Water damage repair prices in Appleton
Census, FEMA and NOAA figures for the Appleton area, and what to do with them.
In Appleton, 66% of homes were built before 1980, compared with 58% across Wisconsin.
- 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 Appleton area.
FEMA's National Risk Index expects inland flooding to cost about $39 a year for every $100,000 of building value in Appleton's ZIP codes.
What a Appleton job usually costs
An Appleton water damage estimate comes from what the restoration crew measures: the category of water, the area it soaked, the materials that have to go and how many days the drying runs. The written estimate after that inspection is the price, and any earlier figure is a rough guess.
Cold changes the cost here. NOAA climate normals show 157 nights a year at or below 32 degrees and 69 days that stay below freezing. A pipe that splits inside an exterior wall means cutting drywall to dry the cavity, and drying a cold house can take longer, because the space has to be warmed for dehumidifiers to pull water out of the air.
Basements and age add more, since 66% of homes date from before 1980 and 27% from before 1950, by Census figures. A finished basement holds carpet, pad, drywall and insulation that soak up water from a split line or a failed sump pump, and an older drain line can turn a backup into Category 3 water that needs sewage cleanup rather than drying.
Ice at the eaves is a separate job. With 49 inches of snow a year, meltwater can back up under the roof edge and stain ceilings and walls, so the estimate may include ceiling water damage repair once the roof is fixed. Ask for each part on its own line for any home in the Appleton area.
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.
Appleton housing and flood figures
The city of Appleton counts about 74,873 residents, by the Census; the figures below are its own.
In Appleton, 27% of homes were built before 1950, when walls were often finished in plaster rather than drywall.
33% of homes in Appleton are rented, against 28% across Outagamie County. If you rent, tell your landlord or property manager about the leak right away.
- 31,999 Housing units
- 66% Homes built before 1980Outagamie County: 52%
- 74,873 Residents
- 39 Yearly inland flood loss per $100,000 of building valueOutagamie County: 47
- 27% Homes built before 1950Outagamie County: 20%
- 33% Homes that are rentedOutagamie County: 28%
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.
Price drivers in Outagamie County
Winter sets Appleton's water damage prices. NOAA climate normals show 157 nights a year at or below 32 degrees and 82 at or below 20. On 69 days it never rises above freezing. Pipes in exterior walls, rim joists and unheated porches freeze and split. The leak often starts when the ice thaws and runs inside a wall before anyone sees it.
Old houses are the second driver. Census figures show 27% of homes built before 1950 and 66% before 1980, above the state's 23% and 58%. Those homes often have plaster walls, plank subfloors and block or stone basements. Plaster and plank floors dry slowly and cost more to replace than drywall and plywood.
Basements are the third. The city averages 49 inches of snow a year, and spring melt can push water through foundation cracks. Water from outside is Category 3, so finished basement carpet, pad and lower drywall come out. A sump pump that fails during a thaw adds the same kind of job. With 17% of homes in buildings with 5 or more units, a leak can also reach a neighbor below.
A sudden burst pipe is usually covered by a standard homeowners policy. Flood water and sewer backup need separate cover, and FEMA records show 0.3% of Outagamie County homes hold federal flood insurance. Read your policy before burst pipe cleanup starts. Across the Appleton area, ask the crew to note any leak from ice at the eaves as a separate cause on the estimate.
Reading a Appleton estimate
Ask for an estimate that names the water category, the square footage, every piece of drying equipment with its daily rate, the materials to be removed by room, labor rates with any after-hours charge, and whether repairs are included.
Checking a Appleton estimate
Before you sign, read the estimate for three things: the water category, the measured wet area and the drying equipment with its daily rate. Those three explain most of the difference between two Appleton estimates. Ask how changes are handled if the readings find more water once work starts, and ask for any change in writing first. Keep everything in one place: the estimate, the changes, your photos and the drying log. That record lets you check the final bill against the work that was done. If water came through from above, ceiling repair after a leak is usually a separate line.
Appleton cost questions
Why do water damage estimates in Appleton vary so much?
Should I pick the lowest water damage estimate in Appleton?
Does insurance pay the whole water damage bill in Appleton?
Is there a charge just to come out and look at water damage in Appleton?
Do I pay for drying equipment by the day in Appleton?
More Appleton guides
Appleton guide to insurance and water damage
Which kinds of water damage insurance usually pays for in Appleton, and how to document a claim.
guide to the first hour after water damage around Appleton
The first hour after a leak or flood in Appleton: what to shut off, what to photograph and what to move.
the Appleton guide to flood and storm water risk
Flood risk, flood insurance claims and storm water in Appleton, from FEMA and NOAA figures.
the Appleton guide to burst and frozen pipes
Why pipes burst in Appleton homes, what freezing nights and older plumbing mean, and what to do first.
One call for water damage in Appleton
Calls answered 24/7. The estimate is in writing before work begins.