Water Damage Restoration St. Louis: $1,383 to $6,369 (2026)

We found no St. Louis-only restoration price, so the restoration rows are national. The plumbing rows are Angi's St. Louis figures.

Do this now: water in a St. Louis house

1. Shut the main water valve if a pipe or fixture is the source. Leaks in the street or at the stop box: City Water Division, (314) 771-4880.
2. Sewage coming up a floor drain: call MSD at 314-768-6260 and stop using water. MSD says urgent crews usually arrive within a few hours.
3. Do not walk through water near outlets or appliances; the Red Cross warns of electrocution. Use the breaker only from a dry spot.
4. Photograph every room and item before cleanup, then call your insurer.
5. Start drying fast. EPA says to dry water-damaged areas within 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold.

Is it an emergency? St. Louis water damage that cannot wait

Water damage is an emergency when water is still coming in, when it is sewage, or when it is near wiring, and speed matters because EPA says mold can grow if materials are not dried within 24 to 48 hours. HomeAdvisor prices clean water at $3 to $4 per square foot to extract and dry but sewage at $7 to $7.50. St. Louis gets 41.70 inches of precipitation a year and averages 11.0 days with an inch or more of rain, NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals show, which is when basements and backups fill up. Sewage is its own job: see sewage cleanup.

Sewer backups in St. Louis: MSD first, then the lateral

A sewer backup in St. Louis starts with a call to MSD at 314-768-6260, which checks the public sewer. If the public line is clear, the problem is usually your lateral, and both MSD and the City say the entire lateral from the house to the MSD main is private property. MSD has a limited program to help customers with building backups in certain cases, decided after an inspection, with no amounts listed. The City's Sewer Lateral Repair Program, paid by a $28 fee on the tax bill, fixes lateral breaks under the public right of way, but it does not clear clogs or roots. Questions: (314) 647-3111.

Storm and tornado damage in St. Louis

The May 16, 2025 tornado shows how fast a roof breach turns into water damage: the National Weather Service rated it EF3 with peak winds of 152 mph along a 22.77-mile path from near Richmond Heights to Edwardsville, Illinois, with 5 deaths and 38 injuries. The City keeps a contractor registry for tornado-damaged homes and posted a Summer 2026 Tornado Repairs funding notice. Roof openings need a tarp before drying can work; see roof repair in St. Louis. Never climb onto a damaged roof yourself.

Old basements, old pipes

St. Louis houses are the oldest of the 33 cities we cover: the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 survey puts the median year built at 1939 or earlier, with 57.9% of units built in 1939 or earlier. The City Water Division says the owner owns the whole water service line, with the public part from the main to the stop box covered by a $3.00 per quarter Service Line Repair Program. Angi lists a St. Louis burst pipe repair on an emergency call at $140 to $4,650.

Mold after water damage in St. Louis rentals

St. Louis Ordinance 71946, approved Dec 30, 2024, requires owners to prevent and remediate mold in rental units, bars a rental unit with mold from getting a Certificate of Inspection, and requires owners to tell tenants when mold is found. Tenants and owners can request an interior inspection through the Citizens Service Bureau, 314-622-4800; the City says fees may apply. Costs and steps are on mold removal in St. Louis.

Local rules, programs and climate for St. Louis, from the official city, utility, state, Census and NOAA pages listed under Sources.

Questions to ask a St. Louis restoration company

1. Will you photograph and meter every wet area and give me the readings for my insurer?
2. What category of water is this, and how does that change the price per square foot?
3. Who repairs the plumbing or lateral that caused it, and are they City-certified to pull the permit?
4. Will you start without asking me to sign over my insurance claim? (Do not sign one.)
5. Can I see proof of insurance and a written price before work starts?

Fire damage restoration in St. Louis

Fire damage restoration in St. Louis falls in the national range of $3,083 to $52,031 that HomeAdvisor and Angi report, with an average of $27,477; we found no St. Louis-only figure. Angi says minor smoke damage from a small cooking fire can cost as little as $800. Your insurer will usually want the fire department's report: the St. Louis Fire Department takes requests on its Incident Report Request form, emailed to [email protected], and the City lists no fee or turnaround. Call your insurer first, photograph everything before cleanup, and never sign a contract that hands your claim to a contractor. Water from firefighting needs drying too. More on fire damage restoration and smoke damage restoration.

More St. Louis guides

Leaks and laterals: plumber in St. Louis and emergency plumber in St. Louis. Ceilings: ceiling water damage repair. Compare water damage restoration in Kansas City and water damage restoration in Chicago, or start at water damage restoration. Calls go to an independent company that serves your area and takes this kind of job (how calls work).