The first 24–72 hours
Keep away from wet electrical equipment and standing water near outlets
Safety CDC’s re-entry guidance for flooded homes applies to a burst pipe just as much: never turn power on or off yourself or use an electric tool or appliance while standing in water. If water has reached outlets, cords or appliances, stay out of that area until an electrician or the utility has made it safe.[3]
Shut off the water at the nearest valve, then at the main if needed
Close the supply valve under the sink, behind the toilet or at the appliance first; if that does not stop the flow, close the main shut-off for the house. Write down the time you closed each valve. That time is the first entry of your mitigation record.
Watch for slippery floors and sagging ceilings
Safety Wet tile and laminate are a fall hazard, and a ceiling holding water can come down without warning. Do not stand under a bulging ceiling to photograph it; shoot from the doorway.
Photograph the source before it is touched
NFIP’s guidance is to take clear pictures and videos of damaged items before cleaning, fixing or throwing them out. For a water event the most important item is the source: the split hose, the cracked fitting, the overflowing pan. Photograph it in place, with the water still visible if you can.[4]
Decide whether fans are safe to run, then log every fan and dehumidifier
EPA says it is important to dry water-damaged areas and items within 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold growth, and its remediation guide sets two conditions before fans go on: do not use fans before determining that the water is clean or sanitary, and do not use fans if mold has already started to grow, because they may spread it. Clean supply water from a burst hose is one case; a toilet overflow, a sewer backup or water of unknown origin is another, and EPA describes protective equipment and containment for contaminated water. Whichever it is, write down what the water was, what you decided, the time drying started and what you used.[1][7][8]
Which kind of water event: what to photograph first and what to keep
Water reaches a home in a handful of ways, and each leaves different evidence that disappears quickly. A plumber replaces the failed part, a roofer patches the leak, a restoration crew cuts out the wet drywall. Before any of that happens, the table below tells you what to photograph and what to put in a labelled bag.
| Event | Photograph first | Keep |
|---|---|---|
| Appliance leak (washing machine, dishwasher, water heater, refrigerator line) | The appliance in place with the water around it, then the hose, valve or seal that failed, then the model and serial plate | The failed hose, fitting or seal, and the appliance until it has been inspected |
| Ceiling leak (roof, upstairs bathroom, air handler) | The stain or drip from the room below, then the space above if you can reach it safely, then the roof from the ground | A cut of the stained drywall or ceiling tile once removed, labelled with the room |
| Overflow (tub, sink, toilet, washing machine drain) | The fixture with the water level or blockage visible, then the floor and the rooms the water reached | Any object that caused the blockage, and a photo of the drain before it is cleared |
| Water intrusion from outside (window, door, wall, slab) | The wet edge inside, the same spot from outside, then the ground level, gutter or grading around it | A piece of the wet baseboard or sill, and dated photos of the outside during the next rain |
Document the source before it is repaired, and keep the part that failed
A repaired pipe tells a reader nothing. The evidence of a water event lives in the part that failed, and that part is normally in the plumber’s van within an hour. Ask for it back, put it in a clear bag labelled with the room, the appliance and the date it was removed, and photograph it next to the place it came from.
- Photograph the failed part in place before it is disconnected, then again in your hand with the damage visible.
- Photograph the model and serial plate of the appliance or fixture it belonged to; NFIP’s guidance is to record serial numbers from electronics and appliances.
- Ask the plumber or roofer for a written note naming the part, the location and the date, and log it with the invoice number.
If the source was repaired before you could photograph it, write that down honestly: the date, who did it and what they told you. A timeline entry that says “valve replaced by plumber before photos; invoice 4471 describes it” is a usable record.[4]
What to photograph and record: the path, the edge and the same spot every day
Water travels along joists, down inside walls and under flooring, and the wet area on day three is rarely the wet area on day one. Photograph the path from the source to the furthest point you can find water, then mark the edge of each wet area with a strip of painter’s tape and the date written on it. When the stain grows past the tape, the next photo shows it.
- Stand in the same place for each day’s photo of a wall or ceiling; use a door frame or a light switch as a fixed reference.
- Put the date and the room in every caption, for example “Hall ceiling stain, tape edge, 2026-06-16 08:30”.
- If a moisture meter is used, photograph the reading against the wall with the date visible; a reading without a location is not evidence.
- Photograph under sinks, inside the cabinet below the leak, behind the appliance and along the baseboards.
