The first 60 minutes after a burst pipe decide whether you're dealing with a $500 repair or a $50,000 loss. A step-by-step playbook for the moment it happens.
Shut off the main water valve and kill power to wet areas
Document everything — photos and video before you move anything
Call your insurance carrier and a certified mitigation team in parallel
Pull standing water within the first 24 hours to prevent secondary damage
When to call a professional
Call a certified mitigation team if water has reached drywall, subfloor, or more than one room — or if it has been sitting for over 24 hours.
Sudden and accidental water damage is typically covered. Long-term seepage or neglected maintenance usually is not. Document the source and timeline before you cleanup.
Can I dry it out with fans from the hardware store?
Box fans move air but don't remove humidity. Without commercial dehumidifiers you often just push moisture deeper into wall cavities and grow mold.
Smoke residue is acidic and keeps eating finishes long after the flames are out. Here's what professional fire restoration actually does — and why DIY almost always costs more.
Why soot type (wet vs dry vs protein) changes the cleaning method
Securing the structure: board-up, tarping, and air filtration
Content cleaning vs disposal — what insurance typically covers
Realistic timelines for full re-occupancy
When to call a professional
Call a professional before you wipe anything down. Improper cleaning smears soot into porous surfaces and voids most insurance content claims.
Mold isn't a cleaning problem — it's a moisture problem. We break down the IICRC S520 process so you know exactly what a proper remediation looks like.
Containment, negative air, and why HEPA matters
Removal vs encapsulation — when each is appropriate
Post-remediation verification (PRV) and third-party clearance
Fixing the source: humidity, leaks, ventilation
When to call a professional
Call a professional for any visible growth larger than about 10 square feet, HVAC contamination, or if anyone in the home has respiratory symptoms.
Every hour your business is closed is revenue gone. A commercial water response is a different animal — here's how we keep operations moving while we restore.
Emergency response protocols for multi-tenant properties
Working around live operations: zoning, drying chambers, off-hours work
Documentation for business interruption claims
Pre-loss agreements that get you to the front of the line
When to call a professional
Call immediately for any water event affecting tenant spaces, inventory, or shared building systems. Delayed response drives business-interruption losses fast.
It's a no-cost paperwork step that puts your property on a priority response list with your restoration partner. Highly recommended for anyone with tenants or inventory.
Who coordinates with my insurance and tenants?
A qualified commercial restoration lead should handle carrier documentation, tenant communication, and daily job-site updates — ask for a single point of contact.
