1. Check for electrical danger
If water has reached outlets, cords, a space heater, the furnace or the electrical panel, keep out of it. Shut off breakers to wet rooms only if you can stand on a dry floor to reach the panel. If the panel is wet or the basement is flooded around it, leave it and tell the crew when you call.
Look up, too. A ceiling that bulges or sags is full of water and can fall.
2. Shut off the water
- Burst pipe, water heater or appliance leak: close the main shutoff. In most Ogden homes it is in the basement or a utility room, where the water line comes through the foundation wall. Turn the handle clockwise until it stops.
- Water heater only: close the cold water valve on top of the tank and turn the tank off (gas to "pilot" or off, or the breaker for an electric tank).
- Toilet or sink: close the small valve on the supply line behind or under the fixture.
- Sewage coming up a drain: stop all water use in the house. Every flush makes it worse.
- Snowmelt or rain: you cannot shut that off, but you can clear window wells, redirect downspouts and get belongings up off the floor.
It helps to find your main shutoff before you ever need it. Hang a tag on it so anyone in the house can find it.
3. Call for help
Call a water damage company while you work on the rest of this list. Getting a crew on the way early is the fastest way to limit damage. Call us and we will connect you with a local company.
4. Take pictures
Before anything gets moved or thrown away, photograph every wet room, the source of the water and anything damaged. Take wide shots and close-ups. A short video walking through the house works well. Your insurance company will ask for these, and you cannot recreate them later.
5. Protect your things
- Carry rugs, electronics, paperwork and photos to a dry floor.
- Slide foil or plastic under furniture legs sitting on wet carpet so the finish does not stain it.
- Pin up curtains and drapes so they stay off a wet floor.
- Pull books and boxes off the lowest shelves in the basement.
6. Avoid these mistakes
- Running a household vacuum on water.
- Walking through sewage or outside floodwater in regular shoes.
- Cranking the furnace to dry things out. Heat without dehumidification moves moisture into other rooms.
- Throwing out damaged items before you photograph them or your adjuster sees them.
- Closing up wet walls or putting flooring back down before readings show the area is dry.
7. Call your insurance company
Report the claim, write down the claim number and the adjuster's name, and ask whether they want to inspect before cleanup starts. Most policies expect you to take reasonable steps to prevent more damage, which includes calling a restoration company right away. Keep every receipt. Our Utah insurance guide explains what is usually covered.
Related services in Ogden
- Water extraction and removal: Pumps and extractors pull out standing water, then wet carpet pad and drywall come out.
- Flooded basement cleanup: Water pumped out of finished and unfinished basements, then walls, floors and framing dried.
- Frozen and burst pipe damage: Cleanup after a pipe splits in the cold, from wet ceilings to soaked basement carpet.