Step 1: Stop the Water
Shut off your main water supply immediately. The main shutoff is typically at the street meter, or inside the home near the water heater or in the garage. If you know which fixture line burst and it has its own shutoff — try that first. If you're not sure, shut off the whole house.
Don't wait to find the source. Water running for an extra 10 minutes can mean the difference between a manageable job and a wall cavity that's fully saturated.
If you don't know where your main shutoff is, walk the perimeter near the street now — before you need it in an emergency.
Step 2: Don't Do These Things
Don't run box fans or open windows before a professional assesses airflow. Improper ventilation pushes moisture further into wall cavities and spreads the affected area.
Don't use a wet/dry vac and call it done. Surface water is the small part of the problem. The moisture that's already in your walls, subfloor, and framing is what causes secondary damage — and you can't extract that with a shop vac.
Don't tear out drywall yourself. Photos of undisturbed damage give your carrier a clear record of what occurred. Photos of damage you've already modified create questions the adjuster will ask. Document first. Demolish only with a contractor present.
Step 3: Document Before You Touch Anything
Take photos and video of every affected room, every wet surface, every piece of damaged property. Do this before moving furniture, lifting rugs, or cleaning anything up. If your phone time-stamps automatically, verify that setting is on.
This documentation is evidence for your claim. An adjuster who sees photos from within an hour of discovery — furniture still in place, water still present, flooring unmodified — has a much easier job approving what you're claiming.
Step 4: Call a Restoration Contractor Before You Call Your Insurance
Most homeowner policies require you to take reasonable steps to mitigate damage after a loss. Waiting for carrier approval before starting mitigation works against you — it gives water more time to spread, and it can give the carrier grounds to dispute secondary damage they say you didn't prevent.
Call KWDR first. We can be onsite in 60 minutes. Once we're there, we assess the cause of loss, begin extraction, and start documentation — so when you call your agent, you can tell them mitigation is already underway.
Step 5: Report to Your Insurance
Once mitigation has started and you have a contractor onsite, call your insurance agent to report the loss. You'll need:
- Date and time you discovered the damage
- Cause of loss (which pipe or fixture, if known)
- Rooms affected
- Whether mitigation has started — and by whom
If you're not sure how to describe the cause of loss, we can help. Getting this right on the first call matters — it sets how the adjuster approaches the claim from the start.