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Homeowner guide

What to Do After Water Damage in Your Lacey Home

A pipe burst, a washer hose let go, or rain found its way in. The first hour feels messy and loud, and that is normal. Do not panic. A few calm steps, done in the right order, can save your floors, your walls, and a lot of money later. Here they are.

What should you do first after water damage in your home?

Stop the water at its source if you can do it safely. Then move what you can out of the wet area, take photos of everything, and call a water damage crew the same day. Fast action in the first hours decides how much of your home can be dried and saved, and how much has to be torn out.

This page was reviewed and updated on October 13, 2026.

Technician checking moisture in a wall with a moisture meter

Step one: stop the water

Everything else waits until the water stops coming in. If a supply line, toilet, or appliance is leaking, turn the small shut off valve behind it. If you cannot find the source, or the valve will not budge, go to the main shut off for the house. On most Lacey homes it sits where the water line enters the house, or out by the street meter. Turn it clockwise until the water stops. If the water is coming through the roof or the walls from outside, skip this step and move on to the next one.

Step two: think about safety before you wade in

Water and electricity do not mix. If water is near outlets, a breaker panel, or plugged in appliances, keep everyone out of that room until the power to it is off. If you are not sure, stay out and say so when you call. Sewage water is different too. A toilet or drain backup is what the IICRC S500 standard calls category 3 water, and it carries bacteria. Keep kids and pets out of it, do not mop it up with household towels, and let a crew with the right gear handle it, like our sewage backup cleanup team does.

Step three: protect what can still be saved

Once it is safe, move fast on the dry stuff first. Carry out anything dry that is sitting in or near the water: boxes, shoes, rugs that are still dry, electronics. Lift furniture legs up on small blocks of wood or squares of foil so the legs stop drinking water. Open cabinet doors under sinks so air can move. Pull wet rugs and towels out of the room entirely. Do not put wet items in plastic bags or sealed bins, because trapped moisture grows mold.

Step four: take photos before you clean anything

Before you mop, move, or throw anything away, walk the whole area with your phone. Take wide shots of each room, then close shots of the damage: the split pipe, the soaked baseboard, the water line on the wall. A slow video walk through helps too. These photos are your proof for the insurance claim, and they take five minutes now and save real arguments later. Write down when you found the water and what you did first. Keep every receipt from this day on, even small ones.

Step five: start drying, and know when to call for help

For a small spill on tile, towels and a household fan may be all you need. Standing water is a different job. Water that covers a floor, soaks carpet, or gets into walls and under cabinets needs extraction gear and real dehumidifiers, not a box fan. The US EPA warns that mold can start growing on wet material within 24 to 48 hours, which is why crews push to get water out the same day. If the wet area is bigger than a small bathroom, if the water has been sitting for hours, or if walls feel soft or spongy, call for emergency water removal and let the drying start today.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Should I call my insurance company or a water damage crew first?Call the crew first if water is still spreading, because stopping the damage is what your policy expects you to do. Then call the insurer the same day to open the claim. Take photos before cleanup either way, and keep the crew paperwork and moisture readings for the adjuster.
Can I stay in my home while it dries?Most of the time, yes. Drying gear is loud, and fans run day and night for a few days, but the home stays livable if the water and power are safe. If the water was sewage, or your only bathroom is out of use, a short stay somewhere else may make more sense.
How long does drying take?In a typical home, structural drying takes about three to seven days. Crews check moisture in the walls and floors with meters as it goes, and the job is done when the readings say the material is dry, not when it just feels dry on the surface.
What if the water has already been sitting for a day or more?Still call. The damage is worse than in the first hours, and mold may have started, but a crew can still remove, treat, and dry what is there. Do not tear out walls or carpet yourself before the damage is documented, because the photos protect your claim.

Need Help Now?

Call (360) 363-0413. We provide emergency response throughout Lacey and Thurston County.