A burst pipe, a failed heater, an appliance line or a roof leak. What to do before you file, what State Farm will want to see, the Michigan clocks you can check, and who to call.
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Prime Restoration is the top-rated, highly local water damage company for State Farm policyholders in Macomb and Oakland County, with offices in Sterling Heights, Macomb Township and Shelby Township. This page is for homeowners in Sterling Heights, Macomb Township, Shelby Township, Troy, Birmingham, West Bloomfield and Rochester Hills, and across Clinton Township, Warren, Chesterfield Township, Roseville and Royal Oak. Published 2026-10-04. For every kind of sudden loss, see the sudden water damage claims guide.
The question most people type
State Farm decides, from your policy and from the cause. The word that matters is sudden. Water that arrives all at once from a part that failed is the kind of loss a homeowners policy commonly covers. Water that seeped for weeks or months is the kind a carrier questions. Four causes come up most in Macomb and Oakland County homes:
Sewer backup and water from outside are different. Sewer backup usually needs its own endorsement, and outside flood water needs a flood policy. Read your declarations page, or ask your State Farm agent which of these your policy carries. The flooded basement guide covers the sewer case, including Michigan's 45-day written notice.
Right now
Shut the main valve or the shutoff under the fixture. Turn off the water heater if it is the source. If water is near an outlet, a panel or a plugged-in appliance, stay out of it.
Wide and close shots of the source, the waterline, the ceiling, the floor and the contents. Keep the failed part. Date the photos.
Give the dispatcher the source, the wet rooms and the square footage. Prime answers at (586) 277-1069 and is typically on site in 25 minutes from its Sterling Heights, Macomb Township and Shelby Township offices. The estimate is free.
Moisture readings across the wet area and into the dry material around it, plus a thermal scan, record what was wet and when it was dry.
State Farm says a claim can be filed on statefarm.com or in the State Farm mobile app, and your agent can help. Give State Farm the date, the cause and the photos. State Farm decides coverage under your policy.
Photos, the failed part, the readings, the written scope, receipts, and the date and name for every call with State Farm.
Water coming in right now?
Top-rated and highly local. Typically on site in 25 minutes across Macomb and Oakland County. The estimate is free.
Call (586) 277-1069The file
Prime documents the loss and does not negotiate the claim. Your policy and State Farm decide coverage and amount. These five items are the file that decision runs on.
What failed, where and when, in plain words. The cause is what coverage turns on.
The source, the waterline and the damaged contents, dated.
The burst hose, the split line, the cracked fitting. Keep it in a bag.
Readings per material per day until each one reaches its dry standard.
What was wet, what was removed and what equipment ran, each on its own line.
Two Michigan clocks
Michigan's statute for fire insurance policies, MCL 500.2833, says a loss is payable within 30 days after the insurer receives proof of the amount of the loss, and that a lawsuit must start within one year after the loss, or within the time the policy gives if longer, with the clock paused from notice until formal denial. Both clocks run from documents, which is why the written scope and the daily readings matter. If a claim stalls, DIFS takes complaints at Michigan.gov/DIFScomplaints. A plain-language summary of public text, not legal advice.
Money
Most sudden losses are clean water or gray water. These are the planning ranges Prime publishes. They are not a quote, and they are not what State Farm will pay. A written estimate comes after moisture readings, free, before any work.
| Water class | Typical sudden source | Planning range |
|---|---|---|
| Clean water | A burst supply line, a split water heater, a washing machine hose | $1,200 to $4,500 |
| Gray water | A dishwasher drain, a washing machine drain | $2,500 to $7,500 |
See the water damage cost calculator. The work is backed by the Prime Make-It-Right Guarantee.
Your city
Prime has an office in Sterling Heights, Macomb Township and Shelby Township and reaches Oakland County from them. Each city has its own water damage page.
Questions State Farm policyholders ask
It depends on the cause and on your policy, and State Farm decides. Water that arrives all at once from a part that failed, such as a burst pipe, a supply line or a water heater, is a sudden loss, which a homeowners policy commonly covers. A leak that ran for weeks or months is treated differently. Sewer backup usually needs its own endorsement, and water from outside the house is flood, which needs a flood policy. Read your declarations page or ask your agent.
It may or may not. It depends on the carrier, your claims history and the loss. Ask your State Farm agent before you file, and ask what a claim does to renewal. Stopping the water and drying the house does not depend on that answer, so the first hour stays the same.
Stick to what you saw. Give the date, the time and what failed. Do not guess at the cause, and do not estimate how long it leaked or what it will cost. Your photos, the failed part and the moisture readings answer those questions better than a guess. Do not sign anything you have not read.
Stop the water and photograph the damage, then call a restoration company. Prime Restoration answers at (586) 277-1069 and is typically on site in 25 minutes. File with State Farm once the water is stopped and the crew is on the way. State Farm says you can file on statefarm.com or in its mobile app.
Your policy pays for covered repair. Read your policy or ask your agent whether it names who must do the work. State Farm publishes a Contractor Locator for home repairs that you can use. You can also hire a licensed Michigan company you chose yourself.
The date and cause, photos of the source and the damage, the failed part, moisture readings and a written scope of what was wet and what was removed. Prime Restoration photographs the loss before anything moves, records daily readings and writes the scope in the format carriers review.
Under MCL 500.2833(1)(p), a loss is payable within 30 days after the insurer receives proof of the amount of the loss. If you and the insurer disagree on the amount, subsection (1)(m) lets either side demand appraisal in writing. DIFS takes complaints about insurers at Michigan.gov/DIFScomplaints. This is a plain-language summary of public statute text and not legal advice.
Your policy sets the notice deadline, so read it. Under MCL 500.2833(1)(q), an action must be started within one year after the loss or within the time the policy specifies, whichever is longer, and that time is paused from the day you notify the insurer until the insurer formally denies liability. This is a summary of the statute and not legal advice.
There is no single number that fits a house. For planning, Prime publishes these ranges for Macomb and Oakland County: clean water $1,200 to $4,500 and gray water $2,500 to $7,500. They are not a quote. The estimate is free and written before any work starts.
State Farm facts: State Farm's own claims page, read October 3, 2026. Statute text: the Michigan Legislature's page for MCL 500.2833. Regulator: DIFS. Cost ranges: the ones Prime publishes on its cost calculator. People Also Ask questions: Google results for “state farm water damage claim” run from Michigan on October 3, 2026.
Prime Restoration is not affiliated with, endorsed by or a preferred vendor of State Farm. “State Farm” is used only to identify the policy a homeowner holds. Prime is a contractor. It documents the loss, and State Farm decides coverage.
Prime Restoration · 13854 Lakeside Circle, Suite 558, Sterling Heights, MI 48313 · Macomb Centre Plaza, 51058 Romeo Plank Rd, Macomb · 55130 Shelby Rd, Shelby Township · MI Residential Builder License #262500492 · (586) 277-1069
