What water damage restoration costs in Pasadena
What Pasadena homeowners and renters should check first, with a source for every figure.
FEMA's National Risk Index expects inland flooding to cost about $141 a year for every $100,000 of building value in Pasadena's ZIP codes.
- Calls answered 24/7
- Written estimate before work starts
- Water removal, drying and repair
What happens when you call
Call (833) 728-2327
Say what is wet, where the water came from and whether it is still running. The call is answered any hour.
Stop the source
If water is still coming in, you are walked through the shutoff valve or the breaker first.
Inspection and written estimate
The crew checks the water category, measures moisture in walls and floors, photographs the damage and writes the estimate before work starts.
Written for homeowners in the Pasadena area.
In Pasadena, 37% of homes were built before 1950, when walls were often finished in plaster rather than drywall.
Costs around Pasadena
The price of a water damage job in Pasadena comes from the water category, the size of the wet area, what has to be torn out and how many days the drying equipment runs. Category 1 water from a supply line can often be dried in place, while Category 3 water from a sewer line means removing porous materials. The restoration crew inspects, takes moisture readings and writes an estimate, and that written estimate is the real price.
Housing age pushes many Pasadena jobs higher. Census figures put 73% of homes before 1980 and 37% before 1950, compared with 14% statewide for the older group. Plaster, old plank floors and original drain lines take longer to dry or cost more to replace, and aging drains are a common source of sewage cleanup work.
Renters occupy 58% of homes, and 44% sit in buildings with 5 or more units, so one leak can involve several units and more than one insurance policy. That adds rooms and paperwork to the job. Heavy rain is also more frequent here than the county average, at 7 days a year with an inch or more, and outside water from those storms needs flood cover that only 0.5% of county homes carry. If you live in the Pasadena area, check your policy for flood and sewer backup before the next storm.
Pasadena housing and flood figures
Calls for the Pasadena area come from 240 ZIP codes; the figures below are the city's own.
44% of homes in Pasadena are in buildings with five or more units.
58% of homes in Pasadena are rented, against 54% across Los Angeles County. If you rent, tell your landlord or property manager about the leak right away.
- 141 Yearly inland flood loss per $100,000 of building valueLos Angeles County: 164
- 62,853 Housing units
- 136,462 Residents
- 37% Homes built before 1950Los Angeles County: 24%
- 44% Homes in buildings with 5 or more unitsLos Angeles County: 36%
- 58% Homes that are rentedLos Angeles County: 54%
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019-2023 5-year estimates; FEMA OpenFEMA, FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, claims from 2016 to 2025 (not endorsed by FEMA); FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Residential Penetration Rates v1 (not endorsed by FEMA); FEMA National Risk Index v1.20, December 2025 (not endorsed by FEMA); NOAA NCEI, U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, nearest weather station; FEMA OpenFEMA, Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 (not endorsed by FEMA); NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 2016 to 2025.
Why Pasadena estimates differ
Pasadena averages 7 days a year with an inch of rain or more, against 4 across Los Angeles County, according to NOAA climate normals. Those heavy rain days are when runoff finds a door sill or a low window, and the price then depends on how far the water spread and whether it carried soil.
The age of the house is the next driver. Census figures show 37% of Pasadena homes were built before 1950, and many of those have plaster walls and plank subfloors. Plaster holds moisture and dries slowly, and wet plank floors can cup, so both the drying days and the materials that come out tend to rise. Supply lines and drains in a house that old may also need a plumber before drying can start.
Apartment living adds another layer. With 44% of homes in buildings of 5 or more units and 58% rented, a leak upstairs often turns into ceiling water damage repair in the unit below, with a second policy and a landlord who must approve the work. Freezing is a small factor, at about 3 nights a year at or below 32 degrees countywide.
On insurance, a standard homeowners or landlord policy usually covers sudden water from a burst pipe or a failed appliance. Flood and sewer backup need separate cover, and only 0.5% of homes in Los Angeles County carry federal flood insurance. Ask whether your loss is covered before water mitigation begins, and read the written estimate line by line.
Reading a Pasadena estimate
Read the estimate line by line. It should list the category of water, the square feet, the equipment and its daily rates, the tear-out by room, the labor and any after-hours charge, and say whether repairs are included.
