What to Do Immediately After Water Damage: A Step-by-Step Guide

Water is spreading across your floor and your heart is racing. What you do in the next 60 minutes matters more than almost anything that happens afterward. Here’s exactly how to respond — in order.

Step 1: Stop the water at the source

If the water is coming from your plumbing, shut off your home’s main water valve. It’s usually where the water line enters the house — near the front foundation wall, in the basement, or in a utility closet. If it’s a single fixture, the local shutoff under the sink or behind the toilet may be enough. A burst pipe won’t stop on its own, so this comes first.

Step 2: Cut the power — safely

Water and electricity are a deadly combination. If you can reach your breaker panel without standing in water, switch off circuits to the affected areas. If the panel itself is wet or you’d have to wade to reach it, don’t risk it — call an electrician or your utility.

Step 3: Protect yourself and document everything

Before you start moving things, take photos and video of all the damage. This is the foundation of your water damage insurance claim — adjusters pay claims based on documentation. If the water could be contaminated (a sewage backup or storm flooding), avoid contact entirely until pros in proper gear arrive.

Step 4: Move what you can to dry ground

Lift furniture, electronics, documents, and valuables out of the water and to a dry area. Slide aluminum foil or wood blocks under furniture legs that can’t be moved to stop staining and wicking.

Step 5: Start removing standing water

If it’s clean water and safe to do so, use towels, a mop, or a wet/dry vacuum to pull up what you can. This helps — but understand its limits. Surface water is only part of the problem; moisture wicks into drywall, subfloor, and framing where no shop vac can reach. That hidden moisture is what causes mold after water damage.

Step 6: Get air moving

Open windows if the weather is dry, and run fans to start surface evaporation. This is a stopgap, not a solution. Real drying requires commercial air movers and dehumidifiers working together — see how professional structural drying works and why DIY drying so often fails.

Step 7: Call a licensed restoration company

The clock is ticking on mold. A certified crew will measure the moisture you can’t see, extract water from inside materials, and dry your home to a verified target. Speed is everything, which is why fast response is the most important thing to look for when choosing a water damage restoration company.

Step 8: Call your insurer (after you’ve documented)

Once you have photos and a restoration company engaged, open your claim. Many insurers can be billed directly. Knowing what the job will cost helps here — our Salt Lake City cost guide sets expectations before you talk numbers.

What NOT to do

• Don’t use a household vacuum on water — only a wet/dry vac.
• Don’t wait “to see if it dries on its own.” It won’t, and mold will start.
• Don’t throw out damaged items before documenting them for your claim.
• Don’t enter rooms with sagging ceilings — water-logged drywall can collapse.

The takeaway

Stay safe, stop the source, document, and call for help fast. We’re available around the clock for homeowners in Salt Lake City and across the valley — and we’ll walk you through every step over the phone while a crew heads your way.