Where we work
Chicago is one of our four Illinois cities
365 Restoration serves Chicago along with Rockford, Peoria and La Salle. Send your ZIP code, and when we call you back we tell you how long a crew takes to get there.
Beyond Illinois, we also work in Texas and Florida.
Chicago in particular
Here the water usually comes up from below
In most Chicago floods the water enters through the basement floor drain. The city's old sewers carry rain and sewage in the same pipe, and a hard downpour fills them fast. Wind and deep cold account for most of the other calls.
- 01
July 2, 2023 is the benchmark
Between midnight and 7 p.m. on July 2, 2023, Berwyn measured 8.96 inches of rain, Cicero 8.60 and Garfield Park 8.12, according to the National Weather Service. The Illinois State Water Survey now puts Chicago's 100-year, 24-hour rainfall at 8.57 inches, up from 7.58 in its older standard. Rain that heavy backs up basements across whole neighborhoods at once.
Source: National Weather Service, Chicago office; Illinois State Water Survey (2020)
- 02
One pipe for rain and sewage
Most of Chicago's sewer system was built before 1930 as a combined system, so storm water and sewage share the same pipe. Modeling by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District shows it gets overwhelmed after about two-thirds of an inch of rain in an hour. Past that point, pressure pushes the mix back up through basement floor drains.
Source: WBEZ Curious City (October 2023), citing MWRD modeling
- 03
The Deep Tunnel fills up too
The MWRD's Tunnel and Reservoir Plan serves a 375-square-mile combined sewer area made up of Chicago and 51 suburbs. In July 2023 its McCook Reservoir filled to capacity. For the June 29 to July 2 storms that year, FEMA approved nearly 46,600 Cook County households for $166 million in grants.
Source: Metropolitan Water Reclamation District; WBEZ (2023); FEMA (September 26, 2023)
- 04
Bungalow basements take the hit
Chicago has more than 80,000 bungalows, nearly a third of its single-family homes, built between 1910 and 1940 with a full basement. When that basement is finished, the drywall, carpet and furniture sit a few inches above the floor drain. Drywall that wicks up sewer water usually has to be cut out, and we show you the cut line before anything comes down.
Source: Historic Chicago Bungalow Association, via WBEZ (2013)
- 05
Tornadoes inside city limits
On July 15, 2024, the National Weather Service confirmed 32 tornadoes across its Chicago forecast area, the most from a single event since reliable records began in 1950. Several touched down inside the city, in West Town, on the Near West Side and from Chicago Lawn to West Englewood. When wind opens a roof, we tarp the opening so the next rain stays out.
Source: National Weather Service, Chicago office
- 06
Cold that splits pipes
On January 30, 2019, Chicago hit 23 below zero, its coldest reading in 34 years, according to the National Weather Service. Pipes in outside walls and unheated back porches freeze first, and many only start leaking as they thaw. In the same weeks, ice dams at the eaves push melt water under the shingles.
Source: National Weather Service, Chicago office
Services in Chicago
What we do in Chicago homes
- Water damageSewer backups and burst pipes: we pump out the basement, remove what the dirty water soaked and dry the rest with daily moisture readings.
- Storm damageEmergency tarp when wind or a falling tree opens the roof, then drying for the rooms below it.
- Fire and smoke damageSmoke and soot removal after a kitchen or electrical fire, plus drying for the water the hoses left behind.
- Mold remediationMold remediation in basements that stayed damp after a backup, starting with the moisture that feeds it.
- Free inspectionA free inspection of roof, plumbing and HVAC, worth booking before winter sets in.
Common questions
Chicago questions
My basement flooded from the floor drain. Is that sewage?
Treat it as sewage. Chicago's sewers carry storm water and wastewater in the same pipe, and the IICRC standard classes that water as Category 3, the most contaminated. Keep kids and pets out of the basement until it has been cleaned.
Does my insurance cover a sewer backup?
Ask your insurer whether your policy covers sewer backup. We do not file, negotiate or adjust claims. What we do is photograph and measure every stage and hand you the file.
A pipe burst in the cold. What do I do first?
Shut the main water valve, usually where the water line comes into the house, often in the basement. Then call (888) 844-7862. We call you back in under 10 minutes.
How fast can a crew get to me in Chicago?
We call you back in under 10 minutes, at any hour. On that call we tell you how long a crew needs to reach your ZIP code, whether you are in Rogers Park or on the far South Side. We have also worked in Harvey, in the south suburbs.
Get the water out of the basement tonight.
Call (888) 844-7862, or send your ZIP code and what happened. We call you back in under 10 minutes.
(888) 844-7862 Report the damage