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Guides

What drying out costs

Three national cost guides put a typical job somewhere from about $1,200 to $5,700.1,2,3 Dirtier water costs more: Bob Vila lists $3 to $4 a square foot for clean water and $7 to $7.50 for black water.3

Last reviewed October 24, 20267 sources, numbered in the textSee sources

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Published ranges

National figures, because Olympia has none

The three guides count different work, so treat them as a sense of scale and get a written quote.

Typical total, three published guides

  • Thumbtack1 Oct 2026$1,215–$4,387
  • Fixr2 Jan 2025$1,200–$5,000
  • Bob Vila3 May 2023$1,305–$5,707

Accent mark = the guide's stated average. They include different work, which is why they disagree.

Per square foot, by water category

Bob Vila3Thumbtack1
Category 1, clean$3–$4$3.75
Category 2$4–$6.50$4.50
Category 3$7–$7.50$7
$450–$600Drying and cleanup only, national benchmark, not a quote.

A quote may cover only drying, or also drywall, ceilings and flooring. Ask which, and what water category it assumes.3,1

For a wet basement or one room, enter the square footage to see a drying-only benchmark.

Before anyone starts work

Questions for whoever comes out

  1. Their Washington contractor registration number. State law says any advertising that shows a contractor's name or address must show the current registration number.4 Look it up with Labor & Industries' Verify tool.
  2. Whether they are bonded and insured for damage that may happen on the job, which L&I tells homeowners to confirm.5
  3. A written contract you understand, and for a large job, whether a performance bond is available.5
  4. Which water category they assigned, and what they saw that put it there.6
  5. That rebuilding waits until your adjuster has looked, and a line-item estimate for your file.7

Look up a license: Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (Verify a contractor)

How this works

What happens when you call

It is free to call, and calling commits you to nothing.

  1. A man in a rain jacket on a covered porch talks on the phone while rain pours over a clogged gutter behind him.
    1

    You call

    Tell them what happened and where. Have the address ready.

  2. 2

    We connect you

    A call network puts you through to an independent local restoration company that serves Olympia and is taking calls.

  3. A technician points to a water stain on a sloped bedroom ceiling beside a rain-streaked dormer window while the homeowner listens.
    3

    They assess and quote

    If you want a visit, they look at the damage and quote their own price. Ask for it in writing.

We are a free referral service, not a contractor. The company that answers sets its own prices. How this service works

Two women share tea at a kitchen table and smile while a fan dries the floor, rain and evergreens outside.

Want a local company to look at it?

Free to call. An independent restoration company that serves Olympia answers, and you decide what happens next.

Call (360) 584-9136

Olympia Water Damage Advice is a free referral and information service, not a contractor. Calls go through our call-tracking line to independent local restoration companies, and we may be paid when a call qualifies. We do not do the work and do not set prices or availability. How it works

Sources

Each numbered note on this page points here. We read every page on October 24, 2026. Where sources disagree we say so; where we could not find a source we left the claim out. We are not affiliated with any of these organizations.

  1. Thumbtack, 2026 Water Damage Restoration Cost. Last updated October 23, 2026. www.thumbtack.com/p/water-damage-restoration-cost Thumbtack is a marketplace that sells leads to contractors. Its per-square-foot figures are attributed to National Flood Services.
  2. Fixr.com, Water Damage Restoration Cost. Updated January 31, 2025. www.fixr.com/costs/water-damage-restoration Fixr's range includes drywall and ceiling repair, not only drying.
  3. Bob Vila, Rochel Maday, "How Much Does Water Damage Restoration Cost?". Last updated May 30, 2023. www.bobvila.com/articles/water-damage-restoration-cost/
  4. Washington State Legislature, RCW 18.27.100, Registration of contractors: business names, advertising. Current text on leg.wa.gov. app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=18.27.100
  5. Washington State Department of Labor & Industries, Hiring a contractor. No date shown. lni.wa.gov/licensing-permits/contractors/hiring-a-contractor/
  6. IICRC, ANSI/IICRC S500 Consensus Body Issues Position Statement on Category of Water Damage and Weather-Related Events (press release). March 16, 2026. iicrc.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Weather-Related-Water-Damage-Position-PR_March-2026.p…
  7. Triple-I (Insurance Information Institute), Settling insurance claims after a disaster. No date shown (page copyright 2026). www.iii.org/article/settling-insurance-claims-after-a-disaster
Call (360) 584-9136Free service. We'll connect you with a local restoration company. How it works