Frequently Asked Questions

No. Water from a broken supply line is generally clean when it starts, but water that has passed through drains, or that comes from outside, can be contaminated. Sewage and floodwater are treated as contaminated, and the water category affects the work involved. Avoid contact with sewage or floodwater, and ask a professional to assess the water.

The National Weather Service's average first fall freeze at Memphis is November 12, and the average last spring freeze is March 18, using a 32 degree Fahrenheit threshold and records through 2020. Averages are not forecasts, so a freeze can arrive earlier or later.

Do not force it. If the leak is inside the building and could flood it, call MLGW's emergency hotline at 901-528-4465, which says it will turn off the water supply. A plumber can also help with a valve you cannot operate. Keep people away from water near electrical equipment.

MLGW describes the water service line as a shared responsibility between MLGW and the homeowner. A plumber or MLGW can tell you which part of the line is yours before you pay for a repair. Photograph the damage and keep receipts for any temporary protection while you find out.

They do different jobs. A plumber repairs the failed pipe or fitting, while a restoration provider deals with wet materials and drying. Some jobs need both. Ask each company for proof of insurance, any trade license the job requires, and a written scope and price.

MLGW treats a burst pipe or water heater as an emergency if the leak is inside your home or business and poses a danger of flooding the building. A slow leak may not meet that test. If you are unsure, describe it to MLGW at 901-528-4465 and ask.

Not necessarily. A stain shows that water reached the ceiling at some point, but it does not show whether the source is still active or what the source was. Someone who inspects the ceiling and the space above it can tell you more. Dated photos help if you later make a claim.

Treat a sagging or bulging ceiling as a hazard and keep people and pets out from under it. Water can add weight to ceiling material. Stay away from any wet area near light fixtures or outlets as well. Call 911 if you see an immediate danger such as a ceiling that looks ready to fall.

It depends on what caused the leak and on your policy wording. Many standard policies cover sudden and accidental water discharge from plumbing, and generally exclude flood, but your policy controls. Ask your insurer how it treats your loss and read the claim guide for the steps.

Photograph and video the ceiling, the room and the items that got wet before cleanup, where it is safe. Keep receipts and note the date and time you noticed the water. TDCI and the Red Cross both recommend documenting damage, and your insurer will ask for it.

Not necessarily. A pause in dripping does not show that a wet area is dry or that the equipment near it is safe. FEMA/Ready.gov guidance advises not touching wet electrical equipment or electrical equipment while standing in water. Keep people away from the area, and call 911 for an immediate danger such as suspected electrocution.

Yes. Water can enter through the roof covering, flashing or gutters and show up on the ceiling below. A roofer can inspect those parts, while a plumber checks pipes and fixtures. Your policy wording decides how an insurer treats a roof-related leak, so ask before repairs begin.

It is a referral service for homeowners, not a contractor. It helps you find a local restoration provider that serves your address. The guide does not do the work, does not name individual companies and does not set prices. Ask any provider you talk to for proof of insurance and any trade license the job requires.

A restoration provider deals with the physical work of water removal, drying and cleanup. An insurance adjuster works for the insurer and evaluates the claim. They do different jobs, and one does not replace the other. Read your policy and ask the insurer what it needs from you.

The City of Memphis says flood events and elevated flood stages have historically occurred from November through May each year. That describes past river conditions, not a forecast. Flooding from a burst pipe or a sewer backup can happen in any month, and a separate flood policy has a 30-day waiting period.

Any development inside the regulatory floodplain needs a Floodplain Development Permit from the City of Memphis. For other repairs, ask the permitting office before work starts. Shelby County Permits & Codes is at 901-222-8300, and the Civil Design Bureau at 901-636-6700 answers floodplain questions inside the city.

Have your address, what caused the water, which rooms are wet and whether the water is still coming in. Add your insurance company and policy number, plus photos of the damage taken before cleanup. Ask for a written scope and price, and proof of insurance, before anything begins.

No. It summarizes public information from utilities, agencies and statutes, and it may not fit your situation. Your policy wording and the facts of your loss decide what applies. For a dispute with an insurer, the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance takes policy questions at 615-741-2218 or 800-342-4029.

No. MLGW lists 901-544-6549 as Residential Customer Care, open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., for billing and service connections. For a burst pipe or water heater leak inside your home that threatens to flood the building, MLGW's emergency hotline is 901-528-4465, and MLGW says it will turn off the water supply.

Call City of Memphis Public Works at 901-636-6762 on weekdays, or Memphis 311 at 901-636-6500 to speak with a live agent. Those are the city's listed contacts for sewer-backup reports. Ask which part of the line is yours before you pay for repairs.

Residents may report clogged or blocked storm drains to the Drain Maintenance Service Office at 901-357-0100 or to Memphis 311. A drain by your own garage may be private, and the city says maintaining a private drain is the property owner's job.

Use the contacts for the municipality where the house sits, not the mailing address. For municipal water or sewer problems in Bartlett, Collierville or Germantown, use that municipality's contacts, listed in the suburb table above. Olive Branch is across the state line in Mississippi and has its own Public Works number.

