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Guide

Water damage: the first 48 hours

The order you do things in decides how much has to be torn out later. Here it is, with the Salt Lake City numbers you may need.

Call (801) 823-6866
Homeowner on the phone in a hallway, looking at a wet patch of carpet

In order

Hour by hour

  1. Make it safe

    Stay out of water that could reach outlets, cords or the electrical panel, and out of sewage. A gas smell means everyone goes outside before anyone phones.

  2. Stop the water

    Close the fixture valve or the main shut-off. For a sewer backup, stop all water use in the house.

  3. Report what the city should know

    In Salt Lake City, sewage backups, main breaks and flooding go to Public Utilities dispatch at 801-483-6700.

  4. Record everything

    Photos and video of the water level, the source and every damaged item before it moves.

  5. Start drying

    Extraction and drying equipment within a day or two limits what has to be removed.

  6. Tell your insurer

    As soon as possible, with photos. Hold off on permanent repairs until they have inspected.

Safety

Electricity, gas and dirty water

Water and electricity are the first danger. If the panel is in a wet basement, don't walk through water to reach it; call an electrician or the power company. Unplug things only from a dry spot.

If a gas water heater or furnace sat in water, don't relight it. Salt Lake City's Rose Park flooding guidance noted that the gas company will not relight gas appliances that have been exposed to water and that private contractors may be needed (city page).

Water pooling at the base of a tank water heater in a closet

Records

What to photograph and keep

  • The water level on walls and furniture, with something for scale
  • The source: the pipe, hose, drain or ceiling
  • Each damaged item before it's moved or thrown out
  • Receipts for anything you buy to stop more damage
  • Dates and times, and any city service request number
  • Your claim number and the adjuster's name

Why 48 hours

Mold doesn't wait for paperwork

The EPA recommends drying water-damaged areas and items within 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold growth (EPA guide). Pad, drywall and insulation soak up water fast, and the longer they stay wet the more of them must be cut out.

The Utah Insurance Department advises making the repairs needed to prevent further damage, such as covering a leaking roof, and saving receipts, but not having permanent repairs made until your insurer has inspected (home claims info).

Call (801) 823-6866

Drying equipment running in a basement room

Salt Lake Valley

Talk the damage through with a local restoration contractor

A single call reaches an independent contractor that handles water, smoke and mold jobs in Salt Lake City and the surrounding cities. You decide whether to book anything.

Water where it shouldn't be?

The call goes to an independent restoration contractor that takes jobs in the Salt Lake Valley. Describe the source, the rooms involved and when it started.

Call (801) 823-6866

Calls may be recorded for quality and billing. How the line is paid: referral disclosure. What is recorded: privacy.

Call (801) 823-6866