First 24 Hours · Printable Checklist

Water Damage: The First 24 Hours

Water spreads and soaks by the minute. Work down this list in order, and call us as early in it as you can.

1. Stop the water at its source, or shut off the main (usually at the street-side meter box, or on the inside wall near the front hose bib in many local homes).
2. If outlets, cords, or appliances are wet, cut power to those rooms at the breaker panel. Never step into standing water to reach the panel; if you would have to, stay clear and call us.
3. Call (951) 758-8442. Mitigation that starts within hours costs a fraction of mitigation that starts in days.
4. Photograph everything before touching anything: wide shots of each room, then close-ups of the damage.
5. Move electronics, documents, and valuables to a dry room.
6. Put foil or blocks under furniture legs, and pull rugs off wet floors.
7. Do not use a household vacuum on standing water.
8. Do not run ceiling fans under a wet or sagging ceiling.
9. Do not wait for the adjuster to start mitigation. Every policy requires preventing further damage.
10. Save the receipt for anything you buy because of the loss, from fans to a hotel night.

We answer around the clock, extract and dry to IICRC S500 targets, and document every reading for your claim.

General guidance for typical residential losses, aligned with EPA mold guidance and IICRC S500/S520 standards. Every loss is different, so this is not a substitute for an on-site professional assessment. If anyone is in danger, call 911 first.