Somerville, MA · 24/7
Water Damage Restoration Somerville, MA
Water damage restoration in Somerville is mostly triple decker work: water that starts on the third floor and ends up in the basement apartment. We follow it down through every level, extract what’s standing, dry each unit until it reads normal, and handle the repairs.
Somerville is a short trip from our South End shop; arrival is typically 45 to 60 minutes.
By the numbers
Somerville Housing and Why It Matters for Water
- About 59%of homes built before 1939
- About 55%in two family homes, conversions or small apartment buildings
- About 67%of homes are rented
Housing figures are U.S. Census American Community Survey estimates. Old buildings, close together, with several households each: that combination is why a single leak here so often becomes a multi unit job.
Rain and sewers
Why Do Somerville Basements Back Up in Storms?
Much of Somerville drains through a combined sewer, where rain and wastewater share pipes. In a heavy storm the system can overflow, and sewage backs up through basement floor drains, toilets, sinks and washers.
The City expects a 100 year, 24 hour storm to drop about 30 percent more rain by 2070, and storm surge along the Mystic River adds risk in some neighborhoods. Its Flood Ready program covers backflow preventers and what residents can do.
Notice a clogged catch basin on your street? Report it to 311 before the next storm.
Neighborhoods
Around Somerville
Union Square and Somerville Avenue
Low ground and old utilities. The City’s Somerville Avenue utility and streetscape work is part of its flood reduction plans. Basements here are checked after every big rain.
Davis, Teele and Ball Square
Street after street of triple deckers and two families; most calls start as a ceiling stain under an upstairs bathroom.
Winter Hill, Spring Hill and Prospect Hill
Hillside lots where runoff runs toward the downhill foundation, and older houses with deep basements.
East Somerville and Ten Hills
Nearer the Mystic River, where storm surge is a growing concern on top of heavy rain.
Repairs
Water Damage Repair in Somerville
Water damage repair in Somerville tends to mean plaster, hardwood and radiators, not just drywall. Original plaster and floors dry more slowly but can usually stay, so we give them the time before deciding anything comes out.
- Ceiling repairs in the unit below the leak
- Plaster patching and skim coating
- Hardwood dried, sanded and refinished
- Basement walls and flooring replaced after backups
- Painting and trim to finish each room
Day by day
How Long Does a Somerville Water Job Take?
Most multi unit jobs here run about a week from the first call to the start of repairs. The schedule below is typical for a supply line leak on an upper floor; a sewer backup adds cleaning and removal time.
Day 1
Source stopped, water extracted on every affected floor, readings logged, equipment placed and the owner briefed.
Days 2 to 4
Daily visits to read each wall, ceiling and floor, move equipment where it is needed and pull it where it isn’t.
Day 4 or 5
Most rooms reach dry standard. Plaster and hardwood may need a day or two longer.
After drying
Ceilings, walls and floors repaired, painted and finished, unit by unit.
Typical calls
What Brings Somerville Owners to Us
- 01
Third floor bathroom leaks
A wax ring or tub drain that has been seeping for weeks before the ceiling below shows a stain.
- 02
Back porch pipe bursts
Lines running along enclosed porches that freeze in January.
- 03
Storm backups
Sewage through floor drains when the combined system overflows.
- 04
Water heater failures
Old tanks in shared basements that let go overnight.
Mold
Mold Removal in Somerville
Basement units, bathrooms without exhaust fans and the walls behind old radiators are where we find mold in Somerville. After a sewer backup or a slow leak, growth can start in a day or two on materials that stay wet.
We isolate the affected space, take out what can’t be cleaned, filter the air with HEPA units and deal with the moisture. Landlords and tenants receive the same written record. See mold removal for Greater Boston.
Cost
What Does It Cost to Fix Water Damage in Somerville?
A clean water leak in one room usually starts near $1,500. Sewer backups and soaked basement apartments typically run $3,000 to $10,000 or more because of cleaning and removal.
| What happened | Where it usually lands | What changes it |
|---|---|---|
| Upstairs leak into one ceiling | From about $1,500 | How far it traveled, plaster repair, painting |
| Storm backup into a basement unit | $3,000 to $10,000+ | Category 3 cleaning, flooring and wall removal, belongings |
| All three floors of a triple decker | Set after inspection | Units affected, ceilings opened, access to each unit |
Insurance
Does Insurance Cover Sewer Backups in Somerville?
Often only with a sewer and drain backup endorsement, so read your declarations page before the next storm.
Supply line leaks
Sudden pipe or appliance failures are commonly covered under standard homeowners and condo policies.
Combined sewer overflow
Backups during heavy rain usually need specific backup coverage, separate from flood insurance.
Tenants
Renters insurance protects your belongings; the owner’s policy covers the building.
Proof
We log each unit separately so owners, tenants and adjusters work from one shared record.
Why us
Why Somerville Landlords and Tenants Call Us
Multifamily work is most of what we do in Somerville, and everyone in the building gets the same clear information.
Get to know our restoration team or read what happens at each stage.
- Every affected unit measured and logged
- Category 3 backups handled with protective gear
- IICRC certified and Massachusetts insured
- Ten years in Greater Boston
- Estimate in writing, no hidden fees
Somerville questions
Somerville Water Damage Questions
Water came through my ceiling from the apartment upstairs. What now?
Turn off power to any wet light fixture, put a bucket under the drip, tell the upstairs tenant and the owner, and call. We dry both units and document each one.
Why did my basement flood with sewage during a rainstorm?
Somerville’s combined sewer can overflow in heavy rain and push wastewater back through floor drains and fixtures. A backflow preventer can reduce the risk.
Should I go into a flooded basement?
Not if water could reach outlets or the panel, and not without boots and gloves if it’s a backup. Wait for the power to be safely off.
How much does the work cost?
A single room leak often starts around $1,500, and a basement backup with finished walls costs more. You see a written estimate before we begin.
Do you deal with my landlord?
Yes. With your permission, we coordinate access and share the findings with the owner and any insurer.
Should I install a backflow preventer after a sewer backup?
If your basement fixtures sit below street level, it is worth asking a licensed plumber. The City’s Flood Ready program explains how these devices help keep storm overflow out of basements.
Can a tenant’s belongings be saved after a backup?
Hard items can usually be cleaned. Porous things touched by sewage, like mattresses, rugs and upholstered furniture, generally can’t be made safe, so we photograph and list them for the claim.
Do you need into every unit of a triple decker?
Ideally, yes. Water drops through floors and wall cavities, so the units below the leak get checked too, and help from the owner with access speeds everything up.
More areas
Serving Somerville and Its Neighbors
- Boston neighborhoods
- Back Bay, Beacon Hill, the South End, Dorchester, South Boston, Charlestown, East Boston, Roxbury, Jamaica Plain and West Roxbury
- North of the city
- Everett and Medford, across the Mystic River
Water Coming Through a Somerville Ceiling?
Call now. Tell us which floor it started on and we’ll check every unit below it.
Water Damage Restoration Boston · 512 Tremont St, Boston, MA 02118 · (857) 675-6821