Flooded basement: what to do before you clear it out

Updated on 2 November 2026 · 9 min read · by the team at Sparkling Services

With a flooded basement, the first job is not clearing it but making it safe: switch off the power without putting yourself at risk, photograph the damage and file the claim before you throw anything away. Only then, once the water is gone and your insurer has agreed, do you sort, dry out and remove the soaked belongings. Here is the right order of steps, as it works in Belgium.

First safety steps in a flooded basement

Never go down into a flooded basement until the power is off and you are sure no socket, appliance or cable is in contact with the water. A few centimetres of water are enough: a freezer, a boiler or an extension lead on the floor can make the room dangerous.

The right reflexes, in this order:

1. Stay at the top of the stairs and look: water level, smell of gas or heating oil, running water, submerged appliances.
2. Switch off the power at the fuse box, but only if it is in a dry area and you can reach it with dry feet. Otherwise, leave it alone.
3. Turn off the water supply if the leak comes from a pipe in the house (burst pipe, water heater, washing machine).
4. Keep children and pets away and warn the other occupants or, in a block of flats, the building manager (syndic).
5. Put on protective gear before going down: boots, waterproof gloves, covering clothes. Water from the sewers or an overflowing river is contaminated.

In case of immediate danger (someone in difficulty, smell of gas, risk of collapse), call 112. For a basement under water with no danger to people, the fire service can come and pump, but during storms it prioritises emergencies, so plan an alternative.

Electricity, gas, heating oil: who to call?

If the fuse box or the meter is under water, do not act yourself: contact your region's grid operator, then an electrician to check the installation before the power goes back on. In Brussels that is Sibelga, in Flanders Fluvius, and in Wallonia mostly ORES or RESA depending on the municipality.

• Electricity: an appliance that has stood in water (boiler, freezer, washing machine, dryer) must not be plugged back in without a check. Damp can cause a short circuit days later.
• Gas: if you smell gas, do not use any switches, open the windows, get out and call the grid operator or 112. A gas boiler that was submerged must be checked by a heating engineer.
• Heating oil: a tank that has lifted or cracked can release oil into the water. A smell or a rainbow film on the surface is a warning sign: inform your insurer and call in a specialist firm. Water and items contaminated with hydrocarbons are not ordinary waste.

Write down who you called, with the date and time: it will also be useful for your claim file.

Photos and evidence: building the file for your insurer

Before you pump, move or throw away anything, photograph and film the basement as it is: this is the strongest proof of the extent of the damage. A loss adjuster cannot assess damage that has already disappeared into a skip.

What to record:

• The water level: a photo with an unfolded measuring rule against the wall, and later the tide mark left on the walls once the water has gone down.
• An overview of each room from the doorway, then close-ups of every piece of furniture, appliance and box.
• The rating plates of appliances (brand, model, serial number): freezer, boiler, water softener, power tools.
• The likely cause: overflowing floor drain, crack, basement window, broken pipe, backflow from the sewer.
• Invoices, warranties and receipts you can find, even damaged ones: photograph them before they dry out and become illegible.

At the same time, make a written list of damaged items, room by room, with a rough idea of their age. It is tedious, but it saves a lot of time when the adjuster visits and limits arguments about compensation.

Filing the claim: which insurance, and how quickly?

Report the damage to your insurer or broker as soon as possible, within the deadline in your policy, and ask explicitly what you may remove before the adjuster visits. In Belgium, water damage in a home is usually covered by the fire insurance policy, which also covers natural disasters such as floods, subject to conditions.

A few points to check with your insurer:

• Tenant or owner: the owner insures the building; the tenant normally insures their contents and liability. Tell the landlord straight away too.
• Block of flats: if the water came from a common part, the syndic files the claim on the building's policy; your own policy covers your belongings in your private cellar.
• Source of the water: a leaking pipe, seepage, sewer backflow or a river flood are not always treated the same way. Reread the exclusions and excesses.
• Mitigation costs: reasonable steps taken to limit the damage (pumping, dehumidifying, moving items to safety) are normally taken into account. Keep every invoice.

When the insurer agrees to removal, get it in writing, even a simple email. That document lets you have the basement cleared without anyone later claiming you got rid of evidence.

Pumping and drying: in what order?

The logical order is: pump out the water, remove soaked belongings, and only then dry the walls and floor; drying a basement still full of wet boxes achieves nothing. Waterlogged items hold the moisture in and let mould take hold within days.

