Emergency Restoration Services: What Happens When You Call

A pipe that bursts at 2 a.m. or a sewer line that backs up on a Sunday will not wait for Monday. Emergency restoration services cover those hours: someone comes out to stop the damage from spreading, gets the water out and closes up openings in the house, so the repairs can be planned once things are stable. This guide covers which problems need a call right away, what to have ready, what the first visit usually includes, and where emergency work ends.

Which Situations Are Emergencies

The question to ask is whether the damage is still getting worse while you wait. If it is, call now, whatever the hour. Common examples:

• Water that is still coming in. A burst pipe, a failed water heater, a supply line that keeps running, or rain coming through a ceiling. Every hour it runs, water spreads farther into drywall, insulation and subfloor.
• Sewage backup. Water rising through a floor drain, toilet or tub carries bacteria and other contaminants. The EPA advises calling in a professional with experience cleaning buildings damaged by sewage or other contaminated water.
• Fire. Once the fire department leaves, the house is often open and wet. The U.S. Fire Administration's After the Fire guide notes that firefighters may break windows and cut holes in the roof to slow the fire, and that things the fire never touched may be soggy with the water used to put it out.
• Storm openings. A tree through the roof or a broken window lets rain in with the next band of weather.
• Flooding or standing water. Water across a basement or first floor needs to be extracted before it wicks up the walls.

Some dangers come before any cleanup. FEMA advises that if you smell natural gas or propane, or hear a hissing noise, you should leave immediately and contact the fire department. It also warns never to turn the power on or off, or use an electrical appliance, while standing in water. After a fire, the U.S. Fire Administration guide says firefighters will have unsafe utilities turned off before they leave, and you should not turn them back on yourself.

What Can Usually Wait for Business Hours

Once the source is off and nothing is spreading, these can usually wait for a weekday call:

• An old ceiling stain that is dry to the touch and not getting bigger.
• A slow drip under a sink after you have closed the shutoff valve.
• A small patch of mold with no active leak behind it. The EPA says that if the moldy area is less than about 10 square feet, in most cases you can handle the job yourself.
• A musty smell with no visible water.

A stable problem can turn into an emergency. A ceiling stain that keeps growing, or a ceiling that bulges or sags, means water is collecting above it. Keep everyone out from under it and call now. If you are not sure, describe what you see on the phone and ask whether it can wait until morning.

What to Have Ready When You Call

Having these answers ready saves time:

1. Where you are and how to get in. The address, which door to use, any gate or lockbox details, and who will be there.
2. What happened and when. The cause if you know it, such as a burst pipe, a backed-up drain, a storm or a fire, and roughly when it started.
3. What is wet or damaged. Which rooms and floors, whether the water reached carpet, hardwood, walls or ceilings, and whether it has gone down to a basement or the floor below.
4. Whether it is still happening. Is the water shut off? Is the power off in the wet area? Is rain still coming through?
5. Photos and video. Take them before anything is moved, if it is safe. They help on the phone and later with the claim.
6. Insurance details. Your insurer's name, your policy number and the claim number if you have already reported the loss. Renters and condo owners should also have the landlord's or managing agent's contact details.

While you wait, our guide on what to do in the first 24 hours after water damage covers shutting off the water, staying safe and documenting the damage.

What the First Visit Usually Includes

The first visit is about stopping the loss and making the house stable. Depending on the cause, it usually includes some of the following:

• Stopping further damage. Finding the source and confirming the water is off. A broken pipe may still need a plumber for the repair itself.
• Water extraction. Pumps and extractors pull standing water out of floors, carpet and basements, which shortens drying time.
• Board-up or tarping. Broken windows, doors and roof openings are covered so weather and intruders stay out. Our post on emergency board-up service explains how that work is done.
• Moisture readings. Meters and thermal cameras show how far the water traveled behind walls and under floors, which is usually farther than the visible stain.
• Removing what cannot be saved. Soaked carpet pad often comes out on the first visit, along with any drywall or insulation that sewage reached.
• Starting the drying. Air movers and dehumidifiers are set up, and readings are taken on return visits until the materials are dry.
• Moving or packing contents. Furniture is lifted off wet floors or moved to a dry room, and belongings may be packed out for cleaning and storage.
• A written record. Photos, moisture readings and notes on what was found and what was done. Your adjuster will want to see it.

