Discovering water pouring through your ceiling or pooling across your floor is stressful, and what you do in the first 24 hours has an outsized effect on how much of your home can be saved and how smoothly your insurance claim goes. Here's exactly what to do, in order.
1. Stop the water source, if it's safe
If the water is coming from your plumbing, a burst pipe, a failed water heater, or an overflowing appliance, shut off your home's main water valve. If it's storm or flood water from outside, skip ahead; you can't stop that, so focus on safety and documentation.
2. Stay safe around electricity
Do not walk through standing water if there's any chance electrical outlets, cords, or panels are submerged. If you can safely reach your breaker box without stepping in water, cut power to the affected area. When in doubt, stay out and call a professional.
3. Document everything before you clean up
Before you move or remove anything, take photos and videos of all the damage, the water, the source if visible, and any affected belongings. This documentation is the backbone of your insurance claim. The more you capture now, the smoother the claim later.
4. Move valuables and lift what you can
Get important documents, electronics, and valuables out of the affected area. If it's safe, lift furniture off wet flooring or place foil under the legs to prevent staining and further damage.
5. Don't try to dry it yourself with household fans
It's tempting to point box fans at the mess, but household fans and vacuums can actually spread contamination and push moisture deeper into walls and floors. In South Florida's humidity, improper drying is one of the most common reasons a water loss turns into a mold problem a few weeks later. Professional structural drying uses calibrated equipment and daily moisture monitoring to dry your home the right way.
6. Call a restoration company, fast
The faster water is extracted and the structure is dried, the less of your home has to be torn out and rebuilt. A 24/7 restoration team can be on-site quickly, document the loss to insurance standards, and start mitigation before mold sets in (which can begin within 24–48 hours). Many companies, including EZR, bill your insurance directly so you're not fronting the cost.