When the basement has water in it now
- Work out where the water came from: a burst pipe, a drain that backed up, or flooding from outside. TDI's pages sort coverage by exactly that.
- Photograph the water line on the walls and each damaged item before anything is removed, as TDI asks.
- Call your homeowners insurer and, if you have one, your flood insurer; TDI says home policies don't cover floods.
- Make temporary repairs only, and hold permanent ones until the insurer has talked to you.
- Dry the space once the water is out; TDI puts the start of mold growth at within a day of a leak.
- If a contractor from outside your area asks for payment before starting after a declared disaster, TDI says that's against the law.
Flood, drain and pipe water are three different claims
TDI sorts the cases this way: sudden and accidental water from a burst pipe or a broken hose is what most homeowner policies cover, floodwater isn't, and for a sewer line that backed up it depends on your policy, because some policies cover water or sewage that enters through sewers or drains. Your policy's wording settles the sewer case. Mold that follows floodwater isn't covered either, TDI says, because the home policy doesn't cover the flood.
What a flooded basement cleanup costs in Texas (estimates, not quotes)
Our model gives $1,525 to $8,000 per job for a flooded basement in Texas, and the table's second estimate row gives it per square foot. Both are estimates built from national guides and adjusted by Texas pay, and no Texas company's price enters them. A wage is what a worker is paid, so the rows below don't predict your bill.
| Item | Figure | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated range, not a quote | $1,525 to $8,000 per job | Built from 2 national published ranges, adjusted by the Texas hazardous materials removal worker wage ratio (0.84). One Texas restoration company publishes a price we could count on their own websites; where five or more price the same job, the range is the middle half of their prices, and where two to four do, the estimate is widened to take them in. Coupons, specials and figures a page gives as an average are not counted. Basis: no state company sample (no counted Texas company price for this job), national estimate only. |
| Estimated range per square foot, not a quote | $3 to $12 per square foot | Built from one national published range, adjusted by the Texas hazardous materials removal worker wage ratio (0.84). One Texas restoration company publishes a price we could count on their own websites; where five or more price the same job, the range is the middle half of their prices, and where two to four do, the estimate is widened to take them in. Coupons, specials and figures a page gives as an average are not counted. Basis: no state company sample (no counted Texas company price for this job), national estimate only. |
| Hazardous materials removal worker wage, Texas mean | $22.88 an hour (United States mean: $27.13) | BLS pay for the nearest federal occupation, May 2025, matched to restoration crews by our inference. |
Estimated range. Built from national published ranges (2 sources), adjusted by Texas's hazardous materials removal worker wage ratio to the US (0.84, BLS May 2025). Not a quote. One Texas restoration company publishes a price we could count on their own websites; where five or more price the same job, the range is the middle half of their prices, and where two to four do, the estimate is widened to take them in. Coupons, specials and figures a page gives as an average are not counted. We have no counted Texas company price for this job, so the range is our national estimate alone. Full method. Prices as of Oct 23, 2026.
What the National Flood Insurance Program pays for
FloodSmart, the program's site, says an NFIP policy covers direct physical loss to the structure and to belongings, as building and contents coverage, and that most homeowners policies don't cover flood damage. Coverage takes effect 30 days after purchase, and one of the four exceptions is a policy bought while making, increasing, extending or renewing a mortgage. The policy lasts one year with a 30-day grace period.
Declared floods and state recovery money
FEMA's declaration data lists seven Texas declarations dated since January 2023, fire-management declarations excluded. Four carry individual-assistance flags on some county rows: DR-4781 on 40, DR-4798 (Hurricane Beryl) on 22, DR-4871 on 4 and DR-4879 on 10. NOAA's storm records from July 2024 to June 2026 list 1,111 flash flood and 83 flood event records for Texas, with Dallas County highest at 73 and Bexar County next at 62. Those count events, not damage.
The General Land Office's 2024 Disasters Homeowner Assistance Program covers 27 counties for DR-4781 and DR-4798 damage, for a main home only, first come first served. Residents of Houston and Harris County aren't eligible, because HUD granted those two governments money to run their own. The GLO announced applications on July 9, 2025, and its recovery hotline is 1-844-893-8937. The Water Development Board's state flood plan is a planning document, not a repair program.
Basement water that needs a crew today
- Water is still rising or coming in from outside.
- Sewage is in the water, or a drain has backed up.
- The water has stood on carpet or drywall for a day or more.
- Damp patches after the source is fixed and the space is drying; photograph them before any cleaning.
- A dry basement with old watermarks and no musty smell; photograph the marks and tell the insurer before you repair them.
Basement flooding in Texas: licenses and permits
TDLR licenses mold assessors and remediators, and its program list has no flood cleanup license. Mold after a flood falls under the TDLR rules on the mold remediation page, including the 25 square foot line.
Rebuild permits are local. Austin's emergency permit page says a floodplain home is substantially damaged when the repair cost equals or exceeds 50 percent of the structure's value before the damage.
Ask which licenses your state requires for the work, and check them with your state's licensing office before anyone starts. A credential from a private body, such as IICRC, isn't a license.
Questions people ask
Does homeowners insurance cover a flooded basement in Texas?
Not flood, TDI says; a burst pipe yes, and a sewer backup depends on the policy. TDI's disaster FAQ says some policies cover water or sewage that enters through sewers or drains. Only a separate flood policy covers floodwater.
How long before new flood insurance starts?
Thirty days after you buy it, with four exceptions. FloodSmart lists the exceptions, one being a policy bought while making, increasing, extending or renewing a mortgage. A policy lasts a year with a 30-day grace period.
Is mold from a flood covered?
No: TDI says home policies don't cover floods, so mold from a flood isn't covered. The mold remediation page covers the TDLR license rules for cleaning it up.
Can I get state money to repair flood damage?
The GLO runs a 2024 disasters program in 27 counties, not statewide. It is for a main home and works first come first served. A homeowner can apply for only one of the GLO's two 2024 programs, the Homeowner Assistance Program or the Homeowner Reimbursement Program.
May a contractor ask for money up front after a declared disaster?
Not one from outside your area, TDI says. TDI also lists a large or full up-front payment, a contract with blank sections and signing before an estimate as signs of a contracting scam.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: Hazardous Materials Removal Workers (SOC 47-4041), Texas, mean hourly wage Read Oct 23, 2026.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: Hazardous Materials Removal Workers (SOC 47-4041), United States, mean hourly wage Read Oct 23, 2026.
- RestorationMatch: how we estimate costs, Texas (editorial policy) Read Oct 23, 2026.
- TDI: FAQ: Homeowners insurance and disaster claims Read Oct 23, 2026.
- TDI: When are water damage and mold covered by insurance? Read Oct 23, 2026.
- FloodSmart: What you need to know about buying flood insurance; FloodSmart home page Read Oct 23, 2026.
- OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 Read Oct 23, 2026.
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database bulk CSV files Read Oct 23, 2026.
- GLO: 2024 Disasters Homeowner Assistance Program Read Oct 23, 2026.
- GLO: 2024 Disasters Programs for Homeowners Read Oct 23, 2026.
- TWDB: State Flood Plan 2024 Read Oct 23, 2026.
- TDI: Do you know the signs of a contracting scam? Read Oct 23, 2026.
- City of Austin Development Services: Emergency Permits Read Oct 23, 2026.
- TDLR: Regulated Industries Menu (as printed on the Mold program page and the licenses page) Read Oct 23, 2026. Check with the source before you rely on this.
- TDLR: Mold Assessors and Remediators FAQs; TDLR Consumer Mold Information Sheet Read Oct 23, 2026.