Water Damage Restoration Workflow

Purpose

Define the IICRC S500-compliant water damage restoration workflow from initial loss call to certificate of completion. Water damage is the largest single growth segment of carpet + restoration businesses - + per job, 70 - 80% paid by insurance. Routes that handle water damage well capture insurance vendor enrollment + multi-year recurring loss assignments. Routes that don't handle it well get dropped from carrier networks fast.

Scope

Applies to:

• Residential + light commercial water damage
• Category 1 (clean water - fresh supply line, ice maker line, dishwasher supply) - IICRC S500
• Category 2 (gray water - dishwasher discharge, washer overflow, sump discharge) - IICRC S500
• Category 3 (black water - sewage, contaminated rising water, prolonged stagnation) - IICRC S500

Excludes: mold remediation beyond drying (separate IICRC S520 protocol + state licensure), structural repair beyond drying, full reconstruction (general contractor work).

Responsibilities

• WRT-certified tech at minimum on every loss
• ASD-certified tech on losses involving structural drying
• Insurance adjuster coordinated as customer's advocate (where insurance involved)
• Customer / homeowner signs work authorization + accepts scope

Initial loss call (within 4 hours of contact)

1. Confirm safety: power off in affected area? Gas leak? Standing water touching outlets?
2. Customer briefing: water source stopped? If not, plumber referral first.
3. Insurance: customer has policy? Carrier called? Provide ETA.
4. Schedule arrival: 2 - 4 hour standard response; 1-hour emergency rate
5. Tech dispatched with equipment: extractors, air movers, dehumidifiers, moisture meters, PPE

On-site initial assessment (first 60 - 90 minutes)

1. Safety check: power, gas, structural concerns
2. Source identification + stop: water source still active? Stop or document why not
3. Category determination per S500:

• Cat 1: visibly clear, recent, fresh source (supply line, ice maker)
• Cat 2: visible discoloration, dirty source (washer, dishwasher)
• Cat 3: sewage, prolonged stagnant water, ground water intrusion

1. Class determination per S500 (rate of evaporation):

• Class 1: small area, low porosity affected (vinyl floor in laundry)
• Class 2: substantial area, carpet + pad affected
• Class 3: ceiling + walls + carpet affected (top-down water - burst pipe upstairs)
• Class 4: dense, low-permeability materials saturated (hardwood, plaster, concrete saturation)

1. Moisture mapping: pin meter + non-penetrating meter readings throughout affected area; document on diagram

Documentation (parallel to assessment)

• Photos of every affected room
• Photos of source / damage
• Moisture readings (date, time, location, reading)
• Sketch of affected area with measurements
• Customer name + policy info (if insurance)
• Carrier claim number
• Adjuster contact

This documentation is the foundation of the insurance claim + protects the contractor in any dispute.

Mitigation (first 24 - 72 hours)

Step 1: Water extraction

1. Surface water - submersible pump OR truck-mount extraction
2. Carpet + pad extraction - multiple passes with rotary extractor
3. Pad removal decision: Cat 2 + 3 = remove pad always; Cat 1 case-by-case (pad saturation + structure)
4. Subfloor extraction if accessible

Step 2: Containment + safety

1. Cat 3: containment with plastic sheeting; negative-pressure air scrubber; PPE
2. Cat 2: PPE recommended; depending on local code
3. Cat 1: standard precautions

Step 3: Drying setup

Air movers + dehumidifiers per square footage + Class:

• Class 1: 1 air mover per 50 - 70 sq ft + 1 dehumidifier per 1,000 sq ft
• Class 2: 1 air mover per 30 - 50 sq ft + 1 dehumidifier per 700 - 1,000 sq ft
• Class 3: 1 air mover per 20 - 30 sq ft + 1 dehumidifier per 500 - 700 sq ft
• Class 4: specialty drying - desiccant dehumidifier + heat injection + drying mats

Dehumidifier types:

• LGR (low-grain refrigerant): standard residential workhorse; 130 - 250 pints/day
• Desiccant: required for low-temperature OR low-humidity drying (Class 4); 100 - 1,000+ pints/day
• Conventional refrigerant: legacy; rare in modern restoration

Step 4: Material removal (Cat 2 + 3)

• Carpet pad (almost always)
• Carpet (Cat 2 + 3 or delamination)
• Drywall (12 - 24" above visible damage)
• Wet insulation; baseboards; cabinet kick plates

Daily monitoring (until dry)

• Moisture readings every 24 hours
• Air mover + dehumidifier placement adjustment
• Document drying progress on goal-of-drying chart
• Customer communication daily

Drying goals (per S500)

• Carpet: <16% moisture (relative to dry standard)
• Wood subfloor: <16%
• Drywall: equilibrium with adjacent unaffected drywall (within 2 percentage points)
• Hardwood floor: <12% AND no cupping

Most residential losses dry in 3 - 5 days; structural drying (Class 3 + 4) takes 5 - 10 days.

Completion + certificate of dryness

1. Final moisture readings throughout affected area; all materials at dry standard
2. Air movers + dehumidifiers removed
3. Final photo documentation
4. Customer walkthrough
5. Certificate of Dryness issued (S500-recognized form)
6. Final billing + adjuster submission

Insurance billing

• Most insurance loss billing uses Xactimate (the industry-standard estimation software)
• Tech / firm trained in Xactimate documentation
• Submit as electronic estimate + supporting photos + moisture logs
• Adjuster reviews; releases payment per scope
• Discrepancies negotiated; sometimes mediated by Public Adjuster

Cat 3 (sewage) special protocols

• PPE mandatory: Tyvek + P100 respirator + nitrile gloves + boots
• All porous materials affected by Cat 3 water REMOVED (carpet, pad, drywall, insulation, MDF cabinetry)
• Hard surfaces aggressively disinfected with EPA-registered hospital-grade product
• Air-quality post-test recommended OR mandatory per local requirement
• Customer or occupant evacuation typical

References

• IICRC S500 Professional Water Damage Restoration (THE standard)
• IICRC S520 Mold Remediation (when crossover required)
• Xactimate estimation reference
• State licensing requirements (water mitigation + mold remediation vary by state)
• Manuall internal: Water Damage Classifications & Response, IICRC Certifications Reference