Water Damage Restoration Long Beach: $1,383 to $6,369 (2026)

National figures before insurance. No Long Beach price for water damage restoration is published in the sources we checked, so the sources are shown side by side, not averaged.

Is it urgent? Water damage in Long Beach: call now, this week or later

• Call now: water is still running, sewage is backing up, the water is near wiring or the panel, or you smell gas. Long Beach Utilities lists a water and sewer emergency line, 562-570-2390, and a gas emergency line, 562-570-2140.
• This week: a wall or floor that stays damp, a bill that doubled, or a musty smell after a leak. The EPA's 24 to 48 hour drying window applies to slow leaks too.
• Can wait: an old, dry stain that has not changed, in a room with no smell.

If you smell gas, leave the house before you call.

How much does water damage restoration cost in Long Beach?

We found no Long Beach price, so the table shows national figures from three publishers. HomeAdvisor's June 2026 average is $3,868, with most jobs between $1,383 and $6,369; Fixr's 2025 average is $3,000 and Forbes Home's $3,300. A sewer backup is the expensive case: HomeAdvisor prices black water extraction and drying at $7 to $7.50 per square foot, roughly double the $3 to $4 for clean water. Put your own numbers into the water damage repair cost calculator.

Older Long Beach homes and hidden leaks

Long Beach's housing is old. The median home was built in 1959, the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 survey shows. Leaks in a house that age often start where you cannot see them, under a slab or inside a wall, and the first sign is a damp baseboard or a bill that jumps.

HomeAdvisor's slab leak guide says most homeowners pay $150 to $400 to find a slab leak and suggests budgeting about $280; plumbing water damage itself runs $1,000 to $4,000. Find the leak first with leak detection or slab leak repair, then dry and rebuild.

Long Beach Utilities high water bill adjustment: the rules

Long Beach Utilities (LBU) offers a partial bill adjustment for customers who had a water leak on their property, but the rules are tight. The high use must come from an underground or hidden leak, and it must be at least twice the previous year's usage. Faucet and toilet leaks do not qualify, and neither do leaks that were reasonably detectable by the owner or occupant, or leaks caused by neglect. All repairs must be finished before you apply.

• Apply within 45 days of the billing date of the affected bill, with proof of the repair.
• Only one adjustment per account every 3 years.
• LBU sets the credit based on last year's usage; it comes as a bill credit, never cash or a check.
• Allow 2 to 3 weeks; LBU confirms or denies by phone or email.
• LBU does not pay for finding or fixing the leak.

Apply by email to [email protected] or by mail to Long Beach Utilities, ATTN: High Water Bill Adjustments, 1800 E Wardlow Rd., Long Beach, CA 90807. Residential customer service is (562) 570-5700, and you can schedule an in-person high water bill investigation by phone. LBU owns the system up to and including the water meter; everything on the property side is the owner's to keep free of leaks.

Sewer backups and Category 3 water in Long Beach

Sewage is the dirtiest water a restoration crew handles. R&R Magazine's summary of the IICRC standard puts sewage in Category 3, grossly contaminated, which means porous materials it touched usually come out rather than being dried. Call LBU's water and sewer emergency line at 562-570-2390 if you think the problem is in the public system, keep children and pets away, and see sewage cleanup for what the job involves.

California contractor rules for Long Beach repairs

California's Contractors State License Board (CSLB) requires a license for jobs of $1,000 or more in labor and materials, or any job that needs a permit, since January 1, 2025. A contractor cannot ask for a down payment of more than $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract price, whichever is less, and payments should not get ahead of the work. Check any license on CSLB's Check A License page or at 1-800-321-2752, and file complaints with CSLB within four years of the act.

For renters, California law treats visible mold growth, as determined by a health officer or code enforcement officer, as a condition that can make housing substandard, under Health and Safety Code 17920.3. Costs for mold work are in mold remediation.

Insurance after a Long Beach water loss

A sudden burst pipe, a sewer backup and storm water are three different insurance questions. FEMA's FloodSmart site says most homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage, and policies differ on sewer backups, so read yours and ask your insurer before work starts. The Maryland Attorney General's guide to restoration companies notes that once you sign a restoration contract, you owe the company even if your claim is denied. Call your insurer yourself, photograph the damage before anything is moved, and never sign an assignment of benefits or any paper that hands your claim to the contractor.

Local rules, contacts and history for Long Beach, from the official and news sources listed below.

Questions for a Long Beach restoration company

1. What is your CSLB license number, and what classification is it?
2. What is the down payment? (The CSLB cap is $1,000 or 10 percent, whichever is less.)
3. Is this Category 1, 2 or 3 water, and what has to be removed rather than dried?
4. Will you document the leak and repair so I can apply for the LBU adjustment within 45 days?
5. Will you ask me to sign anything that assigns my claim? (Do not sign it.)

Do this now: water in a Long Beach home

1. Shut off the water at the main. For a problem on the City side or a sewer emergency, call LBU at 562-570-2390.
2. Gas smell? Leave, then call LBU's gas emergency line, 562-570-2140, from outside.
3. Stay off wet floors near outlets and use the breaker only from a dry spot.
4. Photograph the damage, then call your insurer and a restoration company.
5. Start drying within 24 to 48 hours, the EPA's mold window; the mold growth timer shows what happens after.
6. Save the plumber's invoice. LBU's adjustment needs proof of repair within 45 days of the bill date.

More Southern California water damage pages

Nearby: water damage restoration in Anaheim and water damage restoration in Los Angeles. Mold: mold removal in Los Angeles. The national water damage restoration guide covers the first 48 hours step by step. Calls go to an independent company that serves your area and takes this kind of job; hours vary (how calls work).