The sound of running water when no tap is on. The dreaded wet spot on the ceiling. Or worse, you come home to a burst pipe and standing water.
Your stomach drops. It’s a nightmare scenario for any homeowner.
I get it. In my 15 years as an IICRC-certified specialist handling water damage restoration in Dallas, I’ve walked into this exact scene hundreds of times. The first thing I tell every client is the same: take a deep breath. It’s overwhelming, but it is fixable.
You’re probably panicking about your property, your insurance, and the cost. Right now, I’m going to walk you through this. No sales pitches. Just the practical, urgent steps you need to take in the next hour to protect your home and your family.
“I Have Water Damage in My Dallas Home—What Do I Do Right Now?”
This is the emergency phase. Safety and speed are everything.
1. Safety First. Always. Before you do anything else, think about safety. Water and electricity are a lethal combination.
- If you have standing water, do not walk through it to get to your breaker box.
- If you can safely get to your home’s main circuit breaker, go and shut off the power to the affected areas. When in doubt, shut off the main power to the whole house.
- Be aware of the ceiling. If it’s sagging, it’s saturated and could collapse. Don’t stand under it.
This is the most dangerous part of the job. The most common mistake I see homeowners make is rushing in to save a piece of furniture and putting themselves at risk. Your stuff is replaceable; you are not.
2. Stop the Water Source (If You Can) If it’s a burst pipe or a supply line (like from a toilet or washing machine), you need to stop the flow. Find your home’s main water shut-off valve. It’s often where the pipe enters your house, in a utility closet, or in the garage. Turn it clockwise to close it.
3. Call for Help (in This Order)
- First, call a professional. You need a 24/7 emergency water removal Dallas service. In my experience, the clock starts ticking the second your materials get wet. Mold can begin to grow within 24 to 48 hours. A certified company (more on that later) can get the big-truck extraction units there fast to start getting the bulk water out.
- Second, call your insurance agent. Get the ball rolling on your dallas water damage insurance claim. Tell them what happened. They will assign an adjuster, but this can take a day or two. You do not have to wait for an adjuster to be on-site to start the water removal. In fact, you have a “duty to mitigate” your damages—which means you’re expected to take reasonable steps (like calling a pro) to prevent the damage from getting worse.
4. Document Everything Before you or the restoration crew moves a single thing, pull out your phone. Take videos. Take photos. Get wide shots of every affected room and close-ups of the damaged items. This is your evidence for the insurance company.
Understanding the Restoration Process
A lot of the fear comes from the unknown. So here’s what to expect when a real-pro team shows up. It’s not just a guy with a shop vac.
- Inspection and Assessment: The crew chief should walk the property with you. They’ll use moisture meters and maybe an infrared camera to see exactly where the water went. It often hides inside walls and under floors.
- Water Removal: This is the immediate step. They’ll use powerful, truck-mounted extraction units to pull hundreds of gallons of water out of your carpets and off the hard floors.
- Drying and Dehumidifying: This is the most critical phase. The crew will set up a whole bunch of specialized equipment—high-velocity air movers (fans) and commercial-grade dehumidifiers. This isn’t just about drying the surface; it’s about pulling the moisture out of the drywall, the wood studs, and the subfloor. This is what prevents the need for mold remediation dallas later on. This part usually takes 3-5 days.
- Cleaning and Sanitizing: If the water was “gray” or “black” (from a dishwasher, toilet, or outside flood), all affected surfaces need to be cleaned and treated with antimicrobial solutions.
- Repairs: This is the last step. It could be as simple as replacing some padding and re-stretching the carpet, or it could be as complex as rebuilding walls after a major burst pipe repair dallas.
Choosing a Reliable Dallas Restoration Company
This is where you can, unfortunately, make a bad situation worse. The “storm chasers” and a lot of out-of-town companies that flood the area after a big storm can be a real problem.
