What happens when you call
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Tell us what happened. 30 seconds - where the water is and how bad.
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You're connected with a local restoration crew while you're on the line.
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The crew confirms timing and sets your arrival time with you directly.
What do Detroit crews handle?
- Burst & frozen pipes
- Flooded basements & crawl spaces
- Sewage backup & extraction
- Storm & roof-leak flooding
- Ceiling leaks & appliance failures
- Structural drying & dehumidification
Common emergencies in Detroit
- Basement & sewer flooding
- Frozen pipes
- Severe thunderstorms
What's different about water damage in Detroit?
Detroit's 2021 floods showed what happens when big rain meets an old sewer system - basements across Wayne County took sewage backups at once. The housing stock is solid but aging: original galvanized lines, stone and block basements, boilers and radiators that fail in freeze snaps, and ice dams on every winter roofline.
Michigan policies cover sudden failures and freeze-bursts when the home was reasonably heated. Sewer and drain backup - Detroit's signature basement loss - needs its own endorsement, and rising street water needs flood insurance. After area-wide events, document early; adjusters triage thousands of claims at once.
Your call goes to a crew based in the Detroit area. Serving Detroit, Dearborn, Warren, Livonia, Southfield, Troy, and all of Wayne County.
Repairing water damage in Detroit: rules, homes, and who to call
If sewage backed up into your basement, Michigan law gives you 45 days from discovering the damage to send a written notice to the sewer system owner, which in Detroit is DWSD. Call 313-267-8000 first to get a Service Request number; the city's Notice of Claim form requires it. The agency is liable only if a system defect it knew or should have known about, and failed to fix in reasonable time, substantially caused the backup, so check your own policy's sewer-backup coverage too. Jefferson Chalmers is in the FEMA 100-year floodplain. Under FEMA's definition, a building is substantially damaged when restoring it would cost 50% or more of its pre-damage market value, so ask BSEED before repairs start. Your water line past the curb stop and your sewer line out to the city connection, usually in the alley, are yours to repair.
Permits and licensing
Michigan's LARA says any contractor offering home work totaling $600 or more in labor and materials must be licensed: either a residential builder license or a maintenance and alteration license that lists specific trades, such as roofing or basement waterproofing. Ask to see the pocket card. Inside Detroit city limits, BSEED issues building permits for repairs and separate trade permits for plumbing, electrical, mechanical and boiler work. Trade permits need a city-licensed contractor; BSEED lists a deed copy and ID for owner applicants. BSEED says permit applications must include a blight clearance from the Department of Appeals and Hearings. In a local historic district, all exterior work needs a permit. Michigan has no mold law for homes. Suburbs such as Dearborn and Warren issue their own permits.
How Detroit homes are built
Rosedale Park has more than 1,500 single-family houses built from 1917 to 1955, and a deed restriction quoted in the city's report required a full basement of brick, stone or cement. In Sherwood Forest, all houses are masonry, mostly brick veneer over frame, concrete block or hollow clay tile, and roofs are often slate. Sources: the city's historic district final reports.
When emergencies cluster
Summer downpours drive basement losses. On August 11, 2014, 4 to 6 inches fell over four hours across Wayne, southern Oakland and Macomb counties. June 25-26, 2021 brought 3 to 5 inches across Metro Detroit, locally 6 to 8. On August 24, 2023, 3 to 5 inches fell overnight, hitting western Wayne County hardest. Winter brings frozen pipes: in late January 2019, Detroit stayed below zero for 36 straight hours.
Water and gas: who handles what
Inside Detroit, water and sewer are the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department. Report a main break, street flooding or a sewer backup at 313-267-8000 or through the Improve Detroit app. DWSD maintains service lines up to the curb stop; the line from there into the house is yours. Gas is DTE Energy: for a suspected leak, leave the area, call 911, then DTE's gas leak hotline at 800-947-5000.
Also serving nearby
Common questions
How fast can someone be here?
Our line is answered 24/7, and you're connected with a local restoration crew while you're on the call. The crew confirms timing and sets your arrival time with you directly.
Sewage backed up in the basement like 2021 - covered?
Only with a sewer backup endorsement. If you have it, act fast and document - after area-wide events, early well-documented claims move first.
Radiator or boiler line burst - covered?
Water damage from a sudden heating-system failure is often covered; repairing or replacing the failed boiler or radiator line itself often isn't. Review your policy, including endorsements. Keep the failed part, since adjusters may want to see it.
My basement flooded with sewage after a storm in Detroit. What is the deadline to file with DWSD?
Michigan law gives you 45 days from discovering the damage to send DWSD a written notice. Call 313-267-8000 first for a Service Request number, which the city's Notice of Claim form requires. The city is liable only if a system defect it knew about, or should have, substantially caused the backup, so photograph the damage, keep cleanup receipts and check your policy too.
Do I need a permit to replace a water-damaged furnace or boiler in Detroit?
Usually yes. BSEED requires a permit for any new or altered heating system and for installing or altering a boiler; repairing or replacing minor parts that do not make the unit unsafe does not need one. Trade permits are pulled by a city-licensed contractor, and BSEED lists a deed copy and ID for owner applicants. Applications also need a blight clearance from the Department of Appeals and Hearings.
A water main broke on my street. Who is responsible for my house?
Report it to DWSD at 313-267-8000 or through the Improve Detroit app. DWSD maintains the system up to the curb stop; the line from there into your home is yours. When a GLWA-operated 54-inch main broke at Beard and Rowan on February 17, 2025, DWSD opened a separate damage claims process. Insurance coverage depends on your policy, so check it.
Do you work with my insurance?
Many restoration contractors work with adjusters. Ask how billing works on the call, and ask the contractor about documentation and coordination with your adjuster. Sudden, accidental water damage is typically covered by homeowner's insurance. Review your policy, including endorsements.
What does it cost?
It depends on how far the water spread. Ask for a written scope and estimate before work starts. Sudden, accidental water damage is typically covered by homeowner's insurance. Review your policy, including endorsements.
What should I do while I wait?
If it's safe, shut off the water source and power to wet areas, and move valuables up off the floor. The crew handles the rest.