What to Do When Your Basement Floods

Updated October 2026 · Orem Water Damage Pros

Water on the basement floor is stressful, and the first hour matters more than anything that comes after it. This checklist is written for Orem and Utah Valley homes, where most houses have basements and many of them are finished, according to local realtors. Work through it in order, and skip anything that isn't safe.

Step 1: Make it safe before you wade in

Water and electricity are the main danger in a flooded basement. If water has reached outlets, a power strip, a furnace or a water heater, don't step into it. Go to the breaker panel and switch off the basement circuits if the panel is somewhere dry. If the panel itself is in the wet basement, stay out and call the power company or an electrician.

If you smell gas, leave the house and call your gas utility from outside.

If the water came up through a floor drain or a toilet and it smells like sewage, treat it as contaminated. Keep children and pets out, wear rubber boots and gloves if you have to go down, and wash up afterward. See a doctor if anyone gets sick after contact.

Step 2: Stop the water at the source

Where the water comes from decides what you shut off and who you call. In Utah Valley basements, it is usually one of these:

• A burst or leaking pipe. Shut the main. In many Utah homes the main valve is in the basement where the water line comes through the foundation wall, often near the water heater. Some homes only have the valve at the meter box near the street, which may need a meter key. Find yours before you need it.
• A water heater, washer hose or softener. Close the supply valve on the appliance, or shut the main if you can't find it.
• A window well. Heavy rain fills the well and pushes water past the window. In the August 2024 storm, a surge "crashed through" a basement window in Orem into a recently refinished basement, according to KUTV. Our guide to window well flooding covers prevention.
• Groundwater. Water seeping up through the slab or at the base of the walls after snowmelt or long rain. The Utah Geological Survey says problems start where the water table is within about 10 feet of the surface.
• Sewer backup. Water rising from a floor drain. In Orem, homeowners own their sewer laterals, which matters for who pays. Read who is responsible for a sewer lateral in Orem.

If it's surface water from a storm, you can't shut it off. Focus on safety, then on moving belongings.

Step 3: Document everything before cleanup starts

Your photos are the start of any insurance claim. Before you move furniture or pull up carpet:

• Take wide shots of each wet room, then close-ups of the waterline on walls, furniture and boxes.
• Photograph the source: the split pipe, the failed hose, the full window well, the floor drain.
• Keep anything you throw away until the adjuster has seen it, or at least photograph it with a tape measure for scale.

Then call your insurer or agent and open a claim. Ask whether they want you to wait for an adjuster before work starts. Most policies expect you to take reasonable steps to prevent further damage, so getting the water out quickly is usually part of protecting the claim. Check your policy, and read does homeowners insurance cover a flooded basement in Utah for how the source of the water affects coverage.

Step 4: Who to call, a plumber or a restoration company?

Often both, and they do different jobs:

• A licensed plumber fixes the pipe, valve or water heater. In Utah, plumbing work must be done by a licensed plumber.
• A water damage restoration company extracts the water, removes wet materials that can't be dried, sets up air movers and dehumidifiers, and checks moisture until the structure is dry.

Restoration companies typically offer 24/7 emergency response, and many are IICRC-certified, so ask. Orem Water Damage Pros is a free referral service, not a contractor. Describe the problem once and independent Utah Valley companies can contact you directly with quotes. Start with the flooded basement cleanup page or request free quotes.

Step 5: Move what you can, and leave the rest

Once the power is off and the source is stopped, save what matters most:

• Lift photos, documents, electronics and anything irreplaceable to a dry floor.
• Put aluminum foil or plastic blocks under furniture legs that are sitting in water to slow staining.
• Pull area rugs, cushions and boxes out of the water.
• Open windows if the weather is dry. Close them if it's humid or freezing outside.

Avoid a few common mistakes. Don't use a household vacuum on standing water. Don't run a furnace fan that is pulling air from a wet, dirty basement. Don't turn on ceiling lights or fans in a room with a wet ceiling. And don't start ripping out drywall in an older home yet (see Step 7).

Step 6: Get the water out and the drying started

Speed matters because wet drywall, carpet pad and wood framing start to support mold growth within roughly 24 to 48 hours. A restoration company will usually:

1. Inspect and map moisture

   Meters and thermal cameras show how far water wicked into walls and under flooring.

2. Extract the water

   Truck-mounted or portable extractors pull water out of carpet and off the slab.

3. Remove what can't be saved

   Usually carpet pad, saturated drywall at the bottom of walls, and insulation behind it.

4. Dry and monitor

   Air movers and dehumidifiers run while readings are logged until the materials are dry.

For timelines, see how long it takes to dry a flooded basement. On cost, Fixr puts drying a 500 sq ft basement at about $2,000–$7,000 before repairs. Our water damage restoration cost guide has the full table and a calculator.

Step 7: Before anything gets torn out

Two Utah-specific checks before wet drywall or ceilings come down:

• Asbestos. About 37% of Orem homes and 46% of Provo homes were built before 1980, per Census data. Textured walls and popcorn ceilings from that era may contain asbestos. Ask whether a test is needed before tear-out. Details are in asbestos testing before tear-out in Utah.
• The contractor's license. Tear-out and rebuild are construction work. Ask for the company's license number and check it on the Utah DOPL license lookup at dopl.utah.gov. The handyman exemption only covers jobs under $7,000 including labor and materials, and most basement floods cost more than that. See how to check a Utah contractor license.

Get a written contract with a licensed contractor and keep proof of full payment. Under Utah's lien rules, that's what protects you if a subcontractor or supplier later says they weren't paid.

Step 8: Prevent the next one

Once the basement is dry, deal with the cause. Clean out window well drains and extend downspouts. Have the water heater checked if it's past the 8–12 year life that local plumbers report. If your home sits in a low area or groundwater was the cause, the Utah Geological Survey recommends a sump pump. And if the water came from a floor drain, ask a plumber about a backwater valve and a camera inspection of your lateral.

Frequently asked questions