A flooded basement is stressful, but what you do in the first hour matters more than almost anything else. Here's the order to work through.
1. Protect Yourself First
If the water could be in contact with electrical outlets, appliances, or your breaker panel, stay out and shut off power to the area at the breaker if you can safely reach it — if not, call an electrician before you go back in. If the water is coming from a sewer backup rather than clean rainwater, treat it as contaminated: avoid direct contact, and keep kids and pets out.
2. Stop Making It Worse
If you can identify the source — a sump pump that's failed, a floor drain backing up, a window well overflowing — address what's safe to address. Move anything you can off the floor: boxes, electronics, furniture. Every minute standing water sits against drywall and flooring adds to what needs replaced.
3. Document Before You Clean
Take photos and video of the water level, what got wet, and any visible damage before you start moving things or pumping water out. Your insurance company will ask for this, and it's much harder to reconstruct after the fact.
4. Figure Out Why It Happened
A one-time flood from an unusually heavy storm is different from a recurring problem. Common causes we see include clogged or collapsed sewer lines, tree roots in the line, gutters and downspouts tied into the sanitary sewer, and general problems with the city main. A video drain inspection tells you which one you're dealing with instead of guessing.
5. Call Before You Guess Twice
Sewer Cleaning Company is proud to offer a FREE video drain inspection. Our goal is to keep your home dry, safe from water intrusion, and free from repeat sewer backups. If your basement has already flooded, our excavation and waterproofing team can help make sure it doesn't happen again — see our sewer backup prevention guide for the longer-term fixes once the immediate crisis is handled.