Why does water come in at the front door during a storm?
Runoff follows the lowest route it can find, and a door or garage that sits below the grade of the street or driveway becomes that route. The water can then pass under the door or through a gap at the sill, and it spreads from there.
In a heavy rain on snow, or a snowmelt surge, the ground cannot take in the water as fast as it falls. The runoff runs along the curb, into the driveway and up against the house. A threshold that sits even a few centimeters lower than the outside grade can then take the water.
Doors and garage doors are rarely sealed to hold back standing water. Their sills, weatherstripping and the joint at the floor are designed for rain that runs off, not for water that stands against them, and that is why the entry often leaks in a bad storm.
What should I do when water is coming in at the entry now?
Move people and pets away from the water, keep out of moving water, and shut off the power to the entry if it can be done safely. Photograph the entry and the water as it comes in, and call for water removal. Do not walk into fast-moving runoff.
Safety comes first. Do not drive or walk through runoff in the street or the driveway, where the depth and the speed can be hard to judge. Keep children and pets away from the water at the door.
If it is safe to do so, lay towels or sandbags against the bottom of the door to slow the flow, and move rugs, shoes and small items up off the floor. Keep a note of when the water started and where it first appeared.
What affects the cost of street-level entry work?
The depth of the water at the entry, how far it travelled into the house, how much debris came in, whether the garage was affected and how long the drying runs all change the work. The price is explained and approved on site before any work begins.
A small amount of water that stayed in the entry takes a short visit. Water that ran through the entry, under the garage wall and into the living space above takes more equipment and more readings, and the crew plans the work from the entry inward.
Access to the entry affects the work as well. A garage full of stored items, a front entry with a closet below the stairs or a side door with a narrow path all change how the crew moves equipment and materials. The survey records these, and the quote follows the survey.
How do I stop water coming in the next time?
Find the route first, then address it. The crew records the entry points and the grade, and a contractor can review sealing, regrading, a threshold or a door change. Temporary barriers can help in a storm, but they are not a permanent fix.
Clear the drains and the gutters, and keep snow piled away from the doors and the garage. Those steps reduce the water that reaches the entry, and a homeowner can take them safely with a shovel and a broom.
A regrading, a higher threshold or a door change is work for a qualified contractor, and it depends on the house and the grade. The crew's record shows where the water came in, which gives that contractor a clear starting point.
Will my insurer cover water that came in through the front door?
That depends on the policy and on the source of the water. Outside water and flooding are often treated differently from water that enters suddenly from inside the home, so ask your insurer directly. The Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner handles consumer complaints about how a claim is handled.
Keep the photographs of the entry and the water line, the crew's record of the route and the readings, and a list of the items that were damaged. These are the first records an insurer will ask for.
The crew does not decide coverage. It records the water and the route it took, and the insurer and your own policy decide what applies.