EPA notes that mold may be hidden in places such as the back side of drywall, wallpaper or panelling, the top side of ceiling tiles and the underside of carpets and pads, and warns not to run the HVAC system if you know or suspect it is contaminated. You do not need to open walls to document a water event, but when a contractor does, be there with a camera; and if the air handler or a duct got wet, photograph the drain pan, filter and nearest registers as their own affected area.[1]
Porous or not: what has to go, and how to record it before it goes
EPA’s guidance draws a line between absorbent or porous materials, such as ceiling tiles and carpet, which may have to be thrown away if they become moldy, and hard surfaces that can be cleaned and dried. The documentation consequence is simple: porous items often leave the house, so they are photographed and listed before they do, while hard items stay and can be photographed again later. Which materials are dried in place and which are removed is an assessment made on site; the record shows who made it and what was done.[1][2]
| Material | Usually | Record before it leaves or dries |
|---|---|---|
| Carpet and carpet pad | Discarded if it stays wet or becomes moldy | Wide photo in place, close-up of the wet area, a labelled sample, the room on the discard log |
| Drywall (wallboard) | Assessed on site: EPA’s clean-water table says it may be dried in place if there is no obvious swelling and the seams are intact, otherwise removed and replaced | Photo of the stain with tape edge and date, who assessed it and what they decided, and if it is cut, a photo of the cut section with the height measured |
| Ceiling tiles and fiberglass insulation | Discarded and replaced once wet, per EPA’s clean-water table | Photo in place, the room on the discard log |
| Particleboard cabinets, upholstered furniture, mattresses, paper | Swells or soaks and is discarded | Photo in place, purchase date and price where known, the discard date |
| Tile, sealed concrete, metal, solid wood | Cleaned and dried, kept | Photo wet and photo dry on a later date, any warping or lifting measured |
| Appliances and electronics | Depends on inspection | Serial plate, the water mark on the casing, the date of any inspection and what was said |
Photograph each pile before it is collected and write the date and the room on the discard log. A reader can accept that carpet was thrown away; they cannot reconstruct which room it came from unless you tell them.
Build the timeline: a water event runs over days
A water timeline starts before you noticed anything. Record the last time you are sure the area was dry, the time you found the water, the time each valve was closed, when drying began, each contractor visit and each day’s follow-up photo. Keep what you observed, what you recorded and what you did in separate columns, and write “unknown” where you do not know.
| Date and time | Observed | Recorded | Acted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-13 evening | Laundry room dry, machine ran normally | Nothing | Nothing |
| 2026-06-14 07:40 | Water across laundry floor into hallway, hose split at the crimp | Photos of hose in place, floor, hallway edge | Closed both supply valves at 07:45; fans on at 09:10 |
| 2026-06-15 08:30 | Hallway wall stain 6 cm above the tape line | Same-spot photo, moisture reading photographed | Plumber replaced hose at 14:00; failed hose bagged; invoice 4471 |
| 2026-06-17 10:00 | Restoration crew removed hallway carpet and pad | Discard photo, labelled sample, scope of work | Fans and dehumidifier logged off 2026-06-19 16:00 |
The value of the water timeline is the gap between “last dry” and “first found”. If that gap is a week because you were away, say so. A record that admits a gap is more useful than one that pretends the leak began the morning you found it.
The mitigation log: fans, dehumidifiers and the people you paid to dry the house
The Mitigation Actions section of a documentation report is built from what you did to stop the water and to dry what it touched, with dates. Keep a drying log from the first hour: one line per machine per day with the room, the machine, the on time, the off time and who owns it. Photograph the equipment running in the room on the first day and the last.
- The restoration company’s scope of work, moisture readings and daily monitoring sheets, filed with the invoice.
- Rental receipts for equipment you hired yourself, marked with the room they served.
- Hardware store receipts for fans, tape and bags; Florida DFS’s storm guidance to keep all receipts applies to these too.
Water damage restoration contractors generally work to the ANSI/IICRC S500 standard for professional water damage restoration. You do not need to know its contents; ask the company whether they follow it, and keep any drying documentation they produce under it with your own log.[5][6]
Inventory, receipts and keeping the evidence together
Florida DFS recommends an itemised list of belongings with costs, purchase dates and serial numbers, and receipts attached for big-ticket items. For a water event, restrict that list to what got wet: one row per item, its room, its condition, its purchase date and price where known, and the number of photos you have of it. Photograph appliance serial plates even if the machine still works.[5][4]
- Keep plumber and restoration invoices in one folder and repair estimates in another; an estimate is a prediction, an invoice is a payment.
- Store the bagged failed part, the material samples and the discard photos together, each labelled with the room and the date.
- Keep the original photo files with their metadata; the capture date is part of the evidence.
What to document
| Item | Why it matters | Where it appears in your report |
|---|---|---|
| The failed hose, valve, fitting or seal photographed in place, then bagged and labelled with room and removal date | The source is the evidence of what happened, and it leaves with the plumber | Detailed Documentation |
| Time each supply valve or the main shut-off was closed, written into the timeline | The first mitigation step, and the point from which the water stopped | Mitigation Actions |
| Photos tracing the water path from the source to the furthest wet point | Shows which rooms are affected and why | Affected Areas |
| Same-spot moisture photos of each wet wall or ceiling every day until dry | Records spread and drying as dated facts | Damage Summary |
| Ceiling or wall stain edge marked with dated tape before the next photo | Makes growth visible between two photos | Photo Documentation |
| Model and serial plate of the leaking appliance or fixture photographed | NFIP’s guidance is to record serial numbers from appliances | Documented Details |
| Drying equipment log with on and off times per fan and dehumidifier per room | The core of the mitigation record for a water event | Mitigation Actions |
| Wet carpet, pad, insulation and any drywall that is cut out photographed and listed before removal | EPA notes porous materials may have to be thrown away; the photo is all that remains | Detailed Documentation |
| Plumber and restoration invoices filed apart from repair estimates | Keeps what you paid distinct from what you were quoted | Additional Documentation |
| Last-dry date and first-found date recorded separately, with “unknown” where honest | A water event is dated by the gap between them | Claim Summary |
What your documentation report will contain
A ClaimPrep documentation report organises what you recorded into these sections. It records facts; it does not value your loss or interpret your policy.
