Water emergency? Your first hour.
Get everyone safe, then call us. Call anytime, day or night. We send a crew and walk you through the steps below. We document everything we find, so you can describe the full loss to your insurance company once, accurately.
While the crew is on the way
Do only what is safe. We can talk you through each step on the phone.
Keep everyone safe
- 1Make sure everyone is safe.
If you smell gas, get everyone outside before you do anything else. Call 911 if anyone is hurt or in immediate danger.
- 2Stay out of rooms with standing water until the power is off.
Water and live electricity can kill. Do not go into a room with standing water until the electricity to it is disconnected. If the breaker panel is wet, or you must walk through water to reach it, do not touch it. Wait for professional help.
- 3Stop the water, if you can reach the valve safely.
For a burst pipe, a leaking appliance, or a plumbing failure, turn off the valve next to it or your home’s main water valve. Do not walk through standing water to reach it. Can’t find it? Call us and we will help you find it.
If you have not called yet, call now.
Water soaks into floors, drywall, and cabinets within hours. The sooner a crew is dispatched, the less has to be removed and rebuilt.
Protect your claim and belongings
- 5Call us before you call your insurance company.
Your first description to your insurer usually sets the scope of the claim, and a small leak has often already reached drywall, flooring, or insulation you cannot see. If we inspect and document first, you can report the full loss accurately instead of guessing. Already called them? That is fine. Call us next and we will document what they will need.
- 6Take photos before you clean.
Photograph and film the water source, how deep the water is, each wet room, and anything that got wet. Take them from a dry spot. This supports your insurance claim.
- 7Move what you can to a dry place.
Do this only after the power is off. Electronics, rugs, papers, and photos first. Put foil or wood blocks under furniture legs that stand on wet carpet.
What not to do
- 8Do not use a household vacuum.
A regular vacuum can shock you if it pulls in water, and it will ruin the motor. A wet/dry shop vac is the only kind that is safe.
- 9Do not touch sewage or mold.
Sewage backups and floodwater from outside need professional containment, cleaning, and disinfection. Keep children and pets away.
Why acting fast matters
Water keeps moving after the leak stops. The longer materials stay wet, the greater the chance that more of your home will need drying, removal, or repair.
- First few hoursWater keeps spreading.
Moisture can move into drywall, flooring, cabinets, insulation, and subfloor beyond what you can see. Stopping the source and beginning drying quickly can limit additional damage.
- Within 24–48 hoursThe risk gets higher.
Materials that stay wet become harder to dry and save. Mold can begin growing when moisture remains (IICRC S520), which is why drying water-damaged materials quickly matters.
- The longer it stays wetMore may have to come out.
Wet materials can deteriorate, odors can develop, and mold or contamination may require additional containment, removal, and restoration work.
You cannot change when the water started. Acting now can help limit what happens next.
Call now.
We will walk you through it, send help, and document the loss so your claim is accurate.
Questions about water in your home
Should I rip out wet carpet?
No. Wet carpet is heavy, and the pad and floor under it can hold dirty water. Once the power to the room is off, move small things off it and put foil or wood blocks under furniture legs. We check it and tell you what can dry in place and what must come out.
Is this water contaminated?
It depends on where the water came from. The IICRC S500 standard puts water in three categories. Category 1 is clean water, such as a broken supply line. Category 2 has some contamination, such as a washing machine or dishwasher overflow. Category 3 is grossly contaminated, such as sewage or floodwater from outside. If you are not sure, treat it as contaminated, keep children and pets away, and call us.