Use the category a professional gave you; otherwise choose unknown.
Which published figures can guide a budget?
Regional commercial provider Save The Day Restoration reports a $500–$1,500 initial minimum and a $1,500–$5,000 example for a minor one-room clean-water loss in LA and Orange counties. HomeAdvisor publishes U.S. square-foot restoration ranges: clean $3–$4, gray $4–$6.50, and highly contaminated $7–$7.50. These sources are examples with different scopes, not Costa Mesa rates.
How is the illustrated range calculated?
For a previously known affected area from 10 to 5,000 square feet, choose clean, gray, high-contamination or unknown. Their provisional rates are $3–$4, $4–$6.50, $7–$7.50 and $3–$7.50 per square foot respectively. The lower base is the greater of area times its lower rate or $500; the upper base is the greater of area times its upper rate or $1,500. Add selected repair amounts to the unrounded bases first; then round the final lower total down and final upper total up to the nearest $100. Do not enter a wet area to measure or assign the water category yourself.
What is optional rather than included by default?
HomeAdvisor gives ceiling repair at $450–$1,600 and drywall repair at $300–$850. Save The Day separately states carpet removal $2–$4 and replacement $4–$12 per square foot, or hardwood removal $4–$8 and replacement $8–$20 or more. The model therefore offers carpet $6–$16 and hardwood $12–$28 or more, with nonoverlapping selected areas no greater than the affected floor area. Check for overlap with any provider's bid.
What cannot be inferred from a calculator?
It does not inspect a cabinet, heater or garage, test for contamination, determine policy benefits, or issue a contractor quote. The output stays in the browser without a form. Use the estimate checklist and ask a provider for a property-specific proposal.
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Sources
- HomeAdvisor, How Much Does Water Damage Restoration Cost? (accessed October 11, 2026).
- Save The Day Restoration, Water Damage Restoration Costs in LA and Orange County (accessed October 11, 2026).
- California Department of Insurance, Residential Insurance Guide (accessed October 11, 2026).
- California Contractors State License Board, Check a License (accessed October 11, 2026).