Claim Summary Property Details Damage Summary Timeline of Events Affected Areas Detailed Documentation Mitigation Actions Documented Details Additional Documentation Photo Documentation
See a sample documentation report (a fictional example) or read how ClaimPrep works.
Who to contact
- A licensed plumber, or a roofer if the water came from above
- They find and repair the source; ask for the failed part back and a written note naming the part, the location and the date.
- A water damage restoration contractor
- They dry the structure and remove wet materials; ask whether they follow the ANSI/IICRC S500 standard and keep their moisture readings and scope of work with your own log.[6]
- Your insurance company or agent
- They receive notice of the loss and explain their own process; note the date, time and the name of the person you spoke to in your timeline.
- Florida DFS Insurance Consumer Helpline, 1-877-MY-FL-CFO (1-877-693-5236)
- The state consumer helpline for insurance questions; DFS’s storm guidance is to call the helpline before signing anything.[5]
Common documentation mistakes
- Letting the plumber take the failed part away
- Ask for it before the visit starts, photograph it in place and in your hand, and keep it bagged and labelled.
- Photographing the wet area once and never again
- Photograph the same wall from the same spot every day until it is dry; the change between photos is the record.
- Running fans and dehumidifiers for a week without writing anything down
- Keep a one-line-per-machine-per-day log with on and off times; it becomes the Mitigation Actions section.
- Removing wet materials before listing them
- Photograph each pile, cut a labelled sample, and write the room and the date on the discard log first; the removal can wait an hour.
Questions
What should I photograph first when I find a water leak?
The source, in place, before anyone touches it: the split hose, the cracked fitting, the dripping ceiling. Then the path of the water from the source to the furthest wet point, then each wet room from the doorway. NFIP’s guidance is to take pictures and videos before cleaning, fixing or throwing anything out, and for a water event the fix is what destroys the evidence first.[4]
Should I keep the broken pipe, hose or valve that caused the leak?
Yes. Photograph it in place, ask the plumber to leave it with you, put it in a clear bag labelled with the room, the appliance and the date it was removed, and photograph the bagged part next to where it came from. It is the one piece of physical evidence that shows what failed.
How do I document water damage that spread over several days?
Mark the edge of each stain with dated painter’s tape, then photograph the same wall or ceiling from the same spot every day, with the date in the caption. Log any moisture readings against the wall they were taken on. Record the last date you are sure the area was dry and the date you found the water as two separate facts.
Do I need to document the drying equipment and how long it ran?
Yes. EPA’s guidance is to dry water-damaged areas within 24 to 48 hours, so drying is the main mitigation step in a clean-water event once EPA’s two conditions are met: the water has been determined to be clean or sanitary, and no mold has started to grow. A documentation report records mitigation with dates, including what the water was and who decided the drying could start. Log each fan and dehumidifier by room with on and off times, photograph the equipment running, and keep rental or purchase receipts and any restoration company drying sheets.[1][7][8]
Sources
- A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Accessed Drying within 24 to 48 hours, porous materials, hidden mold locations and the HVAC guidance.
- Mold Cleanup in Your Home, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Accessed Fix leaks and dry items completely; porous materials that become moldy may have to be discarded.
- Safety Guidelines: Reentering Your Flooded Home, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed Never turn power on or off or use an electric tool while standing in water.
- Document Flood Damage, National Flood Insurance Program (FEMA). Accessed Photograph before cleaning, fixing or throwing out; record serial numbers; keep samples and receipts.
- Hurricane Ready, Florida Department of Financial Services. Accessed Itemised inventory with costs, purchase dates and serial numbers; keep all receipts; call the helpline before signing.
- ANSI/IICRC S500 Standard for Professional Water Damage Restoration, Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification. Accessed The industry standard water damage restoration contractors generally follow; cited by name, content not reproduced.
- Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Buildings Guide: Chapter 4, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Accessed Do not use fans before determining that the water is clean or sanitary; in the clean-water table wallboard may be dried in place if there is no obvious swelling and the seams are intact, while ceiling tiles and fiberglass insulation are discarded and replaced.
- Text Version of the Flooded Home, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Accessed Use portable fans and dehumidifiers when electricity is safe to use; if mold has already started to grow, do not use fans, which may spread the mold.
How this guide was produced. Written and maintained by ClaimPrep’s editorial team from the sources listed above. Drafting used AI writing assistance; a person checked every statement against the cited sources before publication and at each review date. ClaimPrep sells the documentation service linked on this page. Documentation guidance only, not legal, insurance, public-adjusting or financial advice. Found an error? Read the corrections policy.