What To Do if You Experience Commercial Water Damage

2/8/2023 (Permalink)

Water damage is an unfortunate part of doing business, but it's something that all commercial property owners must deal with at some point. From the small drip under your sink to a major flood from a burst pipe, water damage can spell disaster for your business. If you're lucky enough to recognize the signs of commercial water damage before it becomes too serious, here are some steps you can take:

Shut off the water. 

First, it is important to identify the source of water damage. It is crucial to identify this in order to prevent future damage. The sooner you can identify the source, the better.

In the event that your business suffers commercial water damage, you’ll need to shut off the water. This can be done by either shutting off the water at the source or shutting off the entire water supply. If you’re unable to locate the main water valve, call a plumber.

Contact your insurance provider to file a claim.

If you are in this situation, the first thing you should do is contact your insurance provider. If you have a business interruption policy and/or flood policy on file, those will need to be filed as well.

Document damaged property.

It's important to document and record the water damage as soon as possible. This will help you speed up the claims process, get a fair amount for your claim, and avoid any disputes with your insurance company.

The claims process is a series of questions that you’ll have to answer, and it will be easier if you have all your paperwork together. It is important that you document every piece of damaged property and inventory in writing, with as much detail as possible. A professional commercial water damage company will take photos or videos of the affected area.

If something gets destroyed in your business after a disaster like Hurricane Florence, try to remember all the details about what happened: when was it lost? Where was it stored? What can replace this item now? Do you have any backups for it?

Call a restoration professional.

If you find yourself in this situation, the best thing to do is call an expert. Restoration professionals have the experience and tools to assess the damage, get it repaired, and help with insurance claims. They can also assist with cleanup, sanitization, and reconstruction.

Preserve your business's personal property.

It's important to preserve your business's personal property as soon as you can. This may be difficult or impossible depending on the extent of the damage, but if it's at all possible, try to do so. If you don't have the resources to protect your belongings, take pictures of them instead! This will allow you to document what was damaged and help determine what needs replacing when insurance comes into play.

Act quickly.

Once you’ve determined that there is water damage, it’s important to act quickly. By shutting off the water main and calling a professional restoration company, you can stop further damage from occurring.

Some steps to take:

• Call your insurance provider immediately—they will know what needs to be done in order for them to cover your expenses.
• Call a restoration professional who can assess the extent of the damage and give recommendations on how best to proceed.
• Document everything that is damaged or otherwise affected by this event (photos are helpful).
• Preserve personal property as much as possible by removing furniture or other items from the area where water has pooled so they don't get ruined too!

The final takeaway is that it’s important to act quickly and get a professional on the job as soon as possible. If your business suffers from a water damage event, don't hesitate and give our SERVPRO of Arnold/North Jefferson County team a call today!