Clean, gray, and contaminated water

Nationwide

Category 3 Water Cleanup in the United States

Our team contains and removes Category 3 water, then cleans, sanitizes, and disposes of materials that cannot be safely restored.

24/7 emergency call access
Residential and commercial service
Water removal, cleanup, and drying
One team from assessment through drying

Call (844) 378-1877 Browse services

Signs to look for

When to call us for category 3 cleanup

If you notice any of these problems, call us before water has more time to spread into nearby materials.

Route: the water carries sewage or came up a sewer line

This is the route people already know, and it is unambiguous. Any sewage involvement places the loss in Category 3 from the first minute.

Route: the water came in from outdoors at ground level

Surface water that crossed soil or pavement is treated as Category 3. It arrives with soil, animal waste, fertilizer and whatever else was on the ground.

Route: the water contacted contamination on its way

The path counts as much as the origin. Clean supply water that ran across a soil crawl space or a backed up floor drain is no longer a Category 1 loss.

Route: it stood long enough, in a warm enough room, to degrade

Lower category water climbs the scale as it sits, and warmth speeds that up. Standing water nobody found for more than about two days is assessed at the top.

Route: there is decaying organic material in the water

A dead rodent, a nest or heavy insect activity in standing water is a recognized Category 3 route.

Route: nobody can identify where the water came from

An unidentified source is assessed at the top of the scale until it is named. Guessing low on the source is the most expensive mistake in this field.

What happens

How we handle category 3 cleanup

Our team adjusts the work to what got wet, how far the water traveled, and which materials can be saved.

The category determination, written down with its evidence

Source, path, elapsed time and room temperature are recorded with photographs. You get the reasoning behind the label, not just the label.

The class of loss assessed as a separate question

We measure how much of the total surface area of the space is wet porous material. That number sets the drying plan and it is independent of the category.

Entry safety before the protocol starts

Circuits serving the space are switched off at the panel, from dry footing, before the first crew member enters.

Sealed work area at the boundary with controlled airflow

Barriers, air scrubbing and a doffing station separate the affected area from the rest of the building. The clean side stays clean from that point.

Respiratory protection as baseline, not as an upgrade

On a Category 3 work plan, respiratory protection is worn as standard along with suits, boots, gloves and eye protection.

Work plan written line by line from the determination

Each item on the estimate traces back to the category call that justified it. That is what makes a work plan reviewable rather than a take it or leave it number.

Talk with our team

Water problem in the United States?

Tell us what happened, where the water came from, and what is wet.

Call (844) 378-1877

What to expect

What to expect from our team

Here is how we usually handle category 3 cleanup near the United States.

1
Walk us through where the water started and what it crossed

Source and path answer most of the category question before anyone arrives. Say plainly if you do not know, because unknown is treated at the top of the scale.
Your call
2
Write down when you last saw that floor dry

Elapsed time is a category input, and nobody can reconstruct it later. A note on your phone with a timestamp beats a memory in three weeks.
+5 minutes
3
Everyone out, and the circuits off, before anyone disturbs anything

People and pets out of the affected area, then power to it switched off at the panel from dry footing.
+10 minutes
4
Leave the scene as it is, because the scene is the evidence

Do not mop, bin anything or move contents around. Photograph what you can see from the doorway and let the determination be made on an undisturbed room.
+15 minutes
5
The determination interview, done room by room with you

We trace the source and path, fix the timeline, take room temperature and humidity, and photograph the evidence.
On arrival
6
Category recorded, then the class assessed separately

The category goes in the file with its evidence. Then we measure the wet porous material against the total surface area of the space to set the class.
First hour on site
7
Protocol matched to the category before work begins

Sealed work area, respiratory protection and the disposal route are set because the category requires them. Nothing moves until that boundary is established.
First hour on site

Understanding the cost

What can affect the price

We explain the recommended work and price before you approve the job. These examples show what may change the estimate.

Common situation	What the estimate may include	Typical range
Category 3 cleanup in one room or a small area, removal, cleaning and disinfection	National estimate. This is what the Category 3 label adds to a small loss: sealed work area, protection, documented disposal and a cleaned and dry release.	$2,000 to $4,000
Category 3 cleanup across a finished lower level, removal, cleaning, flood cut and drying	National estimate for a full contaminated level with disposal and multiple drying zones.	$7,000 to $18,000
Category 3 cleanup priced by affected area	National estimate for measured affected area at the top of the contamination scale.	$7 to $15 per square foot
Category 2 cleanup priced by affected area	National estimate for soiled water, where cleaning and cushion disposal are added to drying.	$4 to $9 per square foot
Category 1 cleanup priced by affected area	National estimate for clean water, where most materials are dried in place rather than removed.	$3 to $7 per square foot
Flood cut drywall and insulation removal, per square foot	National estimate for cutting, removing and bagging contaminated wall material and insulation.	$1.50 to $4.00
After hours or overnight dispatch charge	National estimate for an out of hours dispatch, ahead of any cleanup pricing.	$100 to $400