Here’s what I tell my own family:
- Ask for Their IICRC Certification. This is the only thing that matters to me. The Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) is the non-profit organization that sets the standards for our entire industry. If a company isn’t certified, I wouldn’t let them in my house. Period. Ask if their technicians are certified, not just the company.
- They Should Work With Your Insurance, Not For Them. This is a big one. You have the right to choose who works on your home. Be cautious of a company that seems a little too cozy with the insurance adjuster and is pushing you to sign things right away.
- Know Your Rights in Texas. Your insurance company will likely have a “preferred vendor” list. You are not obligated to use them. These vendors often give the insurance company a discount, but that doesn’t always mean they’re the best choice for you. The Texas Department of Insurance has a Homeowner’s Bill of Rights that you should be aware of.
A good flood cleanup dallas tx company will be patient, answer all your questions, and provide a clear, itemized estimate using industry-standard software (like Xactimate).
To wrap this up, I know this is a mess. A water emergency is one of the most stressful things a homeowner can go through.
But you’ve got this. It’s a process. It’s overwhelming right now, but it’s fixable. Your job is to focus on safety, stop the water, call a certified pro, and take a lot of pictures. The rest is just a checklist, and a good professional will guide you through it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does water damage restoration cost in Dallas? This is the number one question, and the only honest answer is: it depends. There’s no flat rate. The cost is based on the class of water (clean, gray, or black), the category of damage (how much is saturated), and the size of the affected area. A clean-water, single-room overflow is worlds different from a multi-level, black-water flood. Be very wary of any company that gives you a flat price over the phone.
Will my insurance cover this? This all depends on the source of the water. In most standard Texas homeowner’s policies, a “sudden and accidental” event like a burst pipe or a washing machine overflow is covered. However, damage from “ground flooding” (like a heavy rainstorm) is almost always excluded and requires a separate flood insurance policy. Damage from long-term, gradual leaks may also be denied. Call your agent immediately; they are the only one who can give you a real answer.
How long does the drying process take? You should plan on the equipment (fans and dehumidifiers) being in your home for at least 3 to 5 days. We have to hit a specific “dry standard”—a measurable scientific goal—before we can pull the equipment. Removing it too soon is the biggest invitation for a mold problem, which is a whole other headache you don’t want.
Reviewed Sources: Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Texas Department of Insurance (TDI.texas.gov).
This article was reviewed by our home services content team to ensure factual accuracy and practical value.
References
- Book 1: Straube, J. F. (2020). Water in Buildings: An Architect’s Guide to Moisture and Mold. Building Science Press.
- Note: Provides the foundational building-science principles for why drying quickly and properly is so critical.
- Book 2: Johntz, B. (Ed.). (2019). Forensic Engineering: Damage Assessments and Failure Analysis. CRC Press.
- Note: Contains chapters relevant to assessing structural and material failures caused by water intrusion.
- Paper 1: Hu, W., Murton, E., & Madan, J. (2021). The fungal community in water-damaged building materials—A case study. Indoor Air, 31(4), 1106-1117. https://doi.org/10.1111/ina.12790
- Note: Supports the claims about mold growth on specific materials (drywall, wood) following water damage.
- Paper 2: Vesper, S., Wymer, L., & G. M. (2018). Quantitative PCR analysis of fungi in water-damaged homes. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, 15(1), 17-26. https://doi.org/10.1080/15459624.2017.1378381
- Note: Provides the scientific basis for how professionals test for and identify mold risks after a flood.
- Report 3: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). (2022). Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Buildings (EPA 402-K-01-001).
- Note: While aimed at commercial buildings, this is the EPA’s official guide and sets the standard of care for mold remediation, which is directly linked to water damage.
- Book Chapter 1: Rose, C. (2019). Moisture and Mold in Buildings. In Environmental Health in Buildings: A Guide for Public Health Professionals. Johns Hopkins University Press.
- Note: An applied study chapter linking water damage directly to public health concerns (mold, bacteria), reinforcing the urgency of remediation.