Water Damage: The First 24 Hours

What you do in the first day determines whether this is a dry-out or a demolition — and whether your insurance claim holds up. Here is the sequence professionals wish every homeowner followed.

Hour 0–1: Make it safe, stop the source

1. Electricity first. If water is near outlets or the panel, cut power to affected areas — or stay out until an electrician clears it.
2. Stop the water. Supply-line and appliance failures: close the main shutoff. Roof or storm intrusion: contain with tarps and buckets only if safe.
3. Sewage or floodwater? Treat Category 3 (black) water — sewage backups, rising floodwater — as contaminated. Keep children and pets away and leave cleanup to certified pros.

Hour 1–4: Document before you touch anything

1. Photograph and video every affected room, floor-level and wide, before moving or discarding anything.
2. Keep samples of damaged materials (carpet, drywall) — adjusters can ask for them.
3. Start a written timeline: when discovered, source, what you did.

Hour 4–24: Notify and mitigate

1. Call your insurer the same day. Policies require prompt notice, and delays are a common denial ground.
2. You have a duty to mitigate — reasonable steps to prevent further damage (extraction, airflow) are expected and typically reimbursable. Keep receipts.
3. Call a certified firm. Drying that starts within 24–48 hours usually prevents mold entirely; after 48–72 hours, mold growth becomes likely and the job changes category.

What not to do

• Don't run a household fan over sewage-contaminated water — it aerosolizes contamination.
• Don't sign an Assignment of Benefits or work authorization you haven't read; you may be signing away control of your claim.
• Don't accept a mold "free inspection" from the same company that wants the remediation job — in every state that licenses mold work, that dual role is illegal.