Rebuilding a kitchen or bathroom after water damage

Wet materials can start to mold in one to three days, depending on the temperature, so drying needs to start right away.¹ The EPA says to fix the leak as soon as you can and to dry everything completely.²

Some damage needs a professional from the start. If the water was sewage or other contaminated water, the EPA says to bring in someone with experience cleaning and repairing buildings damaged by it, and to get help with mold covering more than about 10 square feet. If you think the heating and cooling system has mold in it, don't run it, since it can spread mold through the house.²

• Drywall. Water-soaked wallboard usually has to be removed and thrown away, since it loses its strength and may mold before it dries. Water wicks a couple of feet up drywall above the waterline, so walls often have to be opened to dry.^{1, 3}
• Insulation. Wet insulation inside a wall comes out, and the wall is opened to get to it.^{1, 3}
• Porous materials touched by dirty water or mold. Carpet, drywall and other materials that soak up water need to be thrown out if sewage or other contaminated water reached them.¹ The EPA adds that porous materials such as ceiling tiles and carpet may have to go if they've molded, since mold can be hard or impossible to clean out of them.²
• Electrical parts that were under water. Breakers, fuses, outlets, switches and light fixtures that were submerged must be replaced, and the wiring may need replacing too. NDSU Extension says to hire a professional for it.¹

Hard surfaces that don't soak up water, such as tile, metal and sealed counters, can usually be scrubbed with hot water and a heavy-duty cleaner, then disinfected. Never mix cleaning products, since the mix can give off toxic fumes.¹

• Make sure it's dry and the mold is gone. Don't paint or caulk over mold. Clean it up and dry the surface first, or the paint is likely to peel.²
• Check for lead in an older home. In a home built before 1978, tearing out and rebuilding walls and cabinets can disturb lead paint, and a remodeler paid to do it has to follow the EPA's lead-safe rules.⁴ Do you need a permit to remodel? Plus lead-safe rules explains what the rules ask of the remodeler, and the permits your city or county may need.
• Read the contract with the insurance claim in mind. Some states give you extra time to cancel a repair contract that an insurance claim pays for. Remodeling contracts, deposits and your right to cancel has those rules state by state.

Once the room is dry and clean, putting it back together is priced like a remodel. These are published national ranges from cost guides. They aren't quotes, and they don't include the water removal and drying, which is a separate job.

How much of the room has to be redone moves the price most. How much does a kitchen remodel cost? and How much does a bathroom remodel cost? break the ranges down by the size of the job, and Cabinets and countertops: what to spend prices the pieces most often replaced. For prices for your own room, you can get quotes from remodelers near you.