Emergency Checklist
The First 24 Hours After Water Damage
If water is moving right now, stop reading and call (561) 331-8624. If it is stopped and you are figuring out what happens next, this is the order to do things in.
TLG Restoration · Updated August 2026 · 7 Min Read
Work Top To Bottom
Hour By Hour
Hour 0 to 1
Stop It And Make It Safe
- 1.1Shut off the water at the fixture, or at the main if you cannot find the source.
- 1.2Kill the breaker to any affected area where water is near outlets, wiring, or a panel. If water is near the panel itself, do not touch it. Call an electrician.
- 1.3Photograph everything before you move a single thing. Wide shots of each room, close shots of the damage, and the failed component itself.
- 1.4Do not throw away the broken part. The split hose, the cracked pan, the failed fitting. That object is your evidence that this was sudden rather than gradual.
- 1.5Get people and pets out of standing water, especially if the source is a drain line or a toilet.
Hour 1 to 4
Open The Claim And Start Extraction
- 2.1Call your insurance carrier and open the claim. Do it by phone, then follow up in writing so there is a dated record. Ask for the claim number.
- 2.2Start pulling standing water. A wet vacuum works for small volumes; anything past a room needs a truck or a submersible pump.
- 2.3Do not run the house air conditioning if the ductwork or the air handler got wet. You will move moisture and, if there is already growth, spores through the entire house.
- 2.4Move what you can lift. Furniture off wet carpet, electronics up, contents out of the affected rooms. Put foil or blocks under furniture legs you cannot move.
- 2.5Call a licensed restoration company. Extraction inside the first few hours is the difference between drying a room and rebuilding it.
Hour 4 to 24
Dry It Properly, Document As You Go
- 3.1Get real dehumidification running, not box fans. Air movers plus LGR dehumidifiers, positioned for the structure rather than the puddle.
- 3.2Pull wet carpet pad. Pad holds water against the subfloor and almost never dries in place, even when the carpet above it feels dry.
- 3.3Open wall cavities where moisture readings call for it. Baseboards off, weep holes drilled, insulation out if it is saturated.
- 3.4Keep photographing. Daily moisture readings and dated photos are what turn a claim into a paid claim.
- 3.5Log every expense: fans you bought, a hotel night, the plumber. Reasonable emergency costs are usually reimbursable.
Hour 24 to 48
The Mold Clock
- 4.1In Florida humidity, mold begins colonizing wet organic material in roughly 24 to 48 hours. This window is the whole reason speed matters.
- 4.2If material is still wet at hour 48, you are no longer managing a water loss. You are managing a mold job, with a different scope, a different cost, and a different coverage limit.
- 4.3Do not close the walls back up because things look dry. Looking dry and being dry are different, and only a moisture meter knows the difference.
- 4.4If mold is already visible or the smell is already there, stop and get an independent assessor involved before anyone starts removing material.
Costly Mistakes
What Not To Do
- Do not wait for the adjuster to arrive before you start drying. Your policy requires you to prevent further damage, and waiting can cost you the mold that grows while you sit still.
- Do not run the AC if ducts are wet.
- Do not use a household bleach spray on suspected mold. It wets the material further, does not address anything inside a cavity, and can complicate the assessment.
- Do not throw away damaged contents before they are documented.
- Do not sign anything that assigns your insurance benefits to a contractor. Assignment of benefits is void in Florida for residential policies issued on or after January 1, 2023.
The insurance side of this has its own rules, including a filing deadline that runs from the date of loss rather than the date you noticed. Read the coverage guide before you talk to your adjuster.
Straight Answers
Water Damage Questions, Answered
- What should I do first after water damage?
- Shut off the water, cut power to affected areas if water is near wiring, and photograph everything before you touch it. Then call your carrier to open a claim and get a restoration company extracting water. The first few hours decide how large the job becomes.
- How long before mold grows after water damage?
- In Florida humidity, mold begins colonizing wet organic material in roughly 24 to 48 hours. That is why extraction and structural drying inside the first day is the single largest controllable variable in a water loss.
- Should I wait for the insurance adjuster before cleaning up?
- No. Florida policies require you to take reasonable steps to prevent further damage, so waiting can actually work against your claim. Photograph everything thoroughly first, keep damaged materials where practical, and use a company that documents as it works.
- Can I dry it out myself with fans?
- For a small, quickly-caught spill on a hard surface, sometimes. Box fans move air but do not remove moisture from the air, so in Florida they often just relocate humidity. Anything involving carpet pad, wall cavities, or more than a small area needs real dehumidification equipment.
- Do I need to pull up the carpet?
- The carpet itself can often be saved. The pad underneath usually cannot, because it holds water against the subfloor and rarely dries in place. A restoration crew will normally pull pad, dry the subfloor, and re-pad during reconstruction.
- How do I know when it is actually dry?
- With a moisture meter, not by touch. Material can feel dry at the surface while the cavity behind it is still saturated. A proper job takes daily readings against a dry standard and does not close anything up until the numbers say so.
Next Step
Water Is Not Waiting. Neither Are We.
Send the details or call. A real person reads every request, and if this is an active emergency the phone is faster than any form.
(561) 331-8624