal worker median wage ratio to the US (0.94, BLS May 2025 data read through O*NET OnLine), the nearest federal occupation to a restoration crew. The wage rows in the table are what that occupation is paid, which is not a price. Restoration is priced from measured damage and equipment and is often paid by an insurer, so a real quote can land outside the range. We have not collected quotes, and we found no Michigan restoration company that publishes a price we could count. Full method.
Questions about flooded basement
Who do I contact if my basement is flooded in Michigan?
Your insurer, a restoration company, and your city's public works if the water is sewage. Public works numbers are on the city pages where we found them, such as Dearborn and Ann Arbor. For a sewage backup, remember the 45-day written notice if you may claim against the city or county.
Does homeowners insurance pay for a flooded basement in Michigan?
Not automatically: DIFS says flood damage is typically not covered unless you bought flood insurance, and water and sewer backup is not automatically covered. Tell your insurer you have water damage, because rain intrusion, sewer backup or a failing sump pump may be covered.
How much does flooded basement cleanup cost in Michigan?
Our estimate is $1,700 to $8,900 per job, or $3 to $13 per square foot. It is a model, not a quote and not a Michigan company price. DIFS's illustration for a 1,000 square foot slab home runs from $10,600 for 1 inch of water to $27,150 for 1 foot, and DIFS marks it as not for estimating real losses. The widely repeated $25,000 per inch figure appears on no FEMA or DIFS page we can point to, so we do not use it.