Water damage tends to spread the longer it sits, but a calm, ordered response protects your home and your options. This checklist covers the first 48 hours after you find the problem. It is general guidance. If anyone is in danger, or you see sparks, smell gas or notice a sagging ceiling, leave the area and contact emergency services first.
Hours 0 to 2: make things safe
Step 1: Stop the source if you can
- Shut off the main water valve for a burst pipe or supply line break.
- For a washer or water heater leak, close the valve at the appliance.
- For storm or groundwater, you may not be able to stop it. Move on to the next step.
Step 2: Think about electricity
- Do not step into water near outlets, cords or the electrical panel.
- Turn off power to the affected area only if the breaker is dry and you can reach it without standing in water.
- If the panel is wet or the basement is flooded, leave it alone and ask your utility or a licensed electrician for help.
Step 3: Protect people and pets
Keep children and pets out of the wet area. Water from a sewer backup or storm flooding may carry germs. If you must enter, wear boots and gloves.
Hours 2 to 12: document and reach out
Step 4: Photograph and record
Take wide and close-up photos and short videos before you move anything. Note when you found the water, where it seems to have come from and what is wet. Do not throw out damaged items until they are documented.
Step 5: Contact your insurer
Ask what your policy requires for reporting a loss and what it says about preventing further damage. Whether anything is covered depends on the cause of the water and your policy terms. Ask what the insurer wants to see in writing.
Step 6: Contact providers
Use the request form or reach out to local restoration providers directly. The questions below will help you sort the clear answers from the vague ones.
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Questions to ask a provider
- Can you take moisture readings and show me where the water traveled? A good answer is yes, with a map or a list of readings.
- What equipment will you set up, and how will you check progress? A good answer names air movers and dehumidifiers and describes daily checks.
- How do you handle gray or black water? A good answer explains removing porous materials and sanitizing, not just wiping surfaces.
- What do you need from me? A good answer covers access to the home, a point of contact and a list of items to set aside.
- Will I get a written scope before work begins? The answer should be yes.
Hours 12 to 48: remove water and start drying
Step 7: Remove standing water
For small amounts, towels, mops and a wet vacuum can work. Deeper water usually needs pumps and extraction equipment. In a flooded basement, ask the provider about the pace of pumping, since sudden changes can stress walls and floors.
Step 8: Move and lift
Move furniture to a dry room. Lift curtains off the floor. Place foil or blocks under furniture legs that must stay on wet carpet. Pull up soaked area rugs.
Step 9: Get air moving
Open windows only when the outdoor air is drier than the indoor air. In humid summer weather, a closed house with a dehumidifier usually works better. In cold weather, keep the heat on so drying is not slowed.
Step 10: Sort belongings
Hard, nonporous items can often be cleaned and kept. Porous items touched by dirty water, such as upholstery, mattresses and particleboard, often cannot be saved. Photograph them first.
Step 11: Keep a log
Write down names, dates, what each person told you and every receipt. A simple notebook is enough.
Red flags in the first two days
- Advice to discard everything without looking at readings.
- No written scope, or a scope that is one line long.
- A blank authorization form you are asked to sign without reading.
- Refusal to explain how drying will be measured.
- A provider who claims to know how your insurance company will respond. Only the insurer can tell you that.
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