What to Do in the First 48 Hours After a Leak.
A supply line lets go under the sink, the water heater starts leaking, or a tenant calls because the ceiling is dripping. What you do in the first two days decides whether the repair is a patch and some paint or a room opened down to the framing. Here is the order we would follow in our own homes.
First, stop the water
Find the closest shut-off. Sinks and toilets have a small valve on the supply line; the water heater has one on the cold pipe going in; a washing machine has two behind it. If you cannot find the source, or the valve will not turn, close the main shut-off for the house. In most Southern California homes it is near the front hose bib or next to the water meter at the street. Turn it now, before you look for towels. If the leak is from the roof or a window, you cannot shut it off, so move to catching and draining the water and get someone on the roof once it is safe.
If water has reached outlets, light fixtures or the electrical panel, turn off the breakers for that area before you step in. A sagging ceiling that is holding water should be drained through a small hole into a bucket rather than left to come down on its own.
Take photos before you clean anything up
Insurance adjusters want to see the damage as it was, so take pictures and a short video before you move furniture or pull up flooring. Photograph the source of the leak, the water on the floor, the stains on walls and ceilings, and anything that got wet, including the underside of rugs and the bottom of furniture. Keep the broken part if you can; a split hose or a cracked fitting is useful evidence.
Call your insurer the same day. Whether the damage is covered depends on the policy and on how the leak happened. Sudden failures are treated differently from slow seepage that went unnoticed for months, so do not guess at a cause on the phone. Describe what you found and when you found it, and keep every receipt from here on, including fans you rent and the plumber's invoice.
Get the water out and the air moving
Standing water goes first. A wet vac, a mop and a lot of towels handle a small spill; anything deeper than an inch across a room is faster with a pump. Then pull up area rugs, move furniture out or onto foil or blocks, empty the lower cabinets and take the kick plates off so air can reach under them.
Drying is about air movement and humidity, so a ceiling fan is not enough. Rent or borrow air movers and a dehumidifier, open cabinet doors and closets, and run the air conditioning if the weather is humid. Keep the equipment running day and night. Carpet can often be saved if it is lifted and dried from both sides within a day or two, but the pad under it usually cannot, and laminate or engineered flooring that has swollen at the seams will not go back down.
What dries out and what has to come out
Drywall wicks water upward, so a wall that was standing in an inch of water is often wet a foot or more above the floor line. Press on it. If it is soft, crumbles or has a visible tide line that stays dark after a day of drying, the lower part needs to be cut out so the framing and insulation behind it can dry. Wet insulation does not recover; it holds water against the studs and has to go. Baseboards that have swollen or pulled away from the wall come off at the same time.
The timeline matters because mold starts growing on damp material within a day or two. If you smell it, or you see spots on the back of the baseboard when it comes off, the drying has not kept up and more material needs to be opened. This is the point where most owners call us.
Signs the leak is older than it looks
- A warm spot on a tile or concrete floor, or the sound of running water when everything is off. Many homes here sit on a slab, and a hot water line under it can leak for weeks before it shows.
- A water bill that jumped with no change in use.
- Brown rings on a ceiling that get bigger after each rain, which point to a roof or flashing problem rather than plumbing.
- Cabinet floors that are dark, swollen or lifting at the back corner under the sink.
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When to bring in a repair contractor
A small spill on tile that you caught the same hour does not need us. Call when drywall or a ceiling has gone soft, when water got under the flooring, when the leak ran inside a wall or from the unit above, or when the room still smells damp after the fans have run for a few days. Those jobs involve cutting out material, checking the framing and rebuilding, and they go better when the demolition and the finish work are planned together.
If you own a rental, the tenant's photos and a quick phone call are usually enough for us to tell you what to shut off and what to move until someone gets there. We reply within 24 hours.
After the room is dry
Once the framing reads dry, the rebuild is ordinary work. New insulation and drywall go in, taped and textured to match the rest of the room, and then the baseboards, flooring and paint. Our water damage repair page shows a job like this from the first cut to the finished room. If only one section of a wall was hit, the flat rate for hanging and patching drywall is on the Services page. Before the wall closes up, fix what caused the leak, and go through the fall checks in our seasonal checklist so the same wall does not get wet again next winter.
Frequently asked questions
Can wet drywall be saved?
Sometimes. Drywall that got splashed and dried within a day usually recovers. Drywall that stood in water, feels soft, or has a dark line that does not fade after drying should be cut out, because the paper facing and the insulation behind it hold moisture and grow mold.
How long does it take to dry out a room after a leak?
With air movers and a dehumidifier running around the clock, surfaces usually dry in a few days. Framing, subfloor and concrete take longer, and the only way to know is to measure with a moisture meter rather than go by touch. Repairs should wait until those readings are back to normal.
Does homeowners insurance cover water damage from a leak?
It depends on the policy and the cause. Sudden and accidental leaks, such as a burst supply line, are often covered; damage from long-term seepage, poor maintenance or flooding from outside usually is not. Report it quickly, document everything and let the adjuster decide what applies.
Do I need to replace the carpet after a leak?
Carpet that was wet with clean water for less than a day or two can often be lifted, dried and reinstalled. The pad underneath is usually replaced, since it holds water like a sponge. Carpet soaked by sewage or standing water for several days should be replaced.
Dealing with a leak right now? WestHills Contracting repairs water damage in homes and rentals across Riverside, San Diego and Orange County. Send us a few photos or call 951-587-7633.
