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What to do when water is in the house
Water is on the floor and still moving. Here is the order that keeps people safe, gives drying a chance, and gets a claim started if you have one.
Guides for when water is in the house
Plain guides to the first hours after a leak or flood, insurance questions, and how to judge a crew. Each one links to the page it came from.
The first hours
What to do while the water is still moving, and how soon mold becomes likely.
Short answer
How soon does mold grow after a water leak?
The EPA says wet materials dried in 24 to 48 hours usually do not grow mold. The CDC says a flooded home not dried in that time probably has mold.
Short answer
Should I turn off the electricity if the floor is wet?
Cut power at the main breaker only from a dry place. The CDC says not to walk through standing water to reach the panel. Call an electrician if you cannot.
Short answer
When does wet drywall need to come out?
The CDC says to remove drywall and insulation contaminated with sewage or floodwater. Clean supply water can sometimes be dried if you catch it in 24 to 48 hours.
Insurance and flood cover
What a homeowners policy often covers, what it usually leaves out, and a 2026 flood-insurance change.
Short answer
Does homeowners insurance cover a burst pipe?
The Insurance Information Institute says an HO-3 covers accidental discharge of water from a plumbing system, like a burst pipe, but not flood damage.
Getting help
How to judge a restoration crew, including the companies that may call you.
Comparison
How to choose a water damage company
A checklist for vetting a restoration crew before anyone pulls carpet: who is licensed, what the written scope says, and what should make you walk away.
Where you live
City pages built on local permits, climate, and sourced cost ranges, not a swapped city name.
City guide
Water in your Cedar Rapids home? Get safe first, then check the floodplain permit.
Cedar Rapids requires a floodplain permit for work in the 100-year floodplain. Here are the local rules we could source, plus a national cost range.
City guide
Water in your Eau Claire home? Get safe first, then check the 2026 permit fees.
Eau Claire publishes a 2026 building-permit fee table. Here are the local rules we could source, plus a national cost range.
City guide
Water in your Grand Forks home? Get safe first, then check the contractor's license.
Grand Forks requires a current state contractors license on file before a contractor can use the online permit portal. Here are the local rules we could source, plus a national cost range.
City guide
Water in your Terre Haute home? Get safe first, then ask the city about the repair permit.
Here are the Terre Haute climate figures we could source, plus a national cost range. Ask the city about any repair permit.
Updates
Short dated posts when a flood-insurance rule or cleanup rule changes, each linked to the agency page that announced it.
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Flood policies cannot be dated more than 90 days out
For National Flood Insurance Program policies effective December 1, 2026, FEMA says the policy effective date cannot be further than 90 days from the application date. The same bulletin renames the renewal notice a renewal bill.
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Want a crew to look at the water?
Soaked SOS and one or more water-damage companies that serve your area may call and text you to talk through what you are seeing. Asking is free, and the call is not a bid.
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