In Memphis, the Division of Engineering's Civil Design Bureau takes floodplain and National Flood Insurance Program questions at 901-636-6700. In unincorporated Shelby County, the County Engineer's office at 901-545-4320 advises on flood maps and map changes; Bartlett, Collierville and Germantown residents should use their own municipality. Flood questions are separate from water damage claims, which go through your insurer.

Call 911 for an immediate danger to people, such as a gas smell, suspected electrocution or a ceiling in danger of collapse. The Red Cross advises leaving at once if you smell gas or hear hissing, and calling the fire department after you reach safety.

Per FEMA's spring flood fact sheet on Ready.gov, wet carpeting, furniture, bedding and other items holding moisture “can develop mold within 24 to 48 hours.” EPA says that in most cases mold will not grow if wet or damp items are dried within 24-48 hours. The agencies word it differently, and neither names an exact hour.

Tennessee's health department does not recommend routine mold testing as a first step, and it does not test homes. Its advice is to fix the moisture problem and remove or clean visible mold. Discuss any testing question with your insurer and your provider before paying for it.

Tennessee has no separate state license for mold assessors or remediators. Contractor licensing still applies: Tennessee requires a contractor license when acting as a prime contractor on projects costing $25,000 or more, and in Shelby County a home improvement license is required for residential remodeling projects costing $3,000–$24,999. Ask the provider which license covers the work.

FEMA/Ready.gov guidance advises against entering buildings with visible or suspected mold if you have asthma, lung disease or immune suppression. That is FEMA's wording for its flood guidance, and your doctor is the right person to ask about your own health.

It depends on your policy. TDCI says standard homeowners policies typically do not cover flood or backed-up drains and sewers, and it advises prompt notice of a loss. Ask your insurer directly how your policy treats mold that follows a water loss, and read the exclusions and limits.

Tennessee health guidance says there are no national standards for a safe level of mold, and that all molds can cause problems. The health department's practical advice is to fix the moisture and remove or clean visible mold. Testing is not the first step it recommends.

Tennessee does not make that decision for you. If you hire one, the fee is capped at 15% of settlement proceeds if the contract precedes the insurer's offer; after an offer, it is capped at 25% of the increase over the insurer's last offer before the contract (Tenn. Code §56-6-913). Check the contract date and the fee terms before signing.

Under Tennessee rule 0780-01-05-.08(1), within 60 days after it receives properly completed and executed proofs of loss, the insurer must advise you of acceptance or denial, or notify you that more investigation is needed. If the investigation is still incomplete, it sends a letter with the reasons 60 days after that notice and every 60 days thereafter.

The rule says the insurer tenders payment within 30 days of affirmation of liability, if the amount of the claim is determined and not in dispute. The rule's decision timing and its 60-day status letters are covered in the table earlier on this page, and TDCI takes questions about your policy at 615-741-2218 or 800-342-4029.

TDCI says standard homeowners policies typically do not cover flood or backed-up drains and sewers. The NFIP sells flood coverage, up to $250,000 for a one-to-four-unit building and $100,000 for contents, with a 30-day waiting period. Check your own policy and any flood policy for exact terms.

TDCI takes questions about insurance policies at 615-741-2218 or 800-342-4029, the consumer lines it lists for complaints. Its complaint page says the policy must have been written in Tennessee. The rule timing described above is the reference for comparing your insurer's response.

TDCI advises temporary protection first and an inspection before permanent repairs where possible. Photograph and video the damage first, keep receipts for temporary work, and ask your insurer what it needs to see before you tear out or replace materials.

Your own written itemized estimate is the only number that applies to your job. The national consumer guide Angi lists $450 to $16,000 with a $3,868 average (2026), and the total depends on water type, area and materials. Ask each provider to itemize the work so you can compare the estimates.

In Angi's national figures (2026), yes. It lists $3.50 per square foot for clean water, $5.25 for gray water and $7.50 for black water. Angi uses black water for the most heavily contaminated category, and it carries the highest figure.

It should separate labor, materials, equipment and tax, and say which work each line covers. That lets you compare providers and lets your insurer's adjuster check the items. Ask each provider for proof of insurance and any trade license the job requires.

Tennessee requires a state contractor license for a prime contractor on projects of $25,000 or more. In Shelby County, a home improvement license applies to residential remodeling projects of $3,000–$24,999. Ask the provider which license fits the work in your estimate, and get the answer before work begins.

No. FEMA's examples, such as about $11,000 for 1 inch of floodwater in a 1,000-square-foot one-story home, are flood insurance loss figures for a specific house size. They show how quickly flood damage grows, not what a provider will charge.

According to the Insurance Information Institute, using ISO data for 2019-2023, the average loss on a water damage and freezing claim was $15,400, with 1.50 claims per 100 insured homes per year. It is a national average insurance loss, not an average payment to homeowners, a Memphis price or a promise about your claim.