From the first hour to the rebuild: safety, stopping the water, insurance, extraction, what to remove, drying and cleaning. From CDC, EPA and FEMA.
By the WaterDamageRated team · Facts checked against the sources listed below on November 1, 2026. General information, not professional advice.
Water and electricity are the first danger. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says never to turn power on or off, or use an electric tool or appliance, while standing in water. If you can reach the main breaker from a dry spot, switch it off; if you would have to step into water to reach it, call an electrician. CDC also says to have an electrician check the system before the power goes back on, and that electrical equipment and appliances must be completely dry before they are used again.
Find the source and shut it off. The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) says that if you have a sudden leak, you should shut your water off at the main and move expensive items off the floor, and warns that your insurer may deny your claim if you don't protect your property. The Minnesota Department of Commerce's advice after a burst pipe covers the next steps:
Our guide to what insurance covers explains how policies treat a sudden leak, a slow leak and a flood.
Restoration companies sort water by how contaminated it is, using the categories in the IICRC S500 standard for water damage restoration. Northern Arizona University's water damage guideline, which uses those categories, defines them like this:
The IICRC's 2026 position statement on the S500 standard quotes the standard's examples of Category 3 water, which include sewage, wasteline backflows that originate from beyond any trap regardless of what the water looks like, and rising water from rivers or streams. The statement stresses that wind-driven rain and other weather-related water is not automatically Category 3: the restorer decides after inspecting. It also quotes the standard as saying that time and temperature can affect a water's category, and NAU's guideline adds that gray water in flooded structures left untreated for more than 48 hours may become Category 3. For Category 2 or 3 water, the S500 standard says remediation should happen before restorative drying. EPA's water damage table applies only to clean water. For water contaminated with sewage or chemical or biological pollutants, EPA says OSHA requires protective equipment and containment, and that an experienced professional should be consulted if you don't have expertise in contaminated-water cleanup.
For wet carpet, and for concrete or block surfaces, EPA's guidance is to remove the water with a water extraction vacuum. EPA also says not to use fans until you know the water is clean or sanitary.
In a flooded basement, pump slowly. FEMA's guidance is to start only when floodwater no longer covers the ground outside and to lower the water about a foot a day at first, because draining too fast can collapse walls, floors and foundations. Our flooded basement guide has the full method.
EPA's table for responding to clean-water damage within 24 to 48 hours sorts materials like this:
Floodwater changes the answer. EPA's flood cleanup fact sheet says to throw away materials that soak up a lot of water, such as drywall, carpets and ceiling tiles, and generally anything that cannot be thoroughly cleaned and dried within 24 to 48 hours. The Red Cross says to remove all drywall and insulation that has been in contact with floodwater.
Drying takes time. The Red Cross says that, depending on the level of water damage, it can take weeks or months for a home's structural elements to dry thoroughly, and that only then should drywall, carpets and other floor coverings be replaced. Along the way:
Why speed matters for mold is explained in our guide to EPA's 24 to 48 hour rule.
EPA's flood fact sheet says to remove all the mold you can see, never to mix cleaning products together, and to wear at least an N-95 respirator mask, goggles and protective gloves to protect yourself from mold and other contaminants. It singles out bleach and ammonia, which together can create toxic vapors. CDC says that if a flooded home has been closed up for several days, you should assume it has mold. EPA's guidance on when a mold job is small enough to handle yourself is in our drying guide.
Once everything is dry, repairs begin, so check with your local building department before you start. Federal flood rules require communities in the National Flood Insurance Program to require permits for construction and other development in flood-prone areas (44 CFR 60.3). The same rules treat a home as substantially damaged when restoring it would cost 50 percent or more of its market value before the damage, and count its repair as a substantial improvement (44 CFR 59.1). In flood zones mapped as A1-30, AE and AH, communities must require a substantially improved home to have its lowest floor, including any basement, elevated to or above the base flood level, unless FEMA has granted the community an exception for basements (44 CFR 60.3). Licensing rules for the contractors who do the work in Texas, Minnesota and Oregon are in our guide to hiring a restoration contractor.
For clean water, EPA's Table 1 lists the steps: extract the water, use dehumidifiers and fans, and discard and replace wet ceiling tiles and insulation. EPA notes that, depending on the size of the area and the resources available, professional help may be needed to dry it quickly and thoroughly, and that for water contaminated with sewage an experienced professional should be consulted if you lack expertise in that work.
It depends on the damage. The Red Cross says that, depending on the level of water damage, a home's structural elements can take weeks or months to dry thoroughly.
No. EPA says drywall wet with clean water may be dried in place if there is no obvious swelling and the seams are intact. Drywall soaked by floodwater is different: the Red Cross says to remove all drywall that has been in contact with floodwater.
38 companies in 5 areas, scored by the same published criteria.