Step 1: Ensure Your Safety First
Before you touch anything, assess the scene for electrical hazards. If water is near any electrical outlets, appliances, or your breaker panel, do not walk through it. If you can safely reach your main electrical panel without stepping in water, turn off power to the affected area. If there is any doubt at all, leave the house and call an electrician before re-entering.
If you smell gas or suspect a gas leak, leave immediately. Do not flip light switches or use your phone inside the house. Call your gas company and 911 from outside. Water and gas are a combination that demands professional intervention before anything else happens.
Step 2: Stop the Water Source
If the water is coming from an internal source you can control—a burst supply line, a running toilet, an overflowing washing machine—shut off the water supply to that fixture or appliance. Every home has individual shut-off valves near sinks, toilets, and appliances. If you cannot locate the specific valve, shut off the main water supply to the entire house. Your main shut-off is usually near the water meter (often at the front of the property in Metro Atlanta) or where the water line enters your home.
If the source is external—storm flooding, a roof leak, or rising groundwater—you may not be able to stop it. In that case, focus on protecting yourself and your valuables, and call for professional help immediately.
Step 3: Document Everything
Before you start cleaning up a single drop, pull out your phone and document the damage. Take wide-angle photos and videos of every affected room. Get close-ups of the water source, the water line on walls, damaged belongings, and any visible damage to flooring, baseboards, or cabinetry. Open closets and photograph their contents. Move furniture away from walls and photograph what is behind it.
This documentation is critical for your insurance claim. Insurance adjusters want to see the damage in its original state, before cleanup began. Companies that arrive and start extracting water without photographing the scene first are doing you a disservice. At WaterTite, our technicians carry tablets and document every inch of the loss before a single piece of equipment gets deployed—because we know this documentation is what gets your claim paid.
Step 4: Call Your Mitigation Company and Insurance
Call a professional water damage mitigation company before calling your insurance company. Here is why: a mitigation company can be on-site in under an hour to start preventing further damage, while your insurance company will typically need one to three business days to send an adjuster. Your insurance policy requires you to take “reasonable steps to mitigate further damage,” and calling a professional satisfies this obligation.
Once your mitigation company is dispatched, call your insurance carrier to open a claim. Have your policy number ready. They will assign a claim number and tell you when an adjuster will visit. Your mitigation company will work with the adjuster directly—providing moisture readings, photos, equipment logs, and scope documentation that supports your claim.
Step 5: Protect What You Can
While waiting for your mitigation team to arrive (which should be under an hour with a company like WaterTite), there are safe steps you can take. Move small valuables, electronics, and sentimental items to a dry area. Lift curtains and drapes off wet floors by looping them through a hanger. Place aluminum foil or wooden blocks under furniture legs to prevent staining on carpet. If safe to do so, mop or blot up excess water with towels.
Do not attempt to use a household vacuum to remove standing water—standard vacuums are not designed for water and you risk electrocution. Do not use your central HVAC system to try to dry the space, as this can spread contaminated moisture throughout your entire home via the ductwork. And resist the urge to pull up carpet or tear out drywall yourself. Your mitigation team has the moisture meters and thermal imaging cameras needed to determine exactly what needs to be removed and what can be dried in place.
What NOT to Do
- •Do not wait. Every hour of delay increases damage and cost. Category 1 water becomes Category 2 within 48 hours.
- •Do not use bleach on everything. Bleach does not kill mold on porous surfaces and can actually feed it by adding moisture. Leave antimicrobial treatment to professionals.
- •Do not throw away damaged items. Your insurance adjuster may need to see them. Set them aside in a dry area until the adjuster inspects.
- •Do not open windows to “air it out.” In Georgia's humidity, outdoor air can actually slow the drying process and introduce additional moisture. Controlled drying with commercial dehumidifiers is far more effective.
- •Do not hire someone without IICRC certification. Unlicensed work can void your insurance coverage and leave behind hidden damage.
The First 24 Hours Make or Break Your Outcome
Here is the bottom line: the actions you take (or do not take) in the first 24 hours after water damage determine 80% of the outcome. Fast, professional mitigation limits demolition, prevents mold, protects your belongings, and gives your insurance claim the strongest possible foundation. Delayed or improper response leads to more destruction, higher costs, longer displacement, and potential claim denials.
If you are reading this while dealing with an active water emergency, stop reading and call us. We will walk you through your specific situation on the phone and have a team headed your way while we are still talking. That is how this works, and that is what we are here for.