1. Pumping: a submersible pump is enough for a few centimetres; for more, the fire service or a specialist firm. If the water table is high, wait for the level outside to drop so as not to weaken the walls.
2. Removing wet belongings: as soon as the adjuster has visited or the insurer allows it. The sooner they go, the less the rest of the house smells of damp.
3. Cleaning: scrape out the mud, rinse, clean surfaces with a suitable product, always with gloves and good ventilation.
4. Drying: ventilation, dehumidifiers, gentle heating. A masonry basement can take several weeks to dry thoroughly; a drying specialist can measure the remaining moisture.

Do not repaint or put wooden shelving back against a wall that is still damp: the moisture would be trapped and the stains would come back.

What to keep, what to save, what to throw away?

Anything porous that has soaked in dirty water usually goes; anything hard, washable and non-electrical can often be saved; important papers and photos need separate treatment. If in doubt, photograph it and ask the adjuster before deciding.

For papers and photos you care about, conservators use a simple technique: lay them flat in freezer bags and freeze them. The cold stops mould growth and gives you time to have them dried or restored later. Do not force them apart while they are stuck together.

Bottled wine, garden tools, bikes and glassware usually survive well: rinse, dry and move them upstairs while the work is done.

Wet waste and mould: removing it quickly and safely

Waste from a flooded basement is heavy, dirty and sometimes contaminated: it needs to go out quickly, bagged, and sorted into the right streams rather than left on the pavement. A soaked cardboard box weighs several times its dry weight, and a waterlogged rug quickly becomes too heavy for one person.

• Mould: black or greenish patches often appear within a few days. Wear an FFP2 filter mask when handling mouldy items and ventilate well. People with asthma, allergies, fragile health or older people should not take part in the clean-up.
• Sewage water: wash your hands and change clothes after each session, and disinfect boots and tools.
• Hazardous waste: paint tins, solvents, garden chemicals, batteries or gas cylinders kept in the basement do not go in the ordinary skip. They go to the recycling park (recyparc) or to a dedicated collection.
• Asbestos: some older basements contain fibre-cement sheets, pipe lagging or suspect ducts. If they have been damaged by the water, do not handle them and call in a licensed asbestos removal firm.

After major floods, municipalities sometimes organise exceptional bulky waste collections: check with your municipality before putting everything out on the street.

When to call Sparkling Services, and how the clearance works

We come in once the water has been pumped out, the electrics are safe and, if you are insured, your insurer has agreed to the removal. We are not a drying or pumping company: our job is to empty the basement, sort what can still be used and remove the rest, so that drying and repairs can start.

In practice:

• Quick estimate: send us photos via WhatsApp or the form; an on-site visit is free and usually takes place within 48 hours.
• Sorting on site: we set aside what you want to keep, what can still be used and what must go, following your instructions and the adjuster's.
• Removal and recycling: wood, metal, electrical appliances, bulky items and hazardous waste go to appropriate recycling channels (recycling parks, sorting centres).
• Swept basement: we leave a clear space, ready for cleaning and drying.

Pricing follows the same principle as any clearance: depending on the value of reusable items, the clearance can be free, we can pay you the difference, or you pay a fixed price on quotation. After water damage there is usually little to recover, and the fixed written quote also serves as a supporting document for your insurer. If several rooms are affected, we can extend the job to a full house clearance.

Preventing the basement from flooding again

Once the basement is empty, find out where the water came from and stop storing anything there that cannot cope with damp. This is the ideal moment to bring in a foundations, waterproofing or drainage specialist.

• Have the non-return valve on the sewer connection checked, if there is one.
• Install a submersible pump with a float switch in a sump if the basement floods regularly.
• Store items on metal or plastic shelving, at least twenty centimetres off the floor, in closed crates rather than cardboard boxes.
• Stop keeping important papers, photos, textiles or electrical appliances on the basement floor.
• Keep an up-to-date photo inventory of what is stored there: it will make any future claim much easier.

Checklist: flooded basement, step by step

1. Do not go down until the power has been safely switched off.
2. Check gas, heating oil and submerged appliances; call the right people.
3. Photograph and film the basement, the water level and every damaged item.
4. File the claim with your insurer; inform the landlord or the syndic.
5. Ask in writing what can be removed before the adjuster visits.
6. Pump out the water, then set aside important papers and photos.
7. Sort: keep, clean, remove, with hazardous waste kept separate.
8. Have the basement cleared and the wet waste removed without delay.
9. Clean, disinfect, then dry for several weeks if needed.
10. Deal with the cause of the flooding before storing anything again.

Need a basement cleared after water damage? Call Sparkling Services on +32 485 39 99 41 or write to us through the contact form. We work in Brussels, Flanders and Wallonia (except the province of Luxembourg), in English, French and Dutch.

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