What to do after water damage in Lansing
For Lansing, MI: the facts behind the questions callers ask most, in plain words.
80% of homes in Lansing were built before 1980.
- Calls answered 24/7
- Written estimate before work starts
- Water removal, drying and repair
Your call, step by step
Call (833) 728-2327
Tell the person who answers what got wet and where the water came from. Calls are answered 24/7.
Stop the source
You get help shutting off the water or the power to a wet room while the crew is on the way.
Inspection and written estimate
Moisture readings, photos and a written estimate come before any work begins.
A guide for water damage restoration in Lansing and the towns around it.
Homes from before 1950 make up 33% of the housing in Lansing, compared with 22% across Michigan.
What matters most in Lansing
Lansing has 51 days a year that stay below freezing all day, according to NOAA's climate normals, and 62 nights at 20 degrees or colder. On those days the first-hour emergency is often a frozen pipe that splits in an outside wall or along the basement rim joist. The leak can stay hidden until the ice thaws, so close the main shutoff as soon as you see water. In an older Lansing house it is usually on the basement wall near the meter.
Older homes make this harder. Census figures show 80% of the city's homes were built before 1980 and 33% before 1950, so the valve may be a gate valve that sticks. If it will not turn, call the water utility to close the curb stop.
With the water off, switch off breakers for the basement or wet rooms, and stay off a wet floor near the furnace or water heater. Take a few photos of the split pipe and the wet floor, then carry boxes, rugs and electronics upstairs. Renters, in 46% of Lansing homes, should send the photos to the landlord right away.
A basement that floods in winter dries slowly on its own, while drywall, framing and subfloors keep wicking water. The EPA advises drying wet materials within 24 to 48 hours. Burst pipe cleanup in winter also means keeping the heat on, since warm air helps the drying equipment pull moisture out. Pick up the phone when the water is off; it rings through 24/7 for the Lansing area.
Before the crew arrives
Work through this list in order; skip anything that puts you near live electricity or deep water.
- Shut off the water at the main valve or the fixture valve.
- Turn off power to wet rooms at the breaker if you can reach it without stepping in water.
- Photograph every wet room, the source and the water line.
- Lift furniture off wet carpet and move papers, photos and electronics to a dry room.
- Call (833) 728-2327 for extraction and drying, and tell your insurer.
- Keep people and pets away from sewage or floodwater.
Lansing housing and weather figures
Figures for Lansing, home to about 112,546 people.
Renters live in 46% of the homes in Lansing, compared with 27% across Michigan.
The weather station nearest Lansing's ZIP codes records about 44 inches of snow a year, compared with 50 across Michigan.
- 80% Homes built before 1980Ingham County: 65%
- 55,628 Housing units
- 112,546 Residents
- 33% Homes built before 1950Ingham County: 23%
- 46% Homes that are rentedIngham County: 40%
- 44 Average snowfall a year, in inchesIngham County: 39
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).
Local notes for Lansing
Lansing's housing is older than Michigan's overall. Census figures show 80% of homes were built before 1980, against 62% statewide, and 33% before 1950. Houses that age usually have a basement, a main shutoff on the front foundation wall and plumbing patched over decades: galvanized runs, old gate valves, and cast iron or clay drains. The restoration crew checks those joints first, since a slow drip at an old fitting can soak a wall long before it shows. Water that sits on an old oak floor cups the boards, which turns a short leak into water-damaged floor repair.
Basements change the first steps. Lansing averages 6 days a year with an inch of rain or more and 44 inches of snow, and both can end up on the basement floor through cracks or a floor drain. If water rises from the drain or smells of sewage, treat it as Category 3 and keep children and pets away. Sewage cleanup comes before drying, and soaked drywall and carpet in that area usually have to go.
Cold changes the rest. NOAA's climate normals show 143 nights a year at or below 32 degrees, so pipes in exterior walls, crawlspaces and unheated porches are the usual failures. Keep the heat at a steady setting when you travel.
Census figures show 46% of homes are rented, so tenants should report leaks in writing. Only 0.7% of Ingham County homes carry federal flood insurance, so ask your agent whether your policy has a sewer backup endorsement.
What to leave alone until help arrives
In the first hours, avoid three common mistakes. One: stepping into water near electricity, or standing under a wet ceiling. Two: trying to dry the house with heat or a household vacuum, which spreads moisture and can damage the machine. Three: throwing things away or covering stains before the damage is recorded. Photograph first, keep wet walls open, and let the moisture readings decide when repairs can start in your Lansing home. Water removal from carpet saves the most when the water was clean and caught early; the pad usually comes out.
First-step questions in Lansing
Should I run fans to dry water damage myself in Lansing?
Is it safe to turn the power back on after water damage?
Where is the main water shutoff in a Lansing house?
How long can water sit before mold starts in a Lansing home?
Can I stay in my Lansing home during water damage drying?
Related Lansing guides
guide to water damage costs around Lansing
What water damage restoration costs around Lansing, what moves the price and what the estimate should list.
water damage insurance guide around Lansing
Homeowners, flood and sewer backup cover explained for Lansing.
flood risk guide for Lansing
How often water from outside reaches Lansing homes, and what to do about it.
burst pipe guide for Lansing
Burst and frozen pipes in Lansing: causes, first steps and costs.
Calls answered 24/7 around Lansing
Any hour, any day. Nothing starts until you approve a written estimate.