Water damage rarely arrives at a convenient time, and the first day matters more than any other. What you do in the first few hours decides how much can be dried and saved and how much has to be torn out. This checklist covers the order of priorities: safety, stopping the water, documenting the loss, starting to dry and calling the right people. If you'd like a broader overview first, see our guide to water damage help in Annapolis, MD.
The short version
Make it safe
Check for electrical, gas, structural and contamination hazards before anything else.
Stop the source
Shut off the water, or confirm that the storm, tide or leak has stopped.
Identify the water
Clean, gray or contaminated water decides what can be saved.
Document everything
Photographs and notes taken before cleanup protect an insurance claim.
Remove water and start drying
Get standing water out and air moving, ideally within 24 to 48 hours.
Call the right people
Your insurer, a plumber if a pipe failed, and a restoration contractor.
Step 1: Make the area safe
Water and buildings combine in ways you can't always see, so check these hazards before you touch anything.
- Electricity. The CDC says never to turn power on or off yourself, or use an electric tool or appliance, while standing in water. If you can reach the main switch from a dry spot, shut it off. If you would have to step into water to reach it, call an electrician.
- Gas. If you smell gas or suspect a leak, the CDC advises turning off the main gas valve, opening windows and leaving immediately, then notifying the gas company, police or fire department.
- Structure. If the building is damaged, don't reenter until a building inspector has examined it. Keep people and pets out from under any ceiling that sags or bulges with water.
- Contamination. If the water might contain sewage, as floodwater and toilet backflow can, treat it as hazardous. The CDC says to wear rubber boots, rubber gloves and goggles if you must enter, and to keep children out.
Step 2: Stop the source
Nothing else works while water is still arriving.
Plumbing leaks
Close the main water valve, usually where the line enters the house, in the basement, a utility room or near the water meter. If a single fixture or appliance is the culprit, its own shutoff valve may be enough. If a water heater is leaking, shut off the water supply to it, and only turn off its power at the breaker if you can do that from a dry spot.
Roof and window leaks
A temporary cover over a leaking roof is a job for a roofer, and a wet roof is not a place to climb. Move belongings away from the drip, catch what you can in buckets and photograph the area.
Storm water and tides
You can't stop a storm or a high tide, so wait until the water recedes before cleaning up. The City of Annapolis warns that just 6 inches of moving water can knock you down and 2 feet can sweep away a vehicle, so don't walk or drive through floodwater.
Step 3: Figure out what kind of water it is
The source tells you how cautious to be. Our guide to water damage categories and classes goes into more detail, but the rough sorting is simple.
| Where the water came from | Likely category | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| A broken supply line or a clean overflow | Category 1 (clean) | Most forgiving, if it is dealt with quickly. |
| A washing machine or dishwasher | Category 2 (gray) | Contaminated enough to cause discomfort or illness. |
| Sewage, toilet backflow, rising river or creek water | Category 3 (black) | Grossly contaminated. Call a professional. |
Step 4: Document before you clean up
Insurers want to see what happened, and your memory of it will fade fast.
- Take wide photographs of each room, then close-ups of damage, the water line and the source.
- Record a short video walking through the affected areas.
- List damaged belongings with what you remember of their age and cost, and keep damaged items until your adjuster has seen them if you can.
- Write down times: when you found the water, when you stopped it and when you called each person.
- Keep receipts for emergency expenses such as equipment rental, a hotel or temporary repairs.
Step 5: Remove water and start drying
The EPA says water-damaged areas and items should be dried within 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold growth, so the clock matters.
Small, clean-water spills
If the spill is small and the water is clean, you can often start yourself: mop or blot up standing water, use a wet/dry vacuum designed for water, lift furniture off wet carpet, pull out wet rugs and remove items that are holding moisture. Keep air moving with fans and run a dehumidifier. Don't use any electrical equipment while standing in water.
Larger or contaminated losses
If water covers a room, has soaked into walls or came from sewage or a flood, call a professional. The EPA says to call in someone experienced with contaminated water for sewage damage, and hidden moisture inside walls and under floors is hard to find without meters. See water removal and extraction and structural drying for what that work involves.
Step 6: Call the right people
| Who | What they do | When to call |
|---|---|---|
| Your insurance company | Opens a claim and tells you what documentation it needs. | As soon as it's safe to do so. |
| A plumber | Repairs the failed pipe, fixture or water heater. | Whenever plumbing was the source. |
| A restoration contractor | Extracts water, dries the structure, removes damaged materials and cleans. | Right away. Time is the biggest factor. |
| An electrician | Checks the electrical system after water reached outlets, appliances or the panel. | Before power is turned back on in a wet area. |
| Your landlord or association | Handles shared systems and building repairs. | Immediately, if you rent or live in a condo. |
| Your gas or sewer utility | Responds to gas smells or problems in the public main. | Any time you smell gas, or when drains back up in several places. |
What not to do
- Don't use a household vacuum on water, and don't use any electrical appliance while standing in water.
- Don't turn on ceiling lights or fans under a wet or sagging ceiling.
- Don't wait until morning "to see if it dries." Hidden moisture in walls and floors doesn't dry on its own quickly.
- Don't throw away damaged items before you've photographed them.
- Don't run the heating or cooling system after a flood without having it checked. The CDC advises having the HVAC system cleaned by a professional experienced with mold before turning it on after a flood.
In Annapolis: what's different here
Annapolis adds a few local wrinkles. The City names downtown, City Dock and Eastport among its lowest-lying areas, so a high tide can be the cause as well as a pipe, and flood losses are not covered by homeowners' insurance. About half of the City's occupied homes are rentals, with 8,145 of 16,751 occupied housing units renter-occupied in the 2020 Census, so the first call is often to a landlord. If you live in one of those low-lying areas, see our pages for Downtown and the Historic District and Eastport, and our guide to water damage in a rental or condo.