Water-damage response for buildings that took in runoff from a slope, a debris flow or a landslide in Salt Lake City, answered 24/7.
Fastest: call (833) 490-5225. Or send this and we call you back.
Landslide and hillside runoff damage is the water loss that follows when runoff or debris from a slope enters a building or its foundation. Utah declared a state of emergency for landslides and flooding in April 2023, which makes hillside runoff a separate job from a typical storm leak. Salt Lake City Water Damage Restoration answers these calls 24/7 in Salt Lake City.
Water that comes down a slope behaves differently from rain that falls on a roof. It moves with mud and rock, it can strike a wall with force, and it can pile against a foundation until the ground around the building is saturated. A property below a hillside can be damaged by water that never touched its roof, and the cleanup has to account for both the water and what it carried in.
In April 2023 the governor of Utah declared a state of emergency as landslides and flooding increased. That declaration is the local reason this site treats hillside runoff as its own kind of call, separate from a roof or a pipe. A crew that answers a hillside call looks first at the slope above the building and at the ground around the foundation, because the entry route is often outside the house.
Runoff calls are answered 24/7. If mud or water is coming into a building now, get out of the path of the flow first and then call (833) 490-5225. The technician will ask where the flow is coming from and which doors and windows are on the side facing the slope, and that information shapes the first visit.
Do not walk on or under a slope where the soil looks loose, cracked or wet, and do not stand near a retaining wall that is leaning or bulging. Do not enter a room with mud and standing water until the power is off and a technician has checked it. Keep away from fast-moving water and debris, and do not try to clear a blocked drain while water is still coming. If you see new cracks or hear movement in the ground, leave the area and call for help from a safe place.
Before anyone works near a slope, the crew checks for loose soil, unstable rock and debris that could move. The technician will not enter a zone that looks unstable. The power to any flooded room is switched off, and the crew confirms it with you before going in.
Runoff enters through the same openings that the slope water finds, so the crew traces the path from the high ground to the building. Window wells, doors on the slope side, grade that slopes toward the house and failed retaining walls are the usual routes, and each one is marked.
Mud and debris are removed by hand and with equipment before water is pulled. Mud that stays in the room holds moisture and keeps the floor wet, and it can block the drains that would otherwise carry water away. The crew bags the debris and keeps a note of what was removed.
Standing water is pumped out in stages, and moisture meters are used on the walls and floor where the runoff reached. The readings show how far the water travelled and which materials need to come out. The technician shows you the readings before any removal begins.
Once the mud is out and the water is down, drying equipment is placed and logged each day. Photographs of the slope, the entry points and the debris are kept for the claim file. If the crew sees signs of ground movement, it says so in writing and recommends a structural review.
Yes. Runoff from a slope carries mud, rock and debris, and it can push against a building with force. The crew checks the structure and the ground as well as the water, because the entry route and the damage are often outside the walls.
Clear water from a pipe affects the floor and the walls in a predictable way. Runoff does more: it can break window wells, fill drains with silt, move soil against the foundation and leave a layer of mud that has to be cleared before drying can start. Each of those effects is checked on its own.
The crew also watches for signs that the slope itself is moving. Cracks in the ground, a leaning fence and a retaining wall that has shifted are reasons to call a qualified engineer. The technician will say so, but the decision about whether a structure is safe belongs to the owner and to the engineer they hire.
Runoff cleanup is priced by the amount of mud and debris, the depth of water, the number of entry points and how much of the building was reached. The price is explained and approved before work starts, and this page gives no figure.
Mud is slower to remove than water. A room with a thin layer of silt that is easy to rake out is a smaller job than a room where mud has filled the corners and gone under the flooring. The technician records how much debris is present and shows you the amount on site.
Access to the slope side also matters. A crew that has to work through a narrow side yard, climb a window well or move stored items from a wet corner takes longer. Those factors are part of the scope, and they are explained to you before the work begins.
Do not walk on unstable mud or loose soil, do not stand below a slope that is still moving, and do not try to dig out a blocked drain while water is still coming. Keep a clear route to the building and wait for the technician if the ground looks unsafe.
Stay out of a basement or lower room that has mud in it until the power has been checked and the crew has confirmed the room is safe. Mud can hide broken glass, nails and exposed wiring, and a wet floor is slippery even when the water looks shallow.
If you see a new crack in the ground or a wall that is moving, leave the area and call the emergency number for your area from a safe distance. Do not go back to the building until a qualified person has said it is safe.
