Emergency Water Damage — What to Do First

If you're reading this because a pipe just burst

Call us at (612) 493-1161. Come back to this article when the water is shut off and you have a few minutes.

The first 60 minutes

What you do in the first hour after a pipe failure in your Minneapolis home determines how much of the damage is recoverable and how much is reconstruction. Materials wet for less than an hour are mostly salvageable; past twenty-four hours, salvage rates drop fast; past seventy-two hours in a warm house, mold is already establishing. The steps below are the core actions.

1. Shut the water off at the main

Every Minneapolis home has a main water shut-off valve, typically in the basement within six feet of where the service line comes through the foundation. Turn it clockwise to close. If it is stuck, don't force it — a snapped valve body is a new emergency. Try the nearest branch valve instead, or, if the leak is at a toilet, washing machine, dishwasher, or sink, use that fixture's local shut-off.

If you cannot find the main shut-off, this is the moment to figure it out so you never have this problem again.

2. Shut off power to affected areas

Water in contact with outlets, light fixtures, electrical panels, or appliances is dangerous. Go to the main electrical panel and shut off the breakers for the affected circuits. Do not step into standing water that may be in contact with live electrical — the safe move is to kill the whole house at the main breaker and work by flashlight until the water is removed.

3. Document everything before you touch it

Your insurance adjuster will rely on the photos and video you take now. Walk every affected room with your phone. Wide shots showing the overall scene, close shots of damaged materials and wet areas, video of water in motion if it's still leaking. Timestamp everything (your phone does this automatically). Don't move anything first — document first, then move.

4. Move valuables out of standing water — if safe

Only after power is off, and only things you can lift without strain. Electronics, documents, photographs, jewelry, valuable rugs. Set them on dry surfaces in another room. Don't try to rearrange heavy furniture — our crew will do that with the equipment to do it safely.

5. Call a plumber and call us

The plumber stops the leak and repairs the pipe. We handle the water that already escaped — extraction, drying, materials, documentation, insurance. Both numbers are useful to have saved before you need them. If you don't have a plumber, call us first and we will refer you to one.

What not to do

• Don't use a shop-vac on carpet or carpet pad — the vacuum pressure damages the backing and the pad will still need to come out. Commercial truck-mounted extraction is a different machine entirely.
• Don't turn on ceiling fans — they circulate humidity into dry areas and spread the problem.
• Don't pull drywall yourself — unnecessary demolition is a common insurance dispute, and moisture-mapping decides what actually needs to come out.
• Don't light candles or use open flames — natural gas lines, hot water lines, and electrical should all be considered potentially compromised until confirmed otherwise.
• Don't accept a verbal estimate from a crew that showed up unsolicited at your door. Minnesota law gives you the right to choose the restoration contractor. There is time to make a considered choice.

When we arrive

We walk through the house with you, photograph the as-found state, map moisture through the affected zone, identify the water category, and give you the specific plan: what comes out, what dries in place, how long drying will take, and what the insurance paperwork will look like. We do not make you wait for an estimate — the first-response work begins immediately.

In the next 24–72 hours

Extraction happens first — standing water removed with truck-mounted extraction. Then controlled demolition of anything that can't be dried in place. Then air movers and dehumidifiers set up for the three to five days of drying. We return daily to take readings and adjust equipment. Reconstruction, if we're doing it, comes after drying is complete and documented.

Get our number saved now

If you're reading this because you wanted to be prepared rather than because something just broke, save (612) 493-1161 to your phone. In a water emergency the difference between having the number ready and searching for one while water runs is measured in hundreds of dollars per minute.

Related reading

• How burst pipe water extraction and cleanup actually works
• The common causes of burst and frozen pipes in Minneapolis
• Does homeowners insurance cover burst pipes in Minnesota?
• What water damage restoration costs in Minneapolis