Proud home of the Southern Arkansas Muleriders, Magnolia is known as an educational hub thanks to the Southern Arkansas University. Nestled in the heart of Columbia County, the city is close to waterways and sometimes is affected by severe weather, making the homes vulnerable to flooding and water intrusion. As a resident, you probably know that mitigation is key to addressing water damage in your home. But are you aware of the costs and all the factors that affect it?
Backed by more than 50 years of combined expertise and an IICRC certification, we at Restore-It look to fulfill our role as industry educators with a high standard of honesty and transparency. By educating you, the homeowner, we believe you can make informed choices that ensure the well-being of their homes and families.
Today, we will openly discuss the expenses involved in a typical water damage restoration project. Let’s learn how these prices are determined for Magnolia, Arkansas, and what factors impact them.
How do we get the water damage mitigation costs at Restore-It?
Using a software program called Xactimate, we can accurately estimate the cost of a water mitigation and restoration project. This program has become the industry standard for estimating costs, particularly in insurance claims. Here’s how we, along with much of the industry, use it:
Step 1: The process begins with a technician thoroughly measuring and documenting the affected areas of your home.
Step 2: This data is entered into the software, ensuring precise measurements from floor to ceiling. This step is further refined by on-site assessments, which include measuring the relative humidity in building materials and the moisture levels in the surrounding air.
Step 3: Finally, the software’s itemized entries are adjusted according to the scope of work required for the restoration project.
Our cost calculation for water damage restoration at Restore-It
The square footage of the affected area is the key to determining the pricing for water damage restoration projects. This includes tasks such as removing carpet, extracting water, and removing building materials like drywall, all of which can be quantified in square footage. However, sometimes, pricing is determined by linear footage; for instance, the removal of baseboards is priced based on their length.
Under certain conditions, the pricing can be estimated according to the work needed based on the room size. We often use this method when estimating for "content manipulation," which involves moving furniture and personal belongings. Another way to assess the price is to calculate the work needed per hour.
Now, the software is perfect for getting a baseline cost; however, it's good to remember that this is only an estimation tool. By using this tool to input the information, we can get the initial estimate for the invoice and a good idea of the scale and duration of the job.
The costs of mitigating water damage in Magnolia: From least expensive to the most costly
Several factors will impact the final cost of a water mitigation and restoration project. These include the size of the property and the type of flooding (clean water, contaminated water, or heavily contaminated water). Additionally, the materials used in the building and other variables can raise the total cost.
To understand the costs, it's a good idea to start by looking at the typical price ranges since costs can vary based on the job size. For example, a small project might begin at $3500, while a medium-sized project could start at $12,000. Larger projects, suitable for significant water damage in a 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom residence, could range from $35,000 to more.
Other factors impacting the costs are the situation's complexity, travel time, and if emergency rates are applied. The prices previously shown were calculated for regular business hours, while after-hours can be slightly higher.
3 scenarios for water damage mitigation costs in Magnolia
Living in a small rural city has its advantages. Friendly people, beautiful landscapes, and, for Magnolia, the cost of living is about 31.3% lower than the US average. This means that our prices for water damage mitigation are cheaper than the same work in bigger cities like Little Rock or New Orleans. As such, we have developed examples to illustrate how much are the expenses of a water damage mitigation effort. These examples cover a flooded bedroom, a flooded living room, and a flooded living room with sewage water.
First case: Bedroom flooded
For this situation, we are dealing with a typical 12x12 ft bedroom with an 8 ft ceiling, totaling 144 sq ft and 48 linear feet (lf). The water source is a category 2 flood, meaning the water is contaminated and unsafe to drink (aka "gray water"). All property affected (including personal items) has to be removed. This goes for the furniture, carpet pad, and carpet. Also, the space must be sanitized. This is how the cost of each task is calculated (excluding taxes):
- Removing content: $104.77
- Extracting water from the carpeted floor (144 sq ft): $123.84
- Removing and disposing of wet carpet (144 sq ft): $99.36
- Removing and disposing of damp carpet pad (144 sq ft): $93.6
- Removing the baseboard (48 lf): $28.32
- Use of 4 air movers (per 5 days): $606
- Light HEPA vacuuming (144 sq ft): $76.32
- Use of 1 dehumidifier (per 5 days): $428.05
- Setting up, taking down, and monitoring equipment (10 hours): $750.6
- Applying a biocide agent to the floor (144 sq ft): $44.64
- Emergency service call during business hours: $208.34
- Hauling debris and dumping fees: $167.49
The total cost is $2731.33, excluding taxes and extra labor hours due to added travel time from El Dorado.
