Category 1 water
Clean water from a supply pipe
A split pipe, a water heater or a washer hose starts as Category 1. Caught early, carpet and drywall can often dry in place.
See water extraction
24/7 water damage, St. Croix Valley
Water Damage Restoration Stillwater, MN
Water in a basement or behind a ceiling keeps moving after the source stops. The extraction crew pulls it out, maps every wet wall and floor, and dries the structure to the IICRC S500 standard.
(888) 432-4933Call when the basement floor is wet IICRC S500 drying Truck-mounted extraction 24/7 dispatch
24/7Water dispatchWater rising in the basement or dripping through a ceiling right now? Every hour it sits, it soaks deeper.
(888) 432-4933Why homeowners call this crew first
Why a measured dry-out beats a wet vac and fans
Water hides under carpet pad, inside wall cavities and in concrete. Restoration pros find it with meters and thermal imaging, then dry it until the numbers agree.
Dispatch at any hour
The response team runs 24/7, and a flooded basement on a January night is treated as urgent, holidays included.
IICRC S500 drying standard
Drying follows the industry standard: moisture mapping first, then equipment sized to the class of loss and checked every day.
Claim-ready records
Timestamped photos before demolition, a moisture map and daily psychrometric logs build the file an adjuster reads.
Cold-climate know-how
Thaw seepage, sump pits, frozen pipes and ice dams lead the local list, so the walkthrough starts below grade.
Right now
Five things to do in the first hour of a leak
- 1
Stop the source. Close the main shutoff, usually where the water service pipe enters the basement wall, or the valve on the failed fixture.
- 2
Kill power to wet areas. Switch off breakers for any basement outlets or appliances standing in water, and stay out of deep water.
- 3
Photograph before moving anything. Wide shots and close-ups of the high-water mark on walls, floors and contents go straight into the claim file.
- 4
Lift what can move. Raise furniture on blocks or foil, carry boxes upstairs and pull area rugs off wet carpet or concrete.
- 5
Call before it wicks. Drywall pulls water upward within hours, and growth can begin in 24 to 48 hours on wet materials.
Know the water you have
Three categories of water, three different cleanups
Category 2 water
Gray water from a sump or appliance
Sump overflow, dishwasher and washer drain water is Category 2. Pad usually comes out and surfaces get an antimicrobial.
See sump pump cleanup
Category 3 water
Black water from sewage or the river
Sewage and river floodwater are Category 3 from the start. Porous materials it touched are removed, not dried.
See sewage backup cleanupAll water services
Water damage services for river valley homes
Water and sewage only, from the first pump-out of a flooded basement to the last dry reading on the framing, across every neighborhood and both ZIP codes.
Water Extraction and RemovalTruck-mounted and portable units pull standing water off floors and out of pad before it wicks up the drywall.View service
Basement Water DamageFinished lower levels opened at the wall bottoms, carpet pulled off the concrete and every cavity dried to a reading.View service
Sump Pump Failure CleanupA dead pump, a stuck float or a storm power cut turns the pit into a flood; the crew pumps down and dries out.View service
Frozen Pipe Burst CleanupLines that froze in an outside wall or garage split at thaw; walls get opened, extracted and dried.View service
Ice Dam and Roof Leak Water DamageMeltwater trapped behind ice at the eaves runs into the attic, the ceiling and the wall cavities below.View service
Ceiling Leak Water DamageBath, toilet and supply leaks upstairs traced through the ceiling, sagging drywall opened safely and joists dried.View service
River and Flash Flood CleanupRiver rise and heavy-rain runoff handled as Category 3, with mud, pad and wet drywall removed before drying.View service
Sewage Backup CleanupFloor drain and toilet backups treated as Category 3 from the start, with protective gear and an antimicrobial.View service
Water Heater Leak CleanupTank failures in the basement or garage caught before the water spreads under finished walls and stored boxes.View service
Appliance and Supply Hose LeaksWasher hoses, dishwashers and fridge supply tubes that soak cabinets, subfloor and the ceiling of the level below.View service
Structural Drying and DehumidificationAir movers and LGR dehumidifiers run until framing, subfloor and concrete read dry against a reference.View service
Commercial Water DamageStorefronts, restaurants and offices dried in phases so the doors on Main Street stay open.View service
How the dry-out is run
The IICRC S500 drying standard, step by step
Structural drying is a process with numbers, not a guess. Equipment goes in after the moisture map and stays until the wet materials read within 2 to 4 points of a dry reference.
Moisture mapping LGR dehumidification Daily psychrometric readings
1
Inspect and map
Thermal imaging and pin and pinless meters find every wet wall, floor and ceiling, including water hidden behind finishes.
2
Extract
Truck-mounted extraction pulls standing water and wrings out carpet and pad, which removes far more than air drying could.
3
Dry and dehumidify
Air movers sweep wet surfaces while LGR dehumidifiers pull the moisture out of the air, sized to the class of loss.
4
Verify and record
Daily readings are logged until every material matches the dry reference, and the logs go into the claim file.
Typical cost ranges
What does water damage restoration cost in Stillwater, MN?
Most water damage restoration here runs $600 to $2,500 for a small clean-water leak, $4,000 to $9,000 for a finished basement, and $8,000 to $20,000 or more when river water or sewage soaks finished rooms.
