First 60 Minutes After Water Damage in Your DFW Home

You walked in and there's water on the floor. A pipe burst overnight. The water heater let go. The dishwasher overflowed. The toilet backed up. The roof leaked through the upstairs ceiling.

What you do in the next 60 minutes will determine whether you have a $4,000 problem or a $40,000 problem. Mold can begin growing in 24 hours. Drywall paper loses structural integrity in roughly 2 hours of saturation. Subfloor swelling is permanent after about 4 hours.

Here is exactly what to do, in the order to do it.

Minute 0–5: Stop the water

Before anything else, stop the source. There are three common scenarios:

• Pipe burst or supply-line failure — shut off the water main. In most DFW houses this is in the front yard near the street (a metal lid labeled "water"), or at the front exterior wall in newer builds. If you don't know where it is, find it before you have an emergency — that's a free, 5-minute weekend errand.
• Appliance overflow (dishwasher, washer, water heater) — shut off the local supply valve under the appliance, or shut off the main if you can't find it.
• Roof leak / storm intrusion — you can't stop water entering from a roof, but you can stop secondary damage by moving wet items and catching drips.

Minute 5–15: Document everything

Before you move a single item, take photos and a continuous video walking through the affected area. This documentation is the difference between a smooth insurance claim and an adjuster who shrugs.

• Photo of the source (the burst pipe, the failed valve, the ceiling stain).
• Photo of every affected room from multiple angles.
• Close-ups of damaged items: furniture, baseboards, drywall, flooring, electronics.
• A walking video narrating what you're seeing ("kitchen, water from sink area, soaked the entire breakfast nook, visible on baseboards in dining room").

Time-stamped photos from your phone are valid documentation. You do not need professional photographers.

Minute 15–30: Call the restoration crew

This is the single most time-sensitive decision. Not your insurance company first — the restoration crew first. Here's why: your insurance carrier has a duty to mitigate language in your policy that says you must take reasonable steps to prevent further damage. If you wait 6 hours for an insurance adjuster to call you back before drying starts, the mold growth that happens during those 6 hours can be denied as preventable.

Calling a vetted restoration crew first means:

• Extraction equipment is rolling toward your house within minutes.
• Air movers and dehumidifiers can be onsite within 1–2 hours.
• The crew documents the loss to insurance-claim standard (Xactimate line items).
• You're meeting your duty to mitigate while your insurance claim is still being filed.

Minute 30–45: File the claim

While the crew is en route, call your insurance carrier's claims line (the number on your insurance card, not your agent — agents can't file claims, carriers can). Have ready:

• Your policy number.
• The date and approximate time of loss.
• A one-sentence description of what happened.
• The photos and video you took.
• The name and phone of the restoration crew that's coming out.

You will be given a claim number. Write it down. Every conversation about this claim references that number.

Minute 45–60: Move what you can

While you wait, move what's still salvageable away from the water:

• Books, paper documents, electronics, framed photos.
• Rugs (especially Persian or hand-knotted — they hold water and warp).
• Wood furniture (especially veneered pieces — they delaminate fast).
• Anything with sentimental value.

Do not:

• Try to dry wet drywall with towels — the paper is already failing internally.
• Run your home's HVAC system if the air handler is in the affected area (you'll push mold spores throughout the house).
• Use a wet-vac on water that may be contaminated (Cat 2/3 — anything from a toilet, dishwasher, or sewer line). Specialized PPE and disposal are required.

What happens next

When the crew arrives, they will:

1. Take their own photos.
2. Use a moisture meter to map exactly which walls, floors, and ceilings are saturated.
3. Extract standing water with truck-mounted equipment.
4. Set air movers and dehumidifiers — typically a lot more equipment than looks "necessary." That's the right amount.
5. Return daily for moisture readings until the structure is dry.
6. Document everything for your insurance claim.

Demolition — cutting out drywall, removing flooring, gutting cabinets — should only happen after moisture mapping confirms that the structure can't be dried in place. A good crew dries first, demolishes second. Be wary of any crew that walks in with crowbars before they walk in with moisture meters.

The 24-hour mark

Mold begins colonizing wet surfaces around the 24-hour mark. If your structure is properly dry by hour 24, you've largely avoided the mold cascade that turns water damage into the multi-month rebuild nightmare. If the crew tells you they need to extend drying past 72 hours, that's a sign that the initial scope was underestimated — push for more equipment, not patience.

About your insurance

This is hard to say without sounding cynical, but here is the truth: your insurance carrier's preferred-vendor network is built around their cost containment, not your home's restoration. Preferred vendors get volume from the carrier in exchange for using cheaper materials and faster (less thorough) drying protocols. That's not a conspiracy theory — that's the business model.

You have the right to use the restoration company of your choice. The policy language is "any qualified contractor." Tell the adjuster which crew you're using and have them coordinate from there.

This article is for general education and is not a substitute for advice from a licensed contractor, insurance agent, or public adjuster about your specific situation. Read our terms.