Second case: Living room flooded
The affected area is a living room measuring 15x20 ft with a height of 8 ft, totaling 300 sq ft, and with 70 lf. Similar to the previous instance, the water comes from a category 2 source. Some building materials require removal. The flooring does not have carpet. This is how we calculate the cost (excluding taxes):
- Removing content: $209.53
- Extracting water from hard surface floor (300 sq ft): $249
- Removing the baseboard (70 lf): $41.3
- Removing the trim, and disposal (70 lf): $91.7
- Removing, cleanup, and disposing of wet drywall (300 sq ft): $339
- Light HEPA vacuuming (300 sq ft): $159
- Use of 5 air movers (per 5 days): $1060.5
- Use of 1 dehumidifier (per 5 days): $557.3
- Setting up, taking down, and monitoring equipment (10 hours): $750.6
- Applying an antimicrobial agent to the floor (300 sq ft): $93
- Emergency service call during business hours: $208.34
- 3 pickup truck loads hauling debris, as well as dumping fees: $502.47
The total cost is $4261.74, excluding taxes and extra labor hours due to added travel time from El Dorado.
Third case: Living room flooded with sewage water
In this instance, we are looking at a living room with the same measurements as the previous one. However, this time the flooding is a category 3, also known as "black water." This means the water is so polluted is hazardous upon contact. Also, in this case, the floor is carpeted. Let's explore how all these factors affect the costs (excluding taxes):
- Removing content: $209.53
- Extracting water from hard carpeted floor (300 sq ft): $411
- Removing and disposal of carpet (300 sq ft): $375
- Removing and disposal of the baseboard (70 lf): $74.9
- Removing and disposal of wet carpet pad (300 sq ft): $282
- Removing and disposal of wet drywall and clean up (140 sq ft): $224
- Use of decontamination equipment (9 units): $417.06
- Light HEPA vacuuming (300 sq ft): $159
- Use of 7 air movers (per 5 days): $1060.5
- Use of 1 dehumidifier (per 5 days): $557.3
- Applying a biocide agent to the floor (440 sq ft): $136.4
- Setting up, taking down, and monitoring equipment (10 hours): $750.6
- Emergency service call during business hours: $208.34
- 3 pickup truck loads hauling debris, as well as dumping fees: $502.47
The total cost is $5368.1, excluding taxes and extra labor hours due to added travel time from El Dorado.
Water damage restoration pricing in Magnolia
In Magnolia, Arkansas, where the beauty of Southern living meets the unpredictability of the natural world, water damage is a concern that no property owner can afford to ignore. In January of this year, the area suffered from severe flooding due to heavy rainfall.
To give you peace of mind, it's good to know that because water damage restoration is all about rebuilding the affected areas, the costs are not affected by the type of flood category. By this stage, mitigation and remediation have already taken care of material removal and sanitation. With that said, let's look at a scenario to understand how we may price a restoration project.
Case: Full restoration of a room
We are going to look at a room that needs repairs, with dimensions of 12x12 and a height of 8 feet. Next, we will assess the complete cost of this process (not including taxes):
- Use of a negative air fan or air scrubber (per 5 days): $77.55
- Masking more than the ceiling (per 432 sq ft): $142.56
- Replacing ½” drywall (per 144 sq ft): $276.48
- Texturing the drywall (per 144 sq ft): $109.44
- Applying 1 coat of seal/primer and 2 coats of paint for the ceiling (per 144 sq ft): $241.92
- Replacing 3¼” crown (per 48 lf): $207.84
- Applying two coats of paint for crown molding (per 48 lf): $96.96
- Replacing 3¼” baseboard (per 48 lf): $169.44
- Applying two coats of paint for the baseboard (per 48 lf): $93.60
- Final cleaning (per 144 sq ft): $44.64
The total cost is $1770.63, excluding taxes and extra labor hours due to added travel time from El Dorado. While this example can teach you how we estimate each task in a small area, depending on the case, a restoration project can be considerably more expensive, to the point that it becomes more costly than just water damage mitigation and remediation.
Due to its high price, lack of urgency, and longer time frame compared to other processes like mitigation and restoration, some clients leave this type of project for much later.
Although the numbers provided in this article are a general estimation that may not fit your very specific situation, we hope that by now, you have a better understanding of the costs involved in these projects. It should be easy for you to handle your finances and avoid financial stress or to obtain payment for your insurance needs.
Budgeting or planning after your home suffers from water damage can be difficult, especially if you don't have an idea of how much the whole process can cost. Thankfully, after reading our article, you have learned all the essential information regarding the costs of this type of project. Now, all you need to do is contact us so we can give you a quote. Our staff Restore-It is ready to help you get your home back to its former condition.
