The sump pump is not keeping up. Check power and the float, then call.
In rain the pit refills in minutes. Water on a basement floor starts the EPA's 24 to 48 hour mold clock.
What is probably happening
- Angi lists the common failures: a power outage, a stuck float switch, a clogged intake or discharge, a pump overwhelmed by the volume, or age. Most sump pumps last seven to 10 years.
- A pump that hums but does not move water is usually jammed or has a stuck check valve.
- A pump that runs and runs but the pit stays full has a blocked or frozen discharge line.
Do this in the next five minutes
- Check the pump is plugged in and the outlet has power. Reset a tripped GFCI or breaker once.
- Lift the float by hand (from dry footing, power on) to see if the pump starts.
- If it starts, look for what pinned the float: the pit wall, a cord, debris.
- Check the discharge pipe outside for ice, mud or a crushed section.
- If the pump is dead, move belongings up off the floor now and start bailing or using a wet vac while you call.
Do not
- Do not stand in water and touch the pump or its cord. Kill the circuit first.
- Do not keep resetting a breaker that trips again. That is a fault, not a nuisance.
- Do not run an extension cord across a wet floor to a borrowed pump.
Who to call
A licensed plumber
Sump pumps are plumbing. If the pump is fine but the wiring is dead, the plumber will tell you it is an electrician's job.
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What it should cost
$309 to $755, full span $120 to $1,350
Sump pump replacement, installed, national range. Submersible pumps $100 to $400 for the part
Source: Angi, sump pump replacement cost, updated August 2026. View source
National published range, not a quote for your job. The full cost table for this trade is on the plumbing page.
Ask this contractor, on the phone, before anyone comes out
Tap each one as you ask it.
- Is this a repair or a replacement, and what made you decide?
- What horsepower and gallons per hour is the new pump, and is that sized to my pit and rain?
- Will you add a check valve and a battery backup, and what does each cost?
- Is the discharge line checked and cleared as part of this?
End the call if
- A replacement quote without anyone lifting the float or checking the outlet.
- A pump with no named brand, horsepower or warranty.
- Foundation waterproofing sold on the same visit as a pump swap.