Water coming in right now? Here is what to do in the first 24 hours.

Get the free First 24 Hours Water Damage Action Plan. A calm, in-order checklist to limit the damage, stay safe, and protect your insurance claim, before anyone arrives.

Hi, I am Lior Mazor. I run Hillstar Construction, and I build and remodel homes in the San Fernando Valley.

When water is actually coming in, the hard part is not knowing the theory. It is doing the right things in the right order while you are stressed and the clock is running. The wrong order costs you money, and sometimes it costs you your insurance claim.

So I put together the one-page plan I would want a homeowner to have on their phone in that moment. It walks you through it calmly: make it safe, stop the water, limit the damage, document it for insurance, and only then think about repairs, in the sequence that actually holds.

What is on it:

• The safety checks to do first, before you touch anything wet
• How to stop or slow the water, and where your shutoffs usually are
• A do and do-not list for limiting the damage in the first hour
• Exactly what to photograph and keep so your insurance claim holds up
• The correct repair sequence, and the honest version of the mold question
• A fill-in card for your shutoff, panel, and insurer so it is ready next time

It is free, it is written for homeowners rather than for contractors, and it is short enough to actually use in the moment.