Dearborn particulars
Dearborn gives the arithmetic of its floods: the city says its sewer system was built to accommodate three inches of rainfall within 24 hours, and that storms dropped about 5.8 inches in 2014 and 7.5 inches in 2021, causing catastrophic floods. After the June 2021 flood the Economic Development Department received about $27 million in federal housing-department disaster recovery funds, and the projects it lists include rain gardens and flood kits.
The city's page also lists FEMA floodplain guidance and FEMA's number, 1-877-336-2627. To report a sewer backup, call 311 or 313-943-2150. The city sends an inspector who decides if the repair is the city's or the owner's, and after hours Police Department dispatch at 313-943-2100 reaches the Water and Sewerage Division, which gives around-the-clock service for backups and flooding. That inspection is the starting point for the 45-day written notice if you intend to claim against the city.
Dearborn has 107,846 residents, 84.0 percent of homes predate 1980 and the median value is $205,900. Wayne County was named in DR-4607. Building and trade permits run through the Economic Development Department at 16901 Michigan Ave, per a mix of the city's pages and our earlier notes, so confirm the phone. Melvindale and Allen Park are next door.
Flooded basement in Dearborn: what to know
Dial 311 or 313-943-2150 during business hours and the city dispatches a crew to check the stoppage. After hours, the Police Department dispatch line, 313-943-2100, reaches the Water and Sewerage Division, which serves around the clock. The inspector decides if the repair is the city's or the owner's, so write down what is said.
The June 2021 flood brought about $27 million in federal recovery funds to the city, and flood kits are among the projects. FEMA's number on the city's page is 1-877-336-2627.
That FEMA number, 1-877-336-2627, relates to floodplain and map questions. For an actual backup, 311 is the first call, and your insurer is the second.
Permits for flooded basement in Dearborn
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 Dearborn 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 311 or the after-hours line, then 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 Dearborn 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.