Straight answers on cost, safety and local conditions, written by the people who do the work.
Fastest: call (833) 490-5225. Or send this and we call you back.
Updated October 8, 2026 · 8 min read
We found no price for water damage restoration that we could trace to a Portland job, so this guide prints no dollar figure. It explains what a quote is made of, why basements, crawl spaces and sewage cost differently, and how to read an estimate. Your own price is confirmed on site, in writing.
Updated October 8, 2026 · 8 min read
In the first hours of a wet Portland basement, find out whether the water is clean or came up a drain, stay out if it has reached an outlet, photograph it, lift belongings and call. The EPA advises drying within 24 to 48 hours. Seepage and flood are commonly excluded from homeowners policies.
Updated October 8, 2026 · 8 min read
Responsibility depends on where the blockage is. The city maintains the public main, and claims for damage from a city sewer backup go through the City's Risk Management. The owner generally maintains the private lateral to the main. A camera inspection usually shows which side the problem is on.
Updated October 8, 2026 · 8 min read
Oregon issues a Residential Restoration Contractor endorsement through the Construction Contractors Board, and seven other endorsements also allow restoration work. The restoration endorsement does not permit demolition or removing parts of the structure, such as sheetrock and carpet. Ask for the CCB number and check it on the Board's own lookup.
Updated October 8, 2026 · 8 min read
Mold can begin within a day or two on wet organic materials, which is why the EPA advises drying water-damaged items within 24 to 48 hours. We found no Oregon mold-specific license and no Portland mold rule, so check the contractor's CCB number, ask for a written scope and consider an independent assessor.
Updated October 8, 2026 · 8 min read
During the January 2024 ice storm, Portland firefighters received more than 1,000 potential water-emergency calls between January 13 and 17, mostly burst pipes, with calls peaking as pipes thawed. The lesson for a mild-winter city is to prepare pipes before the cold, find the shutoff and check them after the thaw begins.
Updated October 8, 2026 · 8 min read
The Portland area has a real flood record: the Willamette crested at 28.6 feet in Portland in February 1996, Johnson Creek reached about 15.3 feet in 2015, and the Columbia-side levees have an open certification question. Flood is usually excluded from homeowners policies, so it generally needs its own policy.
Updated October 8, 2026 · 8 min read
The state geology agency estimates about 20 landslides a year in Portland, at least 1,700 between 1928 and 2016, concentrated on West Hills slopes in wet winters. Most homeowners policies exclude landslide, so documentation and early advice from an engineer matter more than assumptions about cover.
Tell us what's happening and we'll tell you honestly whether it's a quick fix, and what help should cost.