Flooded Basement or Sewer Backup? Water Damage Restoration in Alexandria, VA
Our crew provides water damage restoration Alexandria VA homeowners and condo boards call on after summer cloudbursts, sewer backups and plumbing failures. We extract the water, decide carefully what has to come out, dry the structure and rebuild it.
If sewage is coming up a drain right now, call (703) 555-0104.
- Water extraction
- Moisture mapping
- Structural drying
- Repairs and rebuild
Three steps to an inspection
- 1
Tell us what happened
Call (703) 555-0104 and describe where the water came from and which rooms are affected.
- 2
Book a visit
We follow up to confirm the details and set an inspection time that works for you.
- 3
Dry-out and repairs
Water is extracted, moisture is measured and the structure is dried before repairs begin.
Flash Floods Have Changed the Picture Since 2019
Rain that arrives faster than drains can take it
The city itself says storms have grown more intense since 2019. On July 8, 2019, up to four inches fell in an hour. On July 23, 2020, two to three inches fell in thirty minutes, flooding places that don't normally flood. In mid-August 2021 another downpour left water across lawns and streets in Del Ray and along the alleys near the King Street station.
When the sewer pushes back
That August storm brought reports of sewage backing up into homes, not just rainwater at the door. Backflow water is contaminated, so we handle it as a sanitation job first and a drying job second.
Old Houses, Shared Walls
Alexandria's housing is old by national standards: Census estimates put the median build year at 1974, with about six in ten homes built before 1980 and nearly one in ten before 1940. It's also dense. Roughly six in ten housing units are in buildings of five or more units. A leak here often affects a neighbor, a common wall, or the unit below, and old plaster, brick and heart-pine floors need gentler drying than modern drywall.
City Money That Can Help
If your basement has backed up before, ask about the city's Backflow Preventer Assistance Program, which reimburses half the cost of a backflow preventer, up to $2,000, when the work is permitted and inspected. The separate Flood Mitigation Grant Program covers half of eligible floodproofing costs up to $5,000 for a private property. We can't apply for you, but we can document the damage that makes the case.
How Our Crew Works
We stop the source, extract standing water and map moisture with meters and thermal imaging. Then we dry with equipment matched to the materials: lower and slower for plaster and old wood, more aggressive for slab and drywall. Readings are logged on every visit. Rebuild comes last, once the numbers agree.
Our Services
- Sewage backup cleanup in Alexandria for floor drains, toilets and basement fixtures.
- Flood cleanup after flash storms for water that came in from outside.
- Mold remediation in Alexandria, VA when a leak went unnoticed too long.
Mold Remediation
Damp basements, old masonry and stacked condos make hidden growth common in Alexandria. Our crew contains, removes and dries mold, then fixes the source.
Learn moreSewage Cleanup
Sewage coming up a basement drain after a storm? We remove contaminated water and materials, disinfect and dry Alexandria homes. Phone our crew.
Learn moreFlood Cleanup
Thirty minutes of rain can put water in an Alexandria basement. We remove it, clear out ruined materials, dry the structure and document it for your claim.
Learn more
Alexandria Local Notes
The City of Alexandria doesn't run its own water utility. Drinking water comes through Virginia American Water, which serves about 26,000 residential and business customers in the city and draws on the Potomac River. Wastewater goes to AlexRenew, so most households get two separate bills.
The oldest parts of town still use a combined sewer, a single pipe for sewage and stormwater dating to the 1800s and covering about 540 acres centered on Old Town. AlexRenew's RiverRenew tunnel, completed on July 1, 2026, now captures roughly 120 million gallons a year of combined sewage that used to overflow into the Potomac, Hunting Creek and Hooffs Run.
Lower Old Town was built on marshland and floods often from the river; local reporting citing city data counted more than 200 flood events in a single recent year. The city is advancing a $152.7 million waterfront flood mitigation project built around upgraded gravity storm sewers and new bulkheads, with construction targeted for late 2027.
Frequently asked questions
Does the city reimburse backflow preventers?
Yes. The Backflow Preventer Assistance Program reimburses 50% of installation cost, up to $2,000, for homes with a basement. A plumber licensed by the state and city must install it under permit, with a passed final inspection.
My condo was flooded from the unit above. Who handles it?
Usually both owners' insurers and the association are involved. We document each affected unit separately so every party has its own record.
Is Old Town still on a combined sewer?
Parts of it are. RiverRenew changed where overflows go, but the combined pipes themselves still serve the oldest blocks.