What to do in the first hour after a pipe bursts

A burst pipe floods fast. A half-inch supply line can put hundreds of gallons into a room before the water even looks deep, so the first hour decides how much damage you are left with. Here is the order that actually helps.

Shut off the water first.

Find your main shutoff valve, usually near where the line enters the house or by the water heater, and turn it clockwise until it stops. If you cannot reach it, call the water company. Everything else waits until the flow stops.

Cut the power, carefully.

Kill the breaker to the affected rooms, but only if the panel is dry and you can reach it without standing in water. If there is any doubt, leave it and call an electrician. Water and electricity are the part of this that actually hurts people.

Move what you can lift.

Get rugs, electronics and furniture off the wet floor. Standing furniture legs on foil or wood blocks stops stains bleeding into carpet and slows the damage to the pieces themselves.

Document before you clean up.

Photograph the water, the source and every wet item while it is still wet. Insurers pay on evidence, and water dries, so the photos you take now are worth more than the ones you take tomorrow. Our printable insurance checklist walks through what adjusters look for.

Get the water out and the air moving.

Towels, a wet vac, open windows and fans all help. Standing water that sits past 24 to 48 hours is where mold starts, so speed matters more than a perfect job.

If water has spread into walls or subfloor, drying it properly needs moisture meters and commercial air movers, not household fans. That is the point to call a local water damage team before a small loss turns into a rebuild.