The first 24 hours after water damage shape everything that follows: how much has to be torn out, how smoothly your insurance claim goes, and whether mold becomes a problem. Here’s what to do, in order.
- Safety first: avoid standing water near electricity and stay out from under sagging ceilings.
- Stop the water at the fixture valve or the main shutoff, then drain the lines.
- Photograph everything before cleanup. It’s the best evidence for an insurance claim.
- Call for professional extraction and drying right away; mold can start in about 24–48 hours.
1. Make sure it’s safe
Before anything else, think about electricity and structure. Water and electrical current are a dangerous combination, and a ceiling full of water can collapse without warning.
- Don’t walk into standing water if outlets, power strips, extension cords or appliances may be underwater.
- If you can reach your electrical panel from a dry spot, switch off breakers to the affected rooms. If you can’t reach it safely, leave it and mention it when you call for help.
- Stay out from under sagging or bulging ceilings.
- If the water came from a toilet, a floor drain or outside (floodwater), treat it as contaminated and avoid touching it.
2. Stop the water
For a leak from a fixture, close the shutoff valve behind or under it. For a burst pipe, a water heater or anything you can’t isolate, shut off the main water valve. In most Littleton homes it’s in the basement or crawlspace on the foundation wall facing the street, or in a utility room near the water heater. After closing it, open a faucet on the lowest level to drain pressure from the lines.
If the water is coming from outside, such as a window well, the roof or storm runoff, you may not be able to stop it. Focus on moving belongings and limiting how far it spreads.
3. Document everything before you clean
Photos and video taken before cleanup are some of the most useful evidence for an insurance claim. Take wide shots of each room and close-ups of:
- The source: the failed pipe, hose, appliance or roof area
- Standing water and water lines on walls
- Damaged flooring, furniture, electronics and personal items
- Model and serial numbers of damaged appliances
Keep the failed part, like a burst supply line or split hose, if you can. Adjusters sometimes want to see it.
4. Protect your belongings
- Move rugs, electronics, documents and photos to a dry area.
- Lift furniture off wet carpet and set the legs on aluminum foil, wood blocks or plastic to prevent stains.
- Hang draperies up off the floor.
- Remove books and paper from wet shelves. Freezing wet documents in sealed bags can buy time until they can be professionally dried.
5. Call for professional help, then your insurer
For anything beyond a small spill of clean water, call a restoration company right away. Delays let water wick farther into drywall and framing and make mold more likely. A restoration team can extract water, map moisture you can’t see and start drying the same day.
Then call your insurance company or agent to report the loss. Ask about your coverage and deductible, and whether they need to see the damage before anything is removed. In general you’re expected to take reasonable steps to prevent further damage, so emergency extraction and drying shouldn’t wait on an adjuster’s visit.
Write down your claim number, your adjuster’s name and phone number, and the date and time of every conversation. A simple note on your phone works fine.
6. What not to do
- Don’t use a household vacuum to pick up water. It’s an electrocution risk and will ruin the vacuum.
- Don’t turn on ceiling fans or lights in rooms with wet ceilings.
- Don’t run the HVAC if water reached ducts or returns, or if sewage is involved.
- Don’t throw away damaged items until they’ve been photographed and your insurer says it’s okay.
- Don’t assume it will dry on its own. Colorado’s dry air helps surfaces, but water under flooring and inside walls needs measured drying.
7. The days that follow
Expect drying equipment to run for several days. Most residential losses take about three to five days to dry, and longer for hardwood, plaster or large basement losses. Keep the equipment running, keep doors and windows closed unless the crew says otherwise, and let technicians take readings on each visit.
Once the structure is verified dry, repairs can begin: new pad and carpet, drywall, paint and trim. Ask for copies of the moisture logs and photos for your records.
Related service: Water Damage Restoration in Littleton, CO.
Sources & industry standards
This guide is general information for Littleton-area homeowners, written with reference to the sources above. It isn’t professional, legal or insurance advice. See our editorial standards.
