What to Do in the First 24 Hours After Water Damage

By ManyWays LLC, MHIC #150485

You walk into the basement, and your sock gets wet. Or you hear a drip in the kitchen ceiling that wasn't there this morning. Your stomach drops, and you start thinking about everything at once.

Slow down. What you do in the next few hours matters more than almost anything else. Here is the order we'd follow if it were our own house.

Step 1: Stop the water and make it safe.

Find the source first. If a pipe bursts or an appliance is leaking, shut off the main water valve. Most homes have it near the water meter or where the line enters the house. Know where yours is before you ever need it.

Then think about electricity. Water and power do not mix. If water is near outlets, power strips or the breaker panel, turn off power to that area at the panel, but only if you can reach it without standing in water. If you can't, stay out and call an electrician or your utility.

A ceiling that is sagging or bulging has water trapped above it. Keep people and pets out from under it. It can drop all at once.

Step 2: Figure out what kind of water it is

Not all water is the same, and this changes what you should do.

• Clean water comes from a broken supply line, a burst pipe, or a sink overflow. It is the least risky, but it doesn't stay clean for long.
• Gray water comes from a washing machine, dishwasher, or toilet overflow with urine only. It has some contamination.
• Black water means sewage or outside flood water. Do not touch it, do not wade through it, and do not try to clean it yourself. Call a professional right away.

If you're not sure, treat it as the worse kind. You can read more about how we handle each type on our water damage restoration page.

Step 3: Take photos before you move anything.

This is the step people skip, and they regret it later. Take photos and a short video of the damage, the source, and every wet item. Do it before you start lifting and tossing things.

Your insurance company will want proof. So will we, because it helps us write a clear scope of work. If you want to know how coverage usually works, we wrote a separate guide on whether homeowners insurance covers water damage in Maryland.

Step 4: Save what you can, carefully.

Once it is safe, get small things out of the wet area. Pull up area rugs. Move electronics, papers, photos and anything valuable to a dry room. Put foil or small wood blocks under furniture legs so they don't soak up water or stain the floor.

Don't lift heavy furniture alone, and don't walk through standing water if you aren't sure what's under it.

Step 5: Call for help early

You will want to call two places: a restoration company and your insurance company. Do both on the same day. Most policies expect you to take reasonable steps to stop more damage, and starting drying quickly is one of those steps. Check your own policy for the exact wording.

If you're in Gaithersburg, Potomac, Rockville, or Bethesda, call us at (301) 605-2296. We pick up around the clock. You can also send us a request here.

What not to do

• Don't use a regular household vacuum on wet carpet or floors. It's a shock risk, and it can break.
• Don't turn on ceiling fixtures under a wet ceiling.
• Don't run the heating or cooling system if the water might have reached the ducts.
• Don't wait a few days to "see if it dries." Inside walls and under floors, it usually won't.
• Don't throw out damaged items before you have photographed them.

Why 24 to 48 hours matters

Materials that stay wet for more than a day or two can start growing mold. The EPA says that drying wet items within 24 to 48 hours generally prevents it. That is why we move fast and why we wrote about how quickly mold grows after water damage.

What a restoration crew actually does

When we arrive, we don't just look at what you can see. Water travels. It gets into the wall cavity, under the flooring, and into insulation. We use moisture meters and a thermal camera to find where it went.

Then we remove standing water, take out materials that can't be saved, set up air movers and dehumidifiers, and check the readings every day until everything is dry. After that, we rebuild. We do both the drying and the repair, so you deal with one company, not three.
If you're wondering what that costs, see our breakdown of water damage restoration costs in Maryland.

A note for winter

Frozen pipes are one of the most common causes of big losses in our area. Before the first hard freeze, find your main shutoff, disconnect outdoor hoses, and insulate pipes in unheated spaces like crawl spaces and garages.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I call my insurance company first or a restoration company first?
Call both the same day. Start the drying process fast so the damage doesn't grow.

Can I dry it myself with fans?
For a tiny spill on a hard floor, maybe. For anything that reached walls, carpet padding, or the subfloor, you need proper equipment to know it's truly dry.

What if I found the damage days later?
Call anyway. Older damage is harder, but it's still worth treating, and waiting makes it worse.

Have water damage right now?
Call (301) 605-2296 or request a free estimate.