Before you approve the work
Ask three questions before anyone starts. First, which water category the job is, because sewage or floodwater changes what has to come out. Second, how many square feet are wet and how that was measured. Third, which equipment will run and for how many days, with the daily rate for each piece. A written estimate that answers all three can be compared with any other. If opening a wall shows more water, ask for the change in writing before the extra work is done, and keep the estimate, every change, your photos and the drying log together so the final bill can be checked line by line. A stained ceiling adds ceiling water damage repair to the bill once the space above tests dry.
What Pasadena callers ask about cost
Why do water damage estimates in Pasadena vary so much?
Should I pick the lowest water damage estimate in Pasadena?
Does insurance pay the whole water damage bill in Pasadena?
Is there a charge just to come out and look at water damage in Pasadena?
Do I pay for drying equipment by the day in Pasadena?
Published price ranges
Typical US ranges from published cost guides, not quotes.
| Item | Typical range | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Water damage restoration, typical home job | $1,300 to $6,400 | per job |
| Small clean-water leak, part of one room (Class 1) | $150 to $500 | per job |
| Long-standing water through much of the home, or standing for days | $15,000 to $100,000 | per job |
| Water removal and drying, clean water (Category 1) | $3 to $6 | per sq ft |
| Water removal and drying, gray water (Category 2) | $4 to $9 | per sq ft |
| Water removal and drying, black water (Category 3) | $7 to $12 | per sq ft |
| Air mover on site | $29 to $40 | per unit, per day |
| Refrigerant (LGR) dehumidifier on site | $65 to $145 | per unit, per day |
| HEPA air scrubber on site | $45 to $140 | per unit, per day |
| Restoration labor, standard hours | $60 to $200 | per hour |
| Floodwater cleanup and drying (outside water is Category 3) | $7 to $12 | per sq ft |
| Flooded basement cleanup, 500 to 1,000 sq ft | $2,000 to $8,000 | per job |
| Basement water removal, drying and sanitizing | $4 to $12 | per sq ft |
| Sewage backup cleanup (Category 3) | $2,000 to $10,000 | per job |
| Sewage cleanup and disinfection | $7 to $15 | per sq ft |
| Burst pipe repair, plumbing only | $400 to $2,000 | per repair |
| Burst pipe repair with related water damage | $1,000 to $4,000 | per job |
| Water-damaged ceiling repair | $350 to $2,500 | per ceiling area |
| Wet drywall removal and replacement | $1.5 to $4 | per sq ft |
| Water-damaged wall repair, drywall | $275 to $850 | per wall area |
| Hardwood floor repair or replacement after water damage | $7 to $25 | per sq ft |
| Wet carpet drying and repair | $300 to $2,000 | per room |
| Carpet replacement after water damage | $2 to $8 | per sq ft |
| Camera inspection to find a hidden leak | $125 to $500 | per visit |
| Mold inspection after water damage | $300 to $650 | per visit |
| Mold remediation, a separate job, if water sat too long | $1,100 to $6,000 | per job |
| After-hours, weekend or holiday call charge | $50 to $500 | per visit |
Typical US ranges compiled on 17 October 2026 from public cost guides and price lists, not prices from 911 Water Damage Fix or any one company. Most guide figures trace back to Angi and HomeAdvisor customer surveys (HomeAdvisor water damage cost guide, updated June 17, 2026); independent checks: HomeGuide (2025 and 2026), Fixr (January 2025), a State of Iowa restoration contract price list effective May 22, 2026, and a published restoration equipment rental list. The written estimate after an inspection is the only price that applies.
More Pasadena guides
guide to insurance and water damage around Pasadena
Which kinds of water damage insurance usually pays for in Pasadena, and how to document a claim.
the Pasadena guide to the first hour after water damage
The first hour after a leak or flood in Pasadena: what to shut off, what to photograph and what to move.
guide to flood and storm water risk for Pasadena
Flood risk, flood insurance claims and storm water in Pasadena, from FEMA and NOAA figures.
guide to burst and frozen pipes for Pasadena
Why pipes burst in Pasadena homes, what freezing nights and older plumbing mean, and what to do first.
One call for water damage in Pasadena
Any hour, any day. Nothing starts until you approve a written estimate.