Water & fire damage guides
Written to help you make a decision — including the decision that you don't need a plumber yet.
Emergencies
- What to Do After a Pipe BurstsShut off the main water valve immediately, turn off power to any wet area, open a faucet at the lowest point to drain the lines, photograph the damage, then call a plumber for the pipe and a restoration company for the water.
- Water Heater Leaking? What to Do Right NowClose the cold-water valve on top of the tank, turn off the power (electric) or set the gas valve to 'pilot' or 'off', and connect a hose to the drain valve if the tank itself is leaking. Then check nearby floors and walls for water that spread before you noticed.
Mold & moisture
- How Fast Does Mold Grow After Water Damage?Mold can begin growing on wet drywall, wood and carpet within 24 to 48 hours and becomes visible within days to weeks. Arizona's dry air doesn't prevent it, because moisture trapped inside walls and under flooring never reaches the dry air.
- Musty Smell After a Leak: What It Means and What to DoA musty smell after a leak usually means moisture is still trapped somewhere — behind drywall, under flooring or in a cabinet — and microbial growth may have started. Air fresheners won't fix it; the wet material has to be found, dried or removed.
Insurance
- Water Damage vs. Flood Damage: What Insurance CoversHomeowners insurance generally covers sudden, accidental water damage from inside the home — like a burst pipe or failed water heater. Flood damage from outside water rising at ground level is usually excluded and requires a separate flood insurance policy.
- What to Document for a Water Damage Insurance ClaimPhotograph and video the source, the standing water and every damaged room and item before cleanup; keep damaged items or samples if possible; save receipts for emergency repairs; and get written moisture readings and a scope of work from the restoration company.
- Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Slab Leaks?Many homeowners policies cover the water damage from a sudden slab leak and the cost to access the pipe (breaking out and replacing flooring), but not the repair of the pipe itself. Leaks that went on for a long time may be excluded as gradual damage. Coverage depends on your policy.
- How to File a Water Damage Insurance Claim, Step by StepStop the water, photograph everything, notify your insurer promptly, start mitigation to prevent further damage, keep every receipt and moisture log, meet the adjuster with documentation ready, and review the estimate line by line before signing off.
Leaks
Getting help
- When to Call a Water Damage Restoration CompanyCall a restoration company when water has soaked into walls, ceilings, subfloor or carpet pad; when more than one room is affected; when water came from sewage or outside flooding; or when materials have been wet for more than 24 hours.
- Water Damage Categories 1, 2 and 3 ExplainedCategory 1 is clean water from a supply line. Category 2 is gray water that may contain contaminants, like washing-machine or dishwasher discharge. Category 3 is grossly contaminated water such as sewage or outside floodwater, which requires removal of porous materials it touched.
- How Long Does Water Damage Restoration Take?Extraction usually takes a few hours, structural drying typically takes three to five days, and repairs take days to a few weeks depending on how much was removed. Larger losses, contaminated water and hard-to-dry materials take longer.
Monsoon & storms
Cost
Fire & smoke
- What to Do After a House FireDon't re-enter until the fire department says it's safe. Contact your insurer, secure the property with board-up and roof tarping, avoid touching soot-covered surfaces, and have soot, smoke odor and firefighting water addressed within days.
- Smoke Damage Cleanup: What to ExpectSmoke cleanup starts with identifying the residue type, then HEPA vacuuming and dry-sponging loose soot, wet-cleaning surfaces with residue-specific cleaners, cleaning HVAC, and treating odor. Light damage often takes days; heavy damage involves removal and rebuild over weeks.
- Wildfire Smoke and Your Home: Cleanup After a Nearby FireAfter a nearby wildfire, replace HVAC filters, keep windows closed until air quality improves, HEPA-vacuum light ash rather than sweeping it, and wash hard surfaces gently. Heavy ash, soot in ducts or smoke odor that won't clear calls for professional cleaning.
Drying & process
- Water Mitigation vs. Water Restoration: What's the Difference?Water mitigation is the emergency phase — stopping the water, extracting it, removing materials that can't be saved and drying the structure. Water restoration is the repair phase that follows — replacing drywall, flooring, cabinets and finishes. Insurers often handle them as separate estimates.
- Can Water-Damaged Drywall Be Saved?Drywall wet with clean water for less than a day or two, that isn't sagging or crumbling and has no insulation soaked behind it, can often be dried in place. Drywall soaked by contaminated water, wet for several days, sagging, or showing mold should be cut out and replaced.
- How to Dry Out a House After a LeakStop the water, remove standing water, pull up wet rugs and pad, run the AC and any dehumidifiers you have, and open cabinets and closets. For anything beyond a small, surface-only spill, professional drying with extraction, dehumidifiers, air movers and moisture readings is what gets water out of walls and subfloors.
- Can You Stay in Your House During Water Damage Restoration?Most people can stay home during a typical clean-water dry-out, though equipment is noisy and warm. Leaving is usually recommended for sewage or contaminated water, major tear-out, loss of the only bathroom or kitchen, or for anyone with respiratory conditions, infants or a weakened immune system.