The ground should be graded so that water runs away from the foundation, and the drains that carry water away should be cleared. The crew can clear the drains it finds, but changing the grade or building a retaining structure is a job for a qualified contractor or engineer.
A foundation that sits lower than the ground outside gathers runoff. Look at the slope of the soil along each wall and note any place where water pools after rain. Photograph the grade before any work so the change can be measured later.
Clearing a drain is a short job, but re-grading a yard can alter the water path for the neighbors as well as for your building. The technician will explain what it found and suggest that the owner has a qualified person review the outdoor drainage plan.
Your insurer decides what is covered under your policy, and the adjuster will usually want photographs, a moisture log and the written scope. Hillside events can be reviewed in more than one way, so keep every record and ask the adjuster which parts of the loss they will consider.
Photograph the slope, the entry points, the mud line and the debris before anything is moved. Keep a note of the time the runoff began and the time it stopped, if you saw it. Those notes help the adjuster place the event in time.
This site cannot tell you what will be paid, and it does not offer advice on your policy. Ask your insurer to explain how it treats ground movement and runoff, and ask the crew for any document it prepared that you need to pass on.
Mud that reaches a basement or lower room is heavier and harder to clear than clear water. It settles into carpet, cracks and the spaces behind trim. The crew removes it by hand where that is needed, because a wet vacuum can clog quickly with silt and debris.
Water that builds up against a foundation can press on the wall and find every crack and joint. The basement wall is checked for water entry, and the technician notes any bowing or new cracks. The moisture behind the wall is read with a meter, because the damage can be inside the wall where it cannot be seen.
A retaining wall or fence that has been pushed by runoff can shift the ground around the house. The crew does not repair these structures. It records what it sees, takes photographs, and tells you when the owner should call a contractor or an engineer.
Window wells and doors that face uphill are the most common entry points for slope runoff. The crew clears the well, checks the drain at its base and examines the door sill. Those openings are often the first things to be fixed once the drying is finished.
In April 2023 Utah's governor declared a state of emergency as landslides and flooding increased across the state. A call from a home with a slope above it is handled with the ground in mind, not just the water in the room.
Council District 6 covers Bonneville Hills, the East Bench and Yalecrest, and District 3 covers the Avenues and Capitol Hill. A call from either district is handled the same way: the crew looks at the ground on the uphill side of the building before it plans the water removal, and it follows the water from the point where it left the ground to the door or window it reached.
Because hillside runoff can carry mud into the same rooms that a flood reaches, the crew checks the slope and the ground for signs of movement on every call. A building that took in mud from above is documented differently from one that took in clear water, and the record it leaves reflects that.
A crew is dispatched as fast as one is available, and you approve the estimate before any work starts.
Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.
Cleanup for homes and businesses that took in water from a creek, a river or an overflowing canal in Salt Lake City, answered 24/7.
Moisture readings, water removal and drying for crawl spaces and cellars, checked before any floor above them is closed in Salt Lake City.
Fast removal of standing water from floors, carpet and pad before drying starts, answered 24/7 across Salt Lake City.
Water removal and drying for basements in the Avenues and Capitol Hill, council District 3 of Salt Lake City, answered 24/7.
When creek or river water reaches a home in Utah, the first steps are to keep people out of the water, cut the power to affected rooms, photograph the water line and call for help.
In spring 1983, City Creek overflowed toward downtown Salt Lake City on May 29, and Big Cottonwood Creek overtopped its dikes at the Cottonwood Cove mobile home park.
In April 2023 the governor declared a state of emergency in Utah as landslides and flooding increased.
Calls are answered 24/7, and a crew is sent when one is free. The technician will not enter an area that looks unstable, so the first visit may focus on making the ground safe. Tell the operator what you see on the slope when you call.
A qualified engineer or geotechnical specialist makes that decision, and the building official may need to be involved. The crew records what it sees and can recommend a review, but it does not certify that a slope or a structure is safe.
Yes. The crew removes mud and debris from the lower level, bags it and records what came out. Heavy material that has settled under a floor may need a second visit, and the technician will say so when it is found.
The crew does not repair retaining walls, fences or other structures outside the building. It documents the damage and tells you when a contractor or an engineer should be called. Repairs to those structures are a separate job.
A window well sits below the ground and collects anything that runs down the slope toward it. Its drain can clog with mud and leaves, and then the well fills and water spills through the window. The crew clears the well and checks its drain as part of the job.
Your policy and your insurer decide that, and the rules can differ between ground movement and water. Keep photographs, the moisture log and the written scope, and ask your insurer how it treats each cause of damage. This site cannot predict what will be covered.