Small clean-water leak
$600 to $2,500
- One room or a hallway
- Extraction and drying
- Category 1 supply water
Finished basement
$4,000 to $9,000
- Carpet, pad and wall bottoms
- Flood cuts and drying
- Category 1 or 2 water
River water or sewage
$8,000 to $20,000
- Porous materials removed
- Containment and antimicrobial
- Category 3 water
What moves the number
The water category, the square footage, the material class and how fast drying started move the number most. Ranges are typical, not a quote; try the cost calculator for a closer range.
The insurance claim file
What the claim file should hold
An adjuster decides a water claim on the paperwork. The restoration team builds the record as the job runs, so the file shows what was wet, why and for how long.
- Timestamped photos taken before any demolition
- A moisture map showing every wet wall, floor and ceiling
- Daily psychrometric logs of temperature and humidity
- The water category and class of loss, recorded at the start
- A line-item scope of extraction, removal and drying
Know your own policy
Most homeowners policies treat sudden and accidental water, such as a split pipe or a failed water heater, differently from surface or river flooding, which usually needs separate flood coverage.
Sump and sewer backup is often a separate endorsement with its own limit. Check your own policy and call your insurer early; the file supports the claim, while coverage stays the insurer's decision.
Drying in progress
What a water damage dry-out looks like from start to finish
Service area
Neighborhoods and ZIP codes covered around the clock
ZIP codes
55082 55083
From the riverfront to Manning Avenue, day or night
The drying team works both ZIP codes, from the older homes near downtown to the newer streets out on the west side.
A wet basement on the riverfront, an ice dam on a west-side street or a sump overflow near Manning Avenue gets the same moisture map and the same standard.
Stillwater, MN · [email protected]
Neighborhoods and corridors
Downtown and the riverfront Main Street Myrtle Street Highway 36 Highway 95 Highway 96 Manning Avenue
Nearby communities
Local water risks
Why water finds valley basements every spring
On the west bank of the St. Croix River, water arrives from the river, the snowpack and the pipes. In spring 2023, forecasters gave the river better than an 80 percent chance of major flood stage.
Spring thaw and river rise
Snowmelt and spring rain lift the St. Croix along the downtown riverfront, and saturated ground pushes water through basement walls and floor cracks across town.
Lumber-era foundations
The city was founded in 1843, one of the oldest towns in Minnesota. Older homes near downtown can sit on stone or block that seeps where mortar has worn.
Sump-dependent subdivisions
Newer streets on land annexed from 1996 to 2015, out to Manning Avenue, often lean on sump pumps, so a stuck float or a power cut floods a finished basement.
Deep-winter freezes
About 42 inches of snow in an average year comes with long below-zero stretches that split supply pipes in exterior walls, garages and rim joist bays.
Ice dams at the eaves
Snow melting over a warm attic refreezes at the cold roof edge, and the dam forces meltwater under the shingles into ceilings and wall cavities.
June 12, 2024 A water main break flooded downtown streets and businesses, including a basement restaurant, while the St. Croix ran high over its banks after recent rain.
Public references: National Weather Service, Twin Cities Ready.gov, Floods Washington County, Minnesota
FAQ
Water damage questions, answered for valley homes
Water on the floor right now?
Skip the reading for now. Shut off the main if it is safe and call; the response team dispatches 24/7 across the valley.
(888) 432-4933 (888) 432-4933Ask about the sump pitHow fast does a crew respond to a flooded basement?
Dispatch runs 24/7, and active water is treated as urgent at any hour, including weekends and holidays. Arrival depends on the weather, the roads and the jobs already running, so call as soon as water shows up.
Does homeowners insurance cover water damage here?
Sudden and accidental water, like a split pipe or a failed water heater, is often covered. River and surface flooding usually needs separate flood coverage, and sump or sewer backup is often a separate endorsement. Check your own policy.
What causes most water damage in local homes?
Spring thaw seeping through foundations, sump pumps that fail during storms, pipes that freeze and split in exterior walls, ice dams at the eaves, and washer or water heater failures in the basement.
How long does it take to dry out a wet basement?
A contained Class 1 or 2 loss usually dries in three to five days. Concrete, plaster and soaked framing take longer. Equipment stays until readings match a dry reference, not until the room looks dry.
What is the IICRC S500 standard?
It is the industry standard for professional water damage restoration. It covers inspection, the water category and class of loss, extraction, drying targets, daily monitoring and safety, so the drying is measured instead of guessed.
What should I do while waiting for the crew?
Shut off the water at the main, cut power to wet basement circuits, photograph everything before moving it, lift furniture and boxes off the floor, and stay out of water that may contain sewage.
When does wet drywall have to come out?
Drywall soaked by clean water can often dry in place when drying starts early. It comes out when it has swelled or crumbled, when the water was Category 3, or when readings show the cavity behind it will not dry.
Why is a sewage backup handled differently?
Sewage is Category 3 water carrying bacteria and viruses. Crews wear protective gear, remove porous materials it touched, clean and apply an EPA-registered antimicrobial, and only then start drying.
How is the cost of a water damage job figured?
The water category, the square footage that got wet, the material class and how soon drying started set the scope. The line-item scope then prices extraction, removal, equipment days and monitoring.
Can the river or a heavy rain flood a house away from downtown?
Yes. Saturated ground during the spring thaw or a heavy summer storm raises the water table, overwhelms sump pits and pushes water through foundation cracks in neighborhoods well away from the river.
24/7 emergency dispatch
Standing water in the house? One call starts the extraction and the drying.
The response team dispatches 24/7 across the valley, maps the moisture and dries to the S500 standard.
(888) 432-4933Stop the water spreading now
Stillwater Water Damage Restoration
Stillwater, MN
(888) 432-4933
Open 24 / 7 / 365
Find us on Google