Water damage restoration guides

Emergency response

Restoration technician climbing wet porch steps toward the open front door of a home with visible water staining on the entryway wall

Emergency

Emergency water damage restoration

Homeowner reviewing a water damage restoration checklist on a clipboard beside an air mover fan and dehumidifier in a water-stained living room

Checklist

Water damage restoration checklist

Homeowner using a wet dry vacuum to remove standing water from a hardwood floor

DIY Cleanup

DIY water damage cleanup

A voltage tester glowing red at the slot of a GFCI wall outlet, indicating live current, with a water stain on the baseboard below it

Electrical Outlets

Is it safe to use electrical outlets after water damage?

Plumbing and appliance leaks

Burst copper pipe spraying water across a laundry line near a washing machine

Burst Pipe

Burst pipe water damage

Frost coating an exposed copper pipe in an unheated crawl space

Frozen Pipes

Frozen pipe water damage

Interior wall with a brown water stain and bubbling paint above the baseboard

Wall Leak

Water leak in a wall

Plumber kneeling on a home's floor using an acoustic leak detection device to locate a slab leak

Slab Leak

What is a slab leak?

Water pooling on the floor at the base of a water heater next to a furnace in an unfinished basement

Water Heater Leak

Water heater leak cleanup

Water spreading across a tile bathroom floor from the base of a toilet, with a vanity and glass shower visible across the room

Toilet Overflow

Toilet overflow cleanup

Water pooling on the floor in front of a leaking front-load washing machine in a laundry room

Washing Machine Leak

Washing machine leak cleanup

Water pooling on a kitchen floor in front of an open dishwasher

Dishwasher Leak

Dishwasher leak cleanup

Water pooling on a kitchen floor beside a refrigerator built into a run of cabinetry

Refrigerator Leak

Refrigerator leak cleanup

Water softener and brine tank leaking with salt residue staining the basement floor

Water Softener or Filtration Leak

Water damage from a water softener or filtration leak

A hand shutting off a valve at the base of a leaking hydronic boiler in a basement

Boiler or Radiator Leak

Boiler or radiator leak water damage

Water stain spreading across a ceiling below an attic HVAC access panel

HVAC Condensation

HVAC condensation water damage

Weather and outside water

Water stain spreading across a ceiling in the corner of a furnished living room

Roof Leak

Water damage from a roof leak

Extensive water staining spreading down the wall around a large window in a living room

Window or Door Leak

Window or door leak water damage

Thick ice dam and hanging icicles along the snow-covered eave of a gray house, with a snow-covered yard and frosted tree in the foreground

Ice Dams

Ice dam water damage

Water overflowing from a clogged gutter and running down the corner of a house onto the foundation

Gutter Overflow

Gutter overflow water damage

Plywood boarded over windows on a house with dark storm clouds gathering overhead

Storm Damage

Storm and hurricane water damage

Flooded living room with several inches of standing brownish water reaching the base of upholstered furniture and a visible tide line on the wall

Flooding

Water damage from flooding

Utility worker beside a broken water line spraying muddy water from a trench in the front yard of a suburban home

Water Main Break

Water main break damage

Technician in full protective gear extracting standing water from a residential basement floor with a submersible pump

Sewage Backup

Sewage backup cleanup

A homeowner crouched beside a flooded sump pump with its discharge pipe still attached, flashlight aimed at the pump as shallow water spreads across the basement floor

Sump Pump Failure

Sump pump failure water damage

Water pooling against the base of a home's foundation wall after heavy rain

Foundation

Foundation water damage

Fire and sprinkler damage

Water spraying from a ceiling-mounted fire sprinkler head onto a stained carpet in a living room

Fire Sprinkler Leak

Fire sprinkler leak cleanup

Fire-damaged living and dining room with soot-streaked walls, a couch and armchair facing a wall-mounted TV, and a dining table and chairs on a wet, ash-covered carpet with scattered papers

Emergency

Water Damage After a House Fire

Understanding water damage

Homeowner shining a flashlight on a water stain spreading across a ceiling

Warning Signs

Signs of water damage in your home

Three glass containers showing clean, gray, and dark contaminated water side by side

Categories

Water damage categories explained

Injection drying mats and hoses laid across cupped hardwood flooring in an empty room, with a dehumidifier running near the window

Classes

Water damage classes explained

A technician pressing a pin-type moisture meter against a water-stained section of drywall

Moisture Readings

Moisture meter readings explained

Cut-away section of drywall with a faint water stain above it, exposing water-stained wood framing inside a home

Structural Damage

Structural water damage

Technician holding a moisture meter against a water-stained wall in a partially dried room with an air mover and dehumidifier running

Vs. Mold Remediation

Water damage restoration vs. mold remediation

Homeowner kneeling to place a smart water sensor in the cabinet under a kitchen sink

Prevention

Water damage prevention

Restoration process

Restoration technician positioning an air mover and dehumidifier in a water damaged living room

Process

Water damage restoration process

Technician in waders and rubber gloves positioning a submersible pump in a flooded basement

Extraction

Water extraction process

Air movers and a dehumidifier drying a water stained living room wall

Structural Drying

Structural drying process

Restoration technician positioning an air mover next to a water-stained wall in a homeowner's living room

What to Expect

What to expect during water damage restoration

Restoration technician holding a moisture meter reading 27 percent against a water-stained drywall panel in a home hallway

Timeline

How long does water damage restoration take

Restoration technician kneeling at a plastic-sealed hallway doorway setting up an air mover, with water staining on the wall inside

Staying Home

Staying home during restoration

Restoration technician in a respirator kneeling beside an air scrubber ducted to an open window, next to a wall cut open to bare studs with a water stain line on the drywall

Odor Removal

Water damage odor removal

A living room mid-repair with an open wall cutout showing water stained studs, and an air mover, wet-dry vac, and toolbox nearby

Permits

Do you need a permit for water damage repairs?