Which category the water is placed in
Category 1 is extraction and drying. Category 2 adds cleaning and cushion disposal. Category 3 adds sealed work area, protection, documented disposal and a higher release standard.
How much of the space is wet porous material
This is the class question and it prices separately from the category. More wet porous material across the total surface area means more equipment and more days.
How far the category escalated before anyone called
A loss caught as Category 1 and dried is a fraction of the same loss assessed as Category 3 on day three.
Height of the wet line on the walls
This drives drying difficulty, because a taller wet line means more wet surface and more cavity to dry.
Low permeance materials in the assembly
Hardwood over a subfloor, plaster, or a concrete slab holds bound water that leaves slowly. Those assemblies stretch the drying phase regardless of category.
Whether the determination is documented
A documented category is approved and paid. A label with nothing behind it gets queried, re scoped or partially denied, and that rework lands in your total.

Why timing matters

What can happen when the area stays wet

Water can keep moving into nearby materials even when the surface looks dry.

Categories only move in one direction once water is down

Water never improves on its own. A Category 1 loss becomes Category 2 and then Category 3, and no amount of drying reverses that.

The work plan grows with the category, not with the water volume

Moving up a category adds sealed work area, protection, disposal and material removal. The same gallon of water can cost twice as much on Thursday as it did on Monday.

Class is a separate question that delay also makes worse

As water migrates it wets more of the total surface area of the space, including walls and ceilings.

Vulnerable occupants carry the exposure

Infants, older adults, pregnant household members and immunocompromised people are the reason the standard allows an elevated response.

Helpful service information

What to know about category 3 cleanup

Start with the short explanation. Open a card if you want a little more detail.

What is happening inside the property

It sorts water by contamination into three brackets.

Read the explanation

The category scale comes from the IICRC S500 standard, which is the reference document professional restorers work to.

How the next step is decided

Category is about the water.

Read the explanation

Category and class get confused constantly, and the difference is genuinely useful. Category is about the water. Class is about the drying challenge, measured as how much of the total surface area of the space is wet porous material.

What may change the work

Category is assessed at the time of the inspection, not at the moment of the leak.

Read the explanation

Deterioration over time is the part homeowners are rarely told about. Category is assessed at the time of the inspection, not at the moment of the leak.

Help near you

Category 3 Water Cleanup near the United States

Choose your area below, or call (844) 378-1877 and describe what happened.

Available in Alabama

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Common questions

Questions about category 3 cleanup

What is Category 3 water?

Grossly contaminated water that can contain harmful agents. Under the IICRC S500 standard, it covers sewage, water from outdoors at ground level, water that contacted contamination on its way, and lower category water that degraded over time.

What are Category 1, 2 and 3 water?

Category 1 is clean water from a sanitary source such as a supply line. Category 2 is water carrying significant soil, such as appliance discharge or drain water.

What is the difference between category and class?

Category describes what is in the water. Class describes how hard the space will be to dry, based on how much of its total surface area is wet porous material.

How are the classes of loss defined?

By how much of the total surface area of the space, meaning floor, walls and ceiling together, is wet porous material.

Can Category 1 water become Category 3?

Yes, and this is the part most people are never told. Clean water picks up soil and grows bacteria as it stands, so it is treated as Category 2 within about a day and Category 3 beyond about two days.

My adjuster said Category 3. What does that mean for me?

It means the estimate should include sealed work area, protective equipment, removal of absorbed porous materials, documented disposal and a cleaned and dry release.

Does Category 3 mean everything in the room is thrown away?

No. The category condemns porous material that absorbed the water, not the contents of the room. Non porous and semi porous items such as metal, glass, sealed plastic, solid wood and plywood casework are commonly cleaned and kept.

Talk with our team

Water problem in the United States?

Tell us what happened, where the water came from, and what is wet.

Call (844) 378-1877

Areas we serve

Water-damage help across the United States

Choose your state to find water-removal, cleanup, and drying help in your area.

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Category 3 Water Cleanup in the United States

When to call us for category 3 cleanup

Route: the water carries sewage or came up a sewer line

Route: the water came in from outdoors at ground level

Route: the water contacted contamination on its way

Route: it stood long enough, in a warm enough room, to degrade

Route: there is decaying organic material in the water

Route: nobody can identify where the water came from

How we handle category 3 cleanup

The category determination, written down with its evidence

The class of loss assessed as a separate question

Entry safety before the protocol starts

Sealed work area at the boundary with controlled airflow

Respiratory protection as baseline, not as an upgrade

Work plan written line by line from the determination

Water problem in the United States?

What to expect from our team

Walk us through where the water started and what it crossed

Write down when you last saw that floor dry

Everyone out, and the circuits off, before anyone disturbs anything

Leave the scene as it is, because the scene is the evidence

The determination interview, done room by room with you

Category recorded, then the class assessed separately

Protocol matched to the category before work begins

What can affect the price

What can happen when the area stays wet

Categories only move in one direction once water is down

The work plan grows with the category, not with the water volume

Class is a separate question that delay also makes worse

Vulnerable occupants carry the exposure

What to know about category 3 cleanup

What is happening inside the property

How the next step is decided

What may change the work

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