The first 24 hours after a water loss determine whether you end up with a $2,000 mitigation job or a $20,000 gut-and-rebuild. Do these things in this order.
The first 5 minutes
- Shut off the water. Fixture valve first; if that fails, the main shutoff (usually near the front hose bib or in the garage in Phoenix homes).
- Kill power to affected rooms at the breaker if water is anywhere near outlets, cords, or ceiling fixtures. Don't step in standing water to reach the breaker.
- Get people and pets out of any room with sagging drywall or ceiling water.
The first hour
- Call an IICRC-certified restorer. Mitigation starts a clock; insurance policies require you to prevent further damage. A same-hour call keeps a Category 1 loss from deteriorating.
- Photograph and video everything before you move anything. Wide shots of every room, close-ups of the water line, source of the leak, and damaged contents.
- Call your insurance carrier to open a claim. You're not committing to file — you're starting the timer on their side.
- Move what you can — rugs, small furniture, boxes off the floor. Lift wet upholstery off carpet with foil under the legs (prevents staining).
Hours 1–6
- Restorer arrives, tests the water category, sets up extraction and containment if needed.
- Moisture readings taken and logged (this is what your adjuster will ask for).
- Standing water extracted; wet contents catalogued for pack-out or on-site drying.
- Air movers and dehumidifiers placed — the "drying chamber" starts.
Hours 6–24
- Equipment runs continuously — do not turn it off, even if it's loud. It's cheaper to sleep with earplugs than to redo mitigation.
- Controlled demolition if any Category 2/3 material needs to come out (baseboards, wet insulation, unsalvageable flooring).
- Adjuster contact — restorer sends the initial documentation to your carrier.
- Daily moisture readings begin and continue until the structure hits the drying goal.
What NOT to do in the first 24 hours
- Don't throw anything away before it's photographed and inventoried — that's your evidence.
- Don't use household fans to "dry it out" — they push moist air into wall cavities and speed mold growth.
- Don't lift wet drywall or attempt DIY demo — cuts have to be measured to the S500 standard or the adjuster will reject the scope.
- Don't sign a broad "work authorization" that assigns your insurance benefits without reading it — reputable restorers use a limited scope-of-work agreement instead.
- Don't wait for the adjuster to visit before starting mitigation. Your policy requires the opposite.
When to skip the DIY entirely
Call a professional right away if any of these apply: standing water more than the size of a bath towel, water above Category 1, ceiling water, water anywhere near electrical, any hardwood or engineered floors, or if you can smell mustiness within the first day. Speed is the only variable you fully control — use it.