Costs and financing

Restoration technician using a moisture meter on a water-stained wall in a carpeted living room

Cost Guide

Water damage restoration cost

Technician measuring a water damaged floor with a tape measure

Cost Per Sq Ft

Water damage restoration cost per square foot

Homeowner reviewing a loan offer and a restoration company's written estimate at a kitchen table, with a faint water stain visible on a hallway wall in the background

Financing

Water damage restoration financing

Insurance and claims

Homeowner reviewing a printed insurance claim document beside a water-stained living room wall

Insurance

Does homeowners insurance cover water damage

Homeowner filling out a home insurance claim form at a kitchen table next to a laptop showing a water damage report

Insurance Claim

How to file a water damage insurance claim

Homeowner photographing a water-stained wall in a living room with a smartphone for an insurance claim

Documentation

How to document water damage for insurance

Homeowner reading a water damage insurance denial letter at a kitchen table with a water-stained wall in the background

Claim Denied

Water damage insurance claim denied

Insurance adjuster measuring a water stain along the base of a living room wall while a homeowner looks on

Xactimate

What is Xactimate?

Homeowner reviewing two printed insurance documents at a kitchen table with a pen and calculator

Public Adjuster

Should I hire a public adjuster?

Homeowner reviewing a flood insurance policy document at a kitchen table in an open-concept home

Flood Insurance

Does flood insurance cover water damage?

Tenant photographing a water stained ceiling and wet laminate flooring in an apartment living room

Renters Insurance

Does renters insurance cover water damage?

Hiring and warranties

Homeowner reviewing a written estimate with a water damage restoration technician in a damaged living room

Hiring

How to choose a water damage restoration company

Homeowner on the phone taking notes at her kitchen counter with a water-stained wall visible behind her

Questions to Ask

Questions to ask a water damage restoration company

Water damage restoration technician taking a moisture reading on exposed wall studs beside running dehumidifiers and air movers

Certifications

Water damage restoration certifications

Restoration technician handing a homeowner a printed warranty document beside a wall with a water stain and drywall patch

Warranty

Water damage restoration warranty

A homeowner inspecting a water stained ceiling in a newly built house

Builder Warranty

Does a builder warranty cover water damage?

Rooms of the home

Standing water covering the floor of an unfinished basement beside a stained foundation wall

Basement

Basement water damage

Water stain and warped baseboard around a toilet in a home bathroom

Bathroom

Bathroom water damage

Person inspecting a water-stained kitchen cabinet base under the sink with a flashlight

Kitchen

Kitchen water damage

Water staining and damp insulation along the roof deck of a residential attic

Attic

Attic water damage

Technician crouched in a crawl space inspecting standing water near exposed floor joists

Crawl Space

Crawl space water damage

Water stain spreading across a ceiling near a light fixture

Ceiling

Ceiling water damage

Water pooled across a garage concrete floor, spreading from the base of a water heater at the back of the garage

Garage

Garage water damage

Floors, walls and belongings

Water-stained hardwood flooring near a baseboard, with discoloration along the board seams

Hardwood Floors

Water damaged hardwood floors

Technician using a wet/dry vacuum to extract standing water from a flooded living room carpet

Carpet

Water damaged carpet

A section of vinyl plank flooring bubbled and lifted at the seam in a hallway

Vinyl Flooring

Water damaged vinyl flooring

Swollen, lifted laminate plank seams along a kitchen floor with visible water staining

Laminate Flooring

Water damaged laminate flooring

Rust-colored water staining along the grout lines of a shower's interior corner, seen through a glass shower door

Tile & Grout

Water damaged tile and grout

A pulled-up section of vinyl plank flooring against a living room wall, exposing a water-stained plywood subfloor beneath

Subfloor

Water damaged subfloor

Water stained and bubbling drywall panel with paint peeling away from a leak

Drywall

Water damaged drywall

Person kneeling on attic joists holding a matted, water-stained fiberglass batt beneath a stained roof deck

Insulation

Water damaged insulation

Open kitchen cabinet under a sink showing a water-stained particleboard base

Cabinets

Water damaged cabinets

A soaked upholstered armchair and water-stained side table on a wet living room floor

Furniture

Water damaged furniture

A laptop, phone, and papers sitting in a puddle of rainwater on a bedroom desk beside a cracked, rain-streaked window during a storm

Electronics & Appliances

Water damaged electronics and appliances

Homes, tenants and sales

Renter photographing a water-stained wall in her rental apartment living room

Renters Rights

Tenant rights for water damage in a rental

Water stain spreading across a ceiling corner in a condo living room, city high-rises visible through a window

Condo

Water damage in a condo

Apartment living room with a water-stained, sagging ceiling patch above a plain wall

Insurance

Upstairs Neighbor Leak

Water stain trailing down the vinyl siding of a manufactured home with an open skirting panel exposing the underbelly

Mobile Home

Mobile home water damage

Homeowner in a winter coat with a rolling suitcase stepping inside a closed-up seasonal home, looking up at a water-stained ceiling above wet, cupped hardwood flooring

Vacant Home

Water damage in a vacant or seasonal home

Water stain and peeling paint on a plaster ceiling beside original crown molding in an older home

Older or Historic Home

Water damage in an older or historic home

Homeowner filling out a seller's disclosure form at a kitchen table

Disclosure

Do you have to disclose water damage when selling a house

A couple and their real estate agent walking up the driveway toward a house with a For Sale sign, a rust-colored water stain visible on the siding near the roofline

Home Buying

Buying a house with water damage history