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Guide

Water damage: the first 24 to 48 hours

The first two days decide how much ends up in a dumpster. Here is the order that matters, with the Minneapolis numbers you might need.

Call (612) 471-0822
Basement with clear water across the concrete floor

In order

Hour by hour

  1. Safety

    Stay out of water near electricity and out of sewage. If you smell gas, leave the house and call from outside.

  2. Stop the water

    Main shut-off for a pipe, the appliance valve for a leak, no drains for a backup, buckets and plastic for a roof.

  3. Report

    Minneapolis water emergencies 612-673-5600; sewer problems 311 or 612-673-5625. In a suburb, use the number on your utility bill.

  4. Record

    Photos and video of everything before cleanup, plus a list of damaged belongings.

  5. Tell the insurer

    Get a claim number. Keep receipts for anything you spend to limit the damage.

  6. Dry

    Extraction and drying equipment within 24 to 48 hours, before mold has time to start.

What to switch off

Electricity first if water is anywhere near outlets, cords, a space heater or the panel, but only from a dry spot. If the panel is in a wet basement, leave it and call an electrician or the power company.

Water next. The main shut-off in most Minneapolis houses sits where the line comes through the basement wall, near the meter. Close it, then open a faucet on the basement level to drain the pipes. For a frozen service line, the city advises the opposite: keep a trickle running so the line does not freeze again.

Gas appliances in a flooded basement, such as a furnace or water heater, should be checked before they run again.

Source: Minneapolis frozen water lines

Split washer hose on a wet floor beside a water heater

Records

What to photograph and keep

  • The water level, with a tape measure or something familiar for scale
  • The source: the split pipe, the drain, the ceiling, the appliance
  • Every damaged item before it goes out to the curb
  • Receipts for fans, pumps, tarps and anything else you buy
  • When it started and any city service request number
  • The claim number and the adjuster's name, if you report it

Questions

The first two days

Can I wait until Monday?

Water keeps moving into materials, and mold can start within a couple of days. Calling early gives you options; waiting rarely helps.

Should I throw wet things out?

Photograph them first and keep anything an adjuster might want to see. Food and medicine touched by floodwater or sewage should be discarded.

Is a box fan enough?

For a small spill on a hard floor, maybe. For soaked carpet, drywall or a basement, a fan moves air but does not pull out moisture the way a dehumidifier does.

Basement, ceiling, smoke or mold

Talk it through with a local restoration contractor

A single call reaches an independent contractor who handles water, fire and mold jobs around Minneapolis. They will ask questions, may come out to look, and give you their own price. Hiring them is your choice.

Water where it shouldn't be?

The call goes to an independent restoration contractor that takes jobs in Minneapolis and the nearby suburbs. Have the source, the wet rooms and the start time in mind.

Call (612) 471-0822

Calls may be recorded. How the line is paid: referral disclosure. How call data is handled: privacy.

Call (612) 471-0822