How quickly can Water Pro Inc respond to a water damage emergency?

Water Pro Inc provides 24/7 emergency response for water damage in Bloomington, Indiana and surrounding areas. Our IICRC-certified technicians are available around the clock, including holidays and weekends, and can typically arrive at your property within hours of your call.

Does insurance cover water damage restoration?

Most homeowner insurance policies cover sudden and accidental water damage, such as burst pipes or appliance failures. Water Pro Inc works directly with insurance companies and can help you navigate the claims process. We document all damage thoroughly to support your claim.

What areas does Water Pro Inc serve?

Water Pro Inc serves Bloomington, Indiana and surrounding areas including Bedford, Columbus, Nashville, Jasper, Washington, Indianapolis, Ellettsville, Spencer, and Martinsville. We provide water damage restoration, sewage cleanup, fire damage restoration, and professional cleaning services throughout south-central Indiana.

What certifications does Water Pro Inc have?

Water Pro Inc is IICRC-certified, which is the industry standard for water damage restoration and cleaning professionals. The Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) sets the standards for the restoration industry, including the S500 Standard for Professional Water Damage Restoration.

How long does water damage restoration take?

The timeline depends on the extent of the damage. Water extraction typically takes a few hours, while structural drying usually takes 3 to 5 days. Complete restoration, including any necessary repairs or reconstruction, can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks depending on the severity of the damage.

What should I do while waiting for a water damage restoration company?

First, ensure your safety and turn off the water source if possible. Move valuable items to a dry area, avoid electrical outlets near standing water, and begin documenting damage with photos for your insurance claim. Do not attempt to use household vacuums to remove standing water, as this can create electrical hazards.

What types of water damage does Water Pro Inc handle?

Water Pro Inc handles all categories of water damage: Category 1 (clean water from broken pipes or supply lines), Category 2 (gray water from appliance overflows or sump pump failures), and Category 3 (black water from sewage backups or flooding). We also handle fire damage, storm damage, tornado damage, biohazard cleanup, and trauma cleanup.

What to Do in the First 24 Hours After Water Damage

Introduction

You walk downstairs and your feet hit water. Or you come home from work and the ceiling is dripping. Or you wake up to the sound of running water when nothing should be running. However it happens, discovering water damage in your home is one of those moments where your stomach drops.

At Water Pro Inc., we respond to these calls every week across Bloomington and Southern Indiana. And the one thing we always tell homeowners is: what you do in the first 24 hours matters more than anything. Act fast and do the right things, and you can save thousands of dollars and weeks of hassle. Wait too long or make the wrong moves, and a manageable situation turns into a major reconstruction project.

Here’s exactly what we recommend, based on years of experience handling water emergencies.

First Things First: Make Sure It’s Safe

Before you do anything else, take a breath and assess whether it’s safe to be in the area.

If water has reached electrical outlets, appliances, or your breaker panel, do not walk through it. Water and electricity are a deadly combination. If you smell gas or hear hissing, get everyone out of the house and call your utility company immediately.

And if the water is dark, foul-smelling sewage, avoid direct contact. Category 3 black water contains bacteria, viruses, and parasites that can make you seriously ill. In that situation, get your family and pets away from the area and call a professional right away.

Stop the Water If You Can

If the water is coming from inside your home (a burst pipe, a failed appliance, a running toilet), shutting off the source is step one.

For a localized problem like a pipe under the sink, use the fixture shutoff valve right there at the wall. For a bigger break or if you can’t find where the water is coming from, go straight to the main shutoff valve. In most Bloomington homes, you’ll find it where the water line enters your house, usually in the basement, crawlspace, or near the water meter.

If the water is coming from an external source like a storm or a roof leak, you obviously can’t shut that off. But you can place buckets or tarps to redirect water away from valuables and electronics.

Call a Professional Restoration Company

This is not the time to try and handle it yourself with a shop vac and some fans from the garage. Here’s why:

According to IICRC standards, mold can start growing within 24 to 48 hours in warm, humid conditions. That clock starts ticking the moment the water hits. Professional restoration teams have industrial-grade extraction equipment that removes water 10 to 50 times faster than anything you can buy at a hardware store.

Water Pro Inc. is available 24/7 at (812) 269-4783 and we typically arrive within 30 to 60 minutes in the Bloomington area. Don’t wait until morning. Don’t wait until Monday. Every hour of delay increases damage, extends the restoration timeline, and drives up costs.

Document Everything Before You Touch Anything

This is a step a lot of people skip in the panic of the moment, and it can really hurt you later when you file your insurance claim.

Before you move furniture, rip up carpet, or start mopping, grab your phone and document everything. Take photos and video of all affected areas: the standing water, the waterline on the walls, the damaged flooring, the soaked belongings. Get wide shots of the whole room and close-ups of specific damage.

Write down the date and time you discovered the damage, and a brief description of what happened. This information is critical for your insurance claim, and it protects you if there’s ever a disagreement about the extent of the damage.

Protect What You Can

If it’s safe to move around in the affected area, start getting valuables to higher ground. Furniture, electronics, family photos, important documents — move them to a dry part of the house.

A helpful trick: put aluminum foil or small wood blocks under furniture legs that are sitting on wet carpet. This prevents the stain from the furniture feet from bleeding into the carpet, which is a secondary damage issue we see all the time.

Don’t throw anything away yet. Even items that look ruined should be kept until your insurance adjuster or restoration company has documented them. You want those losses on record.

Get Some Air Moving

While you wait for the restoration team, turn on any fans you have and open windows if the weather allows it. If your HVAC system wasn’t affected by the water, run it to keep air circulating.

This won’t replace professional drying equipment (not even close), but it does slow down moisture absorption into walls, cabinets, and other building materials. Every little bit helps while you’re waiting for the professionals to arrive.

Do not use a regular household vacuum on standing water. It’s an electrical hazard and it will destroy the vacuum. If you have a wet/dry shop vac rated for water, that’s fine for small amounts on hard floors.

What NOT to Do (This Is Just as Important)

In the rush to fix things, people sometimes make the situation worse. Here’s what we see go wrong:

Don’t use electrical appliances while standing in water — this should go without saying, but in the heat of the moment people forget.

Don’t pull up tacked-down carpet yourself — improper handling can cause additional damage and may void your insurance coverage.

Don’t use bleach or household cleaners on water-damaged materials — they’re ineffective against the microbial contamination in gray and black water, and they can damage materials that might otherwise be salvageable.

Don’t turn on ceiling fans or lights in rooms where the ceiling is wet or sagging — water-saturated drywall can collapse, and running electricity through wet fixtures is dangerous.

What Happens When We Arrive

When the Water Pro Inc. team shows up, we follow a systematic process that meets IICRC industry standards. First, our technicians use moisture meters and thermal imaging cameras to map the full extent of water migration, including moisture hidden behind walls and under floors that you can’t see.

Next, we extract all standing water using truck-mounted and portable equipment. Then we place commercial air movers and dehumidifiers in calculated positions to create the right airflow for structural drying. We monitor moisture levels daily and adjust equipment until everything reads dry. Most jobs are dry within 3 to 5 days. After that, we handle any demolition, treatment, and reconstruction needed.

We’re Here When You Need Us

If you’re dealing with water damage in Bloomington, Indiana or any of our surrounding service areas including Ellettsville, Spencer, Bedford, Martinsville, Nashville, Columbus, and beyond, call Water Pro Inc. at (812) 269-4783.

We provide 24/7 emergency response, free on-site assessments, direct insurance billing, and complete restoration from extraction through reconstruction. The sooner professional restoration begins, the more of your home and belongings we can save. Don’t wait. Call us now.