De Pere Flood Damage & Flooded Basement Cleanup

If your De Pere basement or home has taken on water, call Recoveron at 920-469-3473, any time of day or night. Our office is in Bellevue, about six miles from downtown De Pere, and our crews pump out the water, dry the structure, clean and sanitize, and rebuild what was damaged, all as one company.

Why De Pere basements flood

De Pere straddles the Fox River about six miles upstream of the bay, with the East River running down the east side of the city toward Allouez. The City of De Pere’s Fire Department notes that areas within the city are located within the floodplain, and that in Wisconsin the primary cause of floods is excessive rain, snowmelt, or a combination of the two.

The insured claim record below shows something worth knowing, though: the mapped river floodplain is a small part of the story here. Far more De Pere basements take on water from rain and snowmelt working their way in through foundation drains, window wells and an overloaded sewer than from the Fox River coming over its banks. In practice, most of the flood calls we get in De Pere come from one of these:

• Heavy spring storms on saturated ground. In April 2026 the city said a series of heavy spring storms had caused localized flooding throughout the community, closed Creamery Road between Lawrence and French Road and East River Drive at Lebrun Street, and told residents to monitor their basement sump pumps and drainage systems.
• A rising East River. City crews watched the East River closely through that same event, and flooding along it closed the East River Trail and the parks beside it.
• Sanitary sewer backups. When rain and groundwater get into the sanitary sewer faster than it can carry them, water comes back up through floor drains. In the April 2026 storms, neighboring Allouez reported that saturated ground had infiltrated its sanitary sewer and caused localized back-ups and flooded basements. See our sewer backup cleanup if that is what you are dealing with.
• A failed sump pump, often during a storm or a power outage, exactly when it is needed most. De Pere’s own preparedness advice is to keep a battery backup on the pump.
• Summer downpours. A hard rain can overwhelm street drains and window wells in any De Pere neighborhood, not only the ones near a river.

De Pere requires a sump pump, and that changes who pays

De Pere has a long-running problem with clear water getting into its sanitary sewer, and it has done something about it that most nearby communities have not. Through the city’s Foundation Drain Disconnection Program, sump pump installation has been required since December 31, 2024. Foundation drains have to be disconnected from the sanitary lateral and routed to a sump pump that discharges outside instead.

Two details matter if you are standing in a wet basement right now:

• The city shares the cost. Under the mandate it reimburses 50% of the work, up to $2,500, on up to $5,000 of qualifying work, once the job is permitted and inspected. A preliminary walkthrough is booked through the Building Inspection Division on 920-339-4052.
• Ignoring a corrective letter has a price. Once the city mandates the work you have 60 days, and failing to do it can bring a monthly inflow and infiltration clear water surcharge on your water bill.

Homes on a slab, with a crawl space, or with older field stone basements can be exempt, but the exemption has to be inspected and issued by the city. Note that a foundation drain is not the same thing as the floor drain you can see in the basement floor: the foundation drain is the pipe network under the slab that collects groundwater.

Is your De Pere home in a flood zone?

Brown County’s FEMA flood insurance rate maps were adopted in February 2023 and took effect on May 9, 2023, and De Pere’s floodplain zoning references that same map date. A property that was not in a mapped flood zone under the older maps may be in one now.

You can check an address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center or on the Brown County mapping site that the city links from its flood page. If your home is in a Special Flood Hazard Area and carries a federally backed mortgage, flood insurance is required. The city is also blunt that flooding happens wherever it rains, which matches what we see: most flooded De Pere basements we work in are nowhere near the mapped floodplain.

What to do in the first hours after your basement floods

1. Stay safe. Do not walk into standing water near outlets, cords, appliances or the electrical panel. If you cannot reach the main breaker safely, call an electrician or the utility.
2. Stop more water if you can. Clear a window well, reset or restart the sump pump, and point downspouts away from the house.
3. Move valuables and chemicals up. Photos, documents, paint, cleaners and fuel do not belong in a flooded basement.
4. Take photos and video of the water, the damage and anything you have to throw away. Your insurance company will ask for them.
5. Call us early. Mold can start growing within 24 to 48 hours after materials get wet, so the sooner drying starts, the less has to be torn out. For the full list, see what to do in the first 24 hours after water damage.

How Recoveron handles flood damage in De Pere

You work with one company from the first call to the last coat of paint. Every step below is handled for you:

• Water removal. We extract standing water and pull wet carpet and pad. This is the same water damage restoration process we run on burst pipes and appliance leaks.
• Moisture mapping. Moisture meters and thermal imaging show how far the water wicked into walls, floors and framing.
• Drying. Air movers and dehumidifiers run until readings show the structure is dry, not just the surface. See how long it takes to dry out a flooded basement.
• Cleaning and sanitizing. Floodwater from outside and anything out of a sewer is contaminated, so everything it touched is cleaned and sanitized, and soaked drywall and insulation come out. If mold has already started, our mold remediation crew handles it in the same visit.
• Documentation for insurance. Photos and moisture readings so your adjuster has what they need.
• Repairs. We rebuild drywall, flooring and trim once everything is dry.

If the water is still rising or the power is out, that is an emergency call, and someone answers at any hour.

Flood insurance in De Pere: what’s usually covered

Standard homeowners policies usually do not cover flooding from outside, such as rising river water or surface runoff. That comes from a separate flood policy, through the National Flood Insurance Program or a private insurer, and flood policies often limit what they pay for in basements. Water that starts inside the house, like a burst pipe, is usually handled under your homeowners policy, and a sump pump failure or sewer backup is generally covered only if your policy carries a water backup endorsement.

One timing detail the City of De Pere puts in its own preparedness advice: a new flood policy takes more than 30 days to activate, so it is something to sort out before a wet spring, not during one. Every policy is different, so check yours with your agent. Recoveron is a preferred vendor for major insurance companies, and we document the damage and the drying so the claim has what it needs.

De Pere neighborhoods and nearby communities we serve

We work on both sides of the river: the east side toward the East River and Allouez, the west side out past Scheuring Road and Lawrence, the older streets around downtown and Broadway on both banks, and the newer subdivisions toward Ledgeview and Hobart. We also cover the communities around De Pere, including Green Bay, Bellevue, Allouez, Ashwaubenon, Howard, Suamico, Ledgeview and the rest of Brown County.