Your own guess; a professional determines the actual category.
Changes the notes only, not the estimate.
Which published prices are inputs rather than quotes?
HomeAdvisor's U.S. cost guide lists drying/restoration bands of $3–$4 per square foot for clean water, $4–$6.50 for gray water and $7–$7.50 for highly contaminated water. The commercial Save The Day Restoration LA and Orange County guide reports a $500–$1,500 initial minimum and regional examples of $1,500–$5,000 for a minor loss. Neither publisher measured a Covina household for this page.
How does the calculator form a planning range?
Enter an already known affected floor area of 10–5,000 square feet; do not enter a damaged area to measure. Select a provisional water category: Clean $3–$4, Gray $4–$6.50, Highly contaminated $7–$7.50, or Unknown $3–$7.50 per square foot. The drying base uses the larger of area × lower rate and $500, and the larger of area × upper rate and $1,500. Round the low end down and the high end up to the nearest $100. An input is not a professional water classification.
What optional repairs can be added?
HomeAdvisor lists ceiling repairs at $450–$1,600 and drywall repairs at $300–$850. Combining Save The Day's separate removal and replacement ranges gives $6–$16 per square foot for carpet and $12–$28 or more for hardwood. Choose only the relevant materials; carpet and hardwood areas must be distinct and total no more than the affected floor area. Hardwood keeps an open-ended upper label. Plumbing, mold treatment and any charge already included in a provider's drying quote are outside this model.
How should the result be used?
The numbers cannot promise insurance payment or a contractor's price. Request a line-by-line quote and check policy terms with your insurer. See the insurance guide.
Calls are forwarded to an independent provider through a referral partner, which may record the call.
Free for homeowners. We may be paid for qualifying referral calls.
Sources
- HomeAdvisor, How Much Does Water Damage Restoration Cost? (accessed October 9, 2026).
- Save The Day Restoration, Water Damage Restoration Costs in LA and Orange County (accessed October 9, 2026).
- California Department of Insurance, Residential Insurance Guide (accessed October 9, 2026).
- California Contractors State License Board, Check a License (accessed October 9, 2026).