Why the First 24 to 48 Hours Matter

The EPA's guide to mold, moisture and your home says water-damaged areas and items should be dried within 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold growth. That window is the main reason a night or weekend call is worth making when water is involved.

Time also changes what can be saved. Drywall wicks water upward, wood floors swell and cup, and carpet pad holds water against the subfloor. Materials dried quickly can often stay in place. Left wet for several days, they are more likely to be cut out and replaced, and the EPA notes that porous materials such as carpet and ceiling tiles may have to be thrown away if they become moldy.

Your Duties Under a Homeowners Policy

After a loss, homeowners policies commonly ask you to tell the insurer promptly, protect the property from further damage, and keep a record of what you spend. The wording and limits vary by policy, so read yours or ask your agent.

New York's Department of Financial Services, in its homeowners and tenants insurance guide, says to protect your property against further damage, such as by having broken windows boarded up, and to save all receipts for temporary fixes, since that kind of protection is generally covered. It also says the insurer can refuse to pay for damage repaired before it has inspected the property. In practice:

• Report the loss as soon as you can. A phone call is fine; follow up in writing and keep copies.
• Keep every receipt, from the emergency service invoice to a tarp from the hardware store. If you cannot stay in the house, keep receipts for extra living costs too. Policies generally reimburse the increase in living expenses when the insurer agrees the home cannot be lived in after a covered loss.
• Save damaged items for the adjuster to inspect where possible, as the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) advises, or photograph them before they go.
• Hold off on permanent repairs until the adjuster has seen the damage.

Ask your insurer about sewage backup specifically. The DFS guide explains that homeowners policies commonly exclude sewer and sump pump backups unless you have added a water backup endorsement, which some insurers sell for an extra premium.

What Emergency Work Does Not Include

Emergency work stops the damage and dries the structure. Rebuilding is a separate stage that starts once the house is dry and the repair scope is agreed with you and your insurer. That stage covers new drywall, flooring, cabinets, paint, roofing and windows. After a fire, our guide to fire damage reconstruction explains it.

Walls closed before the framing is dry can trap moisture and lead to mold. The adjuster also usually reviews the emergency invoice, photos and readings before a repair estimate is settled. Our post on water mitigation and remediation explains how the two stages fit together.

When it is time to choose who rebuilds, the NAIC advises getting more than one bid, not being pressured into signing quickly, and not paying before the work is complete. Check whether your town, county or state requires a home improvement license, and ask for the number. Our guide on how to choose a water damage restoration company lists more questions to ask.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I wait until morning to call?

If water is still coming in, sewage has backed up, the house is open to the weather or water is standing on a floor, call now. Waiting overnight gives water hours to spread, and the EPA's 24 to 48 hour drying window has already started. If the source is off and nothing is spreading, a weekday call is usually fine.

Is 24 hour water damage restoration worth it for a small leak?

It depends on whether the leak has stopped. A drip you have shut off can usually wait. A leak you cannot shut off, or one that has soaked a ceiling or a finished floor, is worth an after-hours call, because water in walls and subfloors keeps spreading after the puddle is gone.

Will insurance pay for emergency restoration services?

Often, when the cause is covered by your policy, such as a burst pipe or a fire. The cost of reasonable steps to protect the property is generally reimbursed as part of a covered claim. Flooding from outside and sewer backup are common exclusions unless you have flood insurance or a water backup endorsement. Coverage varies by policy, so keep the invoice and photos and ask your insurer.

Get Help With an Emergency

Water, sewage and open roofs do the most damage in the hours after they start. The sooner extraction, drying or a board-up begins, the less of the house has to be replaced. Our emergency response services page lists what we handle.

• Our water damage restoration services cover extraction, moisture readings and structural drying.
• For backed-up drains and toilets, see our sewage cleanup services.
• After a fire, our fire damage restoration services team handles soot, smoke and the water left by firefighting.

Spartan Restoration takes calls 24 hours a day. On Long Island, see our pages on water damage restoration in Bohemia and sewage cleanup in Islip. Outside Long Island, see our pages on water damage restoration in Columbia, Maryland and storm damage restoration in Silver Spring, Maryland.