Flood cleanup, water extraction, or structural drying - post free. Genie 911 urgency skips the bidding process and connects you directly with the next available local restoration pro instead of getting blasted by multiple vendors. Covers clean-water incidents such as a burst pipe as well as gray- or black-water situations from sewage backups or flooding, plus structural drying with industrial dehumidifiers and air movers. Mold growth can begin within 24 to 48 hours in wet drywall or flooring, so a fast match matters for this category.
Clean Water, Gray Water, or Black Water: Why It Changes the Bid
Restoration professionals classify water damage by contamination level, and it is worth knowing the categories because they change both the cost and the approach. Category 1 is clean water from a source like a supply line or clean burst pipe. Category 2 (gray water) comes from sources like a washing machine or dishwasher overflow and carries some contamination. Category 3 (black water) comes from sewage backups or outside flooding and requires the most caution and the most protective equipment. Mentioning which of these applies — or simply describing exactly where the water came from — helps a Service Professional bid your job accurately instead of guessing, and it is also the first question any restoration pro will ask once they arrive.
What a Pro Needs to Assess Before Bidding
Useful details for your post: roughly how many square feet are affected, how long the area has been wet, whether the water has reached carpet, drywall, or subfloor, and whether you have already started removing standing water yourself. Restoration work typically involves water extraction equipment followed by industrial dehumidifiers and air movers for structural drying — the drying phase alone can take several days, so a Service Professional needs an honest picture of how long the area has been sitting wet, not just how it looks right now. Some jobs also need a plumber involved first if the water source itself has not been stopped yet — mention that in your post if it applies.
Acting Fast Matters for a Reason Beyond the Water Itself
Mold can begin developing in wet drywall or flooring within 24 to 48 hours, which is part of why this category is set up for a fast match rather than a scheduled estimate days out. If mold has already appeared, that is a separate but related job — see Mold Remediation. For the fuller picture on documenting damage, the important difference between water that comes from inside your home versus outside flooding, and how that affects what a standard policy typically covers, see water damage: what to do and what insurance covers. For an urgent situation, post through Genie 911 so pros who are currently available can see your job right away. Once more than one bid comes in, here is how to compare them on more than just price — timeline, scope, and communication all matter for a job like this.
Power Off Before You Step Into Any Standing Water
Before doing anything else — before extraction starts, before a Service Professional even arrives — turn off electricity at the main breaker panel if the affected area has standing water and it is safe to reach the panel. Water conducts electricity well beyond the visibly wet area, so a submerged outlet or appliance across the room can still make the water dangerous to walk through. Cutting power at the source is safer than trying to identify and avoid every individual hazard by eye, especially once carpet, baseboards, or standing water make it hard to tell what's actually live.
If the breaker panel itself is in a wet or partially flooded area, do not touch it — that's a job for a licensed electrician or your utility company, not something to handle yourself in the moment. The same caution applies to gas: if flooding is severe enough that you smell gas anywhere near the property, leave immediately and call the gas company or emergency services before doing anything else, and don't go back in until you've been told it's safe. It's an easy detail to skip past when the water itself looks like the more urgent problem, but electrical and gas safety come before extraction, drying, or anything a restoration Service Professional